Twitter Now & Then
Twitter tweets and twinkles in the twilight of its 6th birthday. The first “tweet” was sent out on March 21, 2006 by Twitter founder and CEO, Jack Dorsey. The tweet simply read, “just setting up my twttr.” That’s right twttr was the name of the platform at the time. However, it soon added in the i and e to form the now recognizable Twitter.
Six years later, the social media platform has over 100 million active users. Twitter has become a unique tool for staying connected with friends and families, celebrities making statements, and advertisers communicating with their target audience. It is the second most popular social media platform sitting in a distant second behind Facebook.
In my opinion, I am surprised it has lasted this long. When I first heard of Twitter, I thought of it as the equivalent of “status updates” on Facebook, but more restricted. But, sometimes you have to admit that you’re wrong because twitter has proven to be a valuable tool and will likely be around for a long time.
However, in a recent technology conference in Munich, Germany, Dorsey was put under fire regarding Twitter’s business model sustainability. Twitter has yet to develop enormous profits from its current platform and advertising products. Dorsey has reported he believes revenue will continue to grow as user accounts continue to increase and vice versa. Therefore, they have been engaging in a strong effort to develop in the UK and EU. Since then, Twitter has put a team in the UK with lead sales director, Bruce Daisley, from Youtube. Also, Dorsey said they are focused on putting a Twitter team in Germany; a place where Twitter is not currently popular.
I think Twitter will have steady growth in EU, but will never be on the level of Facebook. In regards to advertising opportunities and branding, Twitter cannot compete with Facebook. However, Twitter is a useful tool for brands to communicate with their audiences. The communication can be beneficial in the form of customer service or daily updates. Overall, Twitter must expand its usability and develop new innovative way brands/advertisers can reach their audiences or else we will never here the bird tweet again.
Happy birthday, Twitter!
James Williams
Media Intern
Mood: Tweety