Creating Brand Exposure and Marketing Buzz by Using Twitter, a Popular Social Application

When I was first introduced to Twitter back in May 2007, I joined on a whim and updated what I was doing once every couple of months. However, after BlogExpo, Twitter became the buzz topic for every social networker and bloggers in the web hemisphere. They have all joined and have been actively engaging in this application to gain followers and keep them updated. It is so popular that even Presidential Candidate, Barack Obama, has signed up on the twitter train. But what is it exactly?

Twitter is a Social networking and microblogging service utilizing instant messaging, SMS or a web interface. According to twitter website, "Twitter is for staying in touch and keeping up with friends no matter where you are or what you're doing. For some friends you might want instant mobile updates-for others, you can just check the web. Invite your friends to Twitter and decide how connected you want you to be"

Initially, Twitter might have been a way to stay in touch with friends and family. There is almost a self-indulgent aspect of Twitter by sharing your day to day activities, but the application of twitter has changed into something more. Now, people are utilizing it to gain exposure to their brand; whether it's a blogger seeking more readers or politicians who utilize twitter to garner more voters by keeping them updated about the campaign. Kevin Palmer of Buzz Networker has summed up other ways twitter is being utilized.

As a news source- During the California wildfires people were using Twitter to update the locations of the fires and keep the community informed.

Sharing links- professor tracking other professors on twitter, they share links amongst each other about important readings available on the web within their field of study.

A way to find people with shared interests- On twitter you can track certain keywords so you can find people with similar interests. This is especially useful if you are a niche blogger and want to find people who would be interested in the topic you blog about.

Twitter was created by Company, Obvious, in March 2006. According to Wikipedia, it began as a research and development project for a little known company located in San Francisco area. Initially, it was used internally within the company then introduced to the public to become one of most popular social networking program. The application has been so successful that it has won the South by Southwest Web Award in 2007. Also in that same year, Obvious, LLC spun off the service as a separate entity under the name Twitter, Inc., with Jack Dorsey as its CEO.

So what makes this social application so popular? I think it's the relative ease of use and the way it's becoming interconnected to other social directories like Facebook and BlogCatalog. Twitter have even integrated user's computer where users can get updates replies sent right to their desktop. The "updates" (or "tweets"; text-based posts, up to 140 characters long) can be posted on the Twitter website via your cell phone, so there's a pervasive nature of Twittering that is closely intertwined with the user's life. As in point, in an article by the Wall Street journal quotes,

"These social-networking services elicit mixed feelings in the technology-savvy people who have been their early adopters. Fans say they are a good way to keep in touch with busy friends. But some users are starting to feel 'too' connected, as they grapple with check-in messages at odd hours, higher cellphone bills and the need to tell acquaintances to stop announcing what they're having for dinner."

However distracting and obsessive twittering can be, there is no denying the usefulness of this social application. It is a way of staying in touch with friends by keeping them updated with tweets (activities and thoughts you have at that moment) but more so, if you want to get a brand recognition and create exposure; it's an effective tool to engage others' interest. Therefore creating a buzz and free marketing for your company.