There’s been a lot of buzz about Twitter of late. No wonder. With millions of users, and truckloads of new people signing up every day, it’s now easy to follow the antics of your friends, co-workers, or even Darth Vader. Much of the recent buzz has centered around the possible acquisition (assimilation?) of the company by Google. Other news stories and editorial pieces have asked if Twitter is for real, or is just a flash in the pan.
Twitter is for real – and perhaps more so because of mobile devices. The combination of 140 character micro-blog style entries and the broadcast abilities from computer to mobile device make Twitter a powerful technology. but Twitter isn’t just for kids, my sister-in-law, or even Demi Moore. Twitter can be an important business and public outreach technology as well. (See? I buried the lead again!)
Twitter is not limited to social commentary. It can be used for a wide variety of important communications solutions. Imagine setting up your servers to tweet you if they encounter pending failures or issues. Many law enforcement and fire agencies are now using Twitter to broadcast emergency incidents, evacuations, and street closures. Public safety, notably in a large city, can be an excellent environment in which to use Twitter.
Twitter is an ideal tool for a trade show, as it would allow reminders for keynote presentations, special events, prizes, etc. And, the most common device to receive these tweets is a mobile device. Now, combine the analytic results of such activities and any entity using both technologies can improve their communications, outreach, and effectiveness.
When our team works with clients who are interested in developing better relationships with their customers, or who wish to reach a wide audience easily, we are careful to give proper consideration to how the technology might be used. Just having the technology isn’t enough. There is work involved after the technology is installed or configured. The fantastic thing is, these technologies are avaiable to us, and our expertise lies in how to best use these new tools to improve business, communication, and in some cases, life itself.