“I don’t get what Twitter is.”
I have heard this so many times in different conversations. Especially when we meet people who find out what our company does. It is like the definition of whether you really get mainstream technology or not. Facebook seems to be a given – everyone and their grandmas are on Facebook, but what about Twitter. Well, that is my mission – get an answer for those of us not on Twitter to find out “what Twitter is”.
Twitter’s slogan on their website is:
“Share and discover what’s happening right now, anywhere in the world.”
If you check out Twitter’s About Us section, you will read:
“Twitter is a real-time information network powered by people all around the world that lets you share and discover what’s happening now.” and
“Twitter asks “what’s happening” and makes the answer spread across the globe to millions, immediately.”
They tell you that by using Twitter, you can make better decisions since you have the most up-to-date information. Using it will enable businesses to stay better connected to their customers.
Simply, in 140 characters, or about the length of a sentence including punctuation, you can relay information that others could use or find interesting. It is very effective when sharing basic information like a great book that you are reading or a restaurant to steer clear of, and since it is such fast paced information, news hits faster to more people . For example, when basketball star Shaquille O’Neal was getting traded, he found out from Twitter before any person actually told him. Another example, is the speedy information transfer to the public when a child has been abducted making rescue efforts more effective.
Now that we know the theory behind Twitter, step 1: Sign up. On my computer and on my iPhone.
Next time I will let you know how it is going. Find me on Twitter under the username lisacjervis.
