ABOUT TWITTER
witter, a social networking site launched in 2006, is undoubtedly one of the most popular social media platforms available today, with 100 million daily active users and 500 million tweets sent daily.
Twitter can be used to receive news, follow high-profile celebrities, or stay in-touch with old high school friends.
But its popularity can be intimidating -- if you don't know how to use Twitter in 2019, should you even bother trying to join the masses who've acquired years of experience on the site?
Fortunately, Twitter is incredibly easy to use. Here, we'll cover what Twitter is, who uses Twitter, and how you can get started on the site, today.
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What is Twitter?
In 2006, Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, had an idea -- he would create a SMS-based communications platform in which friends could keep tabs on each other by updating statuses. In the beginning, Twitter was an idea all-too-similar to texting.
The idea evolved, in large part due to brainstorming sessions with Dorsey's co-founder, Evan Williams.
On March 21, 2006, Jack sent the first tweet, which read -- "just setting up my twttr."
Twitter saw explosive growth at the 2007 South By Southwest Interactive conference, during which more than 60,000 tweets were sent. The Twitter team took advantage of the conference to begin growing their user base.
Twitter began as an SMS-based platform, so the 140 character limit was initially simply a necessity -- mobile carriers imposed the limit, not Twitter.
However, as Twitter grew to become a web platform, they kept the limit simply because it aligned with Twitter's brand -- Twitter is a platform that aims to create highly skimmable content for our tech-heavy, attention-deficit modern world.
Twitter has grown exponentially over the past 10+ years. Its purpose is ultimately to spread information fast -- while that information is not always serious (Kim Kardashian's thoughts on makeup, for instance), it sometimes is (like when Iranian protesters used Twitter to assemble marches).
Twitter for Marketers
Twitter can be a very helpful platform for growing a following and providing your audience with valuable content before they even become customers. The character limit can also help you create quick-and-compelling advertisements, like a shout-out to a webinar your business is conducting, or a free e-book.
It's important to note, you can use Twitter to advertise your products or services, but you should do so sparingly. Like any social media marketing strategy, your primary focus should be on attracting an audience with useful content and growing brand awareness.
Additionally, you can use Twitter to connect with your audience in personal and meaningful ways. If someone mentions one of your products or services, you can "like" or "retweet" their comment. Alternatively, if a customer complains about your services on Twitter, you can reach out to rectify the situation in real-time.
To learn more about how to use Twitter for marketing purposes, take a look at How to Use Twitter for Marketing & PR.
Twitter for Reporters
Twitter has often been used to spread breaking news quickly -- at times, it's even faster than traditional media outlets at spreading groundbreaking information quickly.
For instance, when the US Airways plane crash-landed in the Hudson River in 2009, Janis Krums was one of the first to spread the word via Twitter, before many media outlets even caught on:
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