As an early adopter of Twitter, I’ve often been asked why I would care to know when my friends take showers or go to the bathroom, or if I really think people care what type of sandwich I make for lunch. It’s at those moments when I simply smile, say something about “the future of technology” and tell myself that I am so much smarter than they are.
People who don’t use Twitter, still think of it as the social network it was when it was born in the summer of 2006. In those four years, it has turned into one of the number one product promotions utilities on the web. From airlines to retail stores, companies are using Twitter more and more to let their most devoted consumers know about deals, discounts and sales on all types of products. If you think Twitter is for self-obsessed weirdoes, you’re the one missing out.
Since 2006, Twitter has gone from “narcissistic message tack board” to “company announcement billboard.” The great thing about Twitter, is the requirement to create short, “to the point” messages that can be read quickly by “followers.” For a company promoting a day-long sale, new product, or “last minute meet-up,” this is a great way of letting the people who WANT to know, know.
For example, last March JetBlue announced that they would be giving out 1000 free round-trip tickets to three destinations, if their Twitter followers met them at a location in Manhattan. Walmart frequently announces daily specials multiple times a day to their followers. Using their official Twitter account, the FDA lets followers know about any product recalls that they are announcing.
Organizations are frequently seeing the benefits that this direct connection can have with their customers. Comcast has a dedicated team of 15 people who answer concerns and problems brought to their attention by customers over Twitter. There are even CEOs of companies who, while not necessarily responding to your tweets directly, allow their customers to develop what seems to be a more personal relationship with the company and upper management.
Twitter even allows emergency workers, researchers and news agencies to understand and respond to natural disasters and armed conflicts through analysis of multiple Twitter users, location and timestamps. By analyzing multiple Twitter messages that are posted, scientists can understand how an earthquake may have damaged certain areas of a city or where an armed conflict may have started or begun spreading to.
Mostly for the casual user of Twitter, it can help with finding deals and products that you may need or want; this is especially true for the holiday season. So, my suggestion is to create an account for yourself, “follow” the Twitter accounts of favorite stores or product companies, and wait for the deals to roll in. Because in an economy like we are in right now, companies are looking for any way to get your attention.
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