Everything you needed to know about Twitter in 140 characters or less
The world is tweeting about Twitter
What is it? In 140 characters or less… Twitter is an online phenomenon where users post status updates in real time from phones, Blackberries and the humble PC. You can use it to build networks and research what the public actually thinks (users were particularly harsh on Gretel Kileen’s Logie hosting effort, for example) about your product or service.
Who’s on it? Estimates vary, but more than 25 million have signed up – whether or not they are all still using it is another matter. It’s a waste of time though, isn’t it? Well, yes – you can read such trivial insights as those from Brit musician Lily Allen, who on wrote on April 28 (at 6.55am) “At the beeb [BBC]… license fee is definitely not being spent on quality toilet paper”.
So why bother? Because it is searchable, accessible and quick. The accessibility means you can read posts from everyone such as Al Gore to the creepy looking guy sitting in the corner – it is an unobtrusive way to develop business networks if used correctly. Twitter’s search power also gives an incredibly powerful insight into consumer behaviour – you can get instant (honest) feedback from the public. Well, the public that is connected to Twitter, that is.
