Twitter

Social media is taking over the world…or at least the World Wide Web. Everyone who is anyone has joined one or more of these online networking communities. Sites such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter are all competing to prove their usefulness to students and professionals alike. As a member of both Facebook and Myspace, I am decently familiar with these communities. Twitter, however, was uncharted territory for me. Other than what my professors and fellow students told me, I knew next to nothing about the “micro-blogging” site. A quick visit to Wikipedia and an even quicker conversation with my tech-savvy roommate showed me that Twitter appeals to the same group of people, but in an entirely different way.

My roommate explained it like this: Twitter is very similar to the “status” feature that I am constantly updating on Facebook and Myspace. A “tweet”, which is a short blurb of text that is 140 characters or less, lets people know what you are up to. It’s very much an “on-the-go” way to stay connected. Those with very little time and unlimited internet access via iPhones or other devices can update themselves on their friends’ and colleagues’ tweets quickly and easily using programs such as Twitterrific. Subscriptions through SMS, RSS, instant messages or email make the process that much faster. Even my beloved Facebook allows you to view tweets through applications on their site.

As far as posting your own tweets, that process is just as simple as viewing someone else’s. You can go through Twitter’s website, instant messaging, email, SMS or another third party application to update your profile. Twitter applications such as Twitter Blocks and Twitter Search add to the “at-a-glance” appeal of the site. According to Twitter’s company profile on Crunchbase.com, these applications allow users to search tweet conversations and see updates in a visual form.

Twitter’s potential in the PR field is immense. Presidential candidates are using Twitter as a publicity tool to keep the world updated on their status at the polls. Universities are using it to get various messages out to their students. Professionals keep in touch from all over the world, and students keep up with their friends at other schools. Business and organizations can use this technology as a quick, simple and cheap way to keep in touch with important publics and stakeholders.

Twitter’s possibilities are endless, and the convenience and simplicity gives this “micro-blogging” site an appeal that will ultimately lead to its mainstream success.

By: Rachel Atcheson