Social Media Subhead text here Twitter 101 Shawn Morton & Rochelle Durban February 2009 Social Media Brown Bag Series

Agenda What is Twitter? History Twitter facts Users and usage Why it became so popular? Who is using it? How are people using it? How can you use it? Demo

What is Twitter?

History

Twitter facts

Users and usage

Why it became so popular?

Who is using it?

How are people using it?

How can you use it?

Demo

What is Twitter? 140 characters “ I am giving a Twitter 101 presentation to a group of my colleagues at Nationwide in Columbus. Explaining the 140-character per tweet limit.”

History of Twitter in 140 characters @ev sells Blogger to GOOG. Uses GOOG $ to make ODEO. Twitter idea comes at ODEO team brainstorm w/ @biz, @Jack. Usage explodes at SXSWi ’07. Read full insider’s history here

More Twitter facts Jack Dorsey, an engineer at ODEO, is credited with coming up with the idea Originally called “twttr” because it was an SMS only service and SMS shortcodes are limited to 5 characters Messages weren’t limited to 140 characters at first. Longer messages were split into much SMS messages The 140 character limit was chosen to allow for a username to be added to the beginning of each message Launched quietly into beta on March 31, 2006 Suffered through a lot of growing pains early on (“Fail whale”) Have raised $20 million +, but have no revenue stream

Jack Dorsey, an engineer at ODEO, is credited with coming up with the idea

Originally called “twttr” because it was an SMS only service and SMS shortcodes are limited to 5 characters

Messages weren’t limited to 140 characters at first. Longer messages were split into much SMS messages

The 140 character limit was chosen to allow for a username to be added to the beginning of each message

Launched quietly into beta on March 31, 2006

Suffered through a lot of growing pains early on (“Fail whale”)

Have raised $20 million +, but have no revenue stream

Twitter usage (as of December 2008) 1,176,217,787 5.6 million Number of unique users visiting Twitter in December 2008 (up 700% YoY) Number of updates (or “tweets”) posted since October 2006

Why did Twitter become so popular? Simplicity Open API Mobile User interface Functionality Blog integration (Twitterfeed) Desktop apps (Twhirl, Tweetdeck) Mobile apps (Twitterberry) Mashups (Twittervision) Search (Summize) Photos (Twitpic) Tweets can be sent and received via text No need for a data plan to use Twitter

User interface

Functionality

Blog integration (Twitterfeed)

Desktop apps (Twhirl, Tweetdeck)

Mobile apps (Twitterberry)

Mashups (Twittervision)

Search (Summize)

Photos (Twitpic)

Tweets can be sent and received via text

No need for a data plan to use Twitter

Why did Twitter become so popular? Timing SXSWi in March 2007 Got Twitter in front of the right audience at the right time

SXSWi in March 2007

Got Twitter in front of the right audience at the right time

Who is using it?

Who is using it?

Brands on Twitter

How are they using it? Sharing info with friends/family/co-workers Most common use for Twitter Often very personal or seemingly mundane Easiest types of updates to mock

Sharing info with friends/family/co-workers

Most common use for Twitter

Often very personal or seemingly mundane

Easiest types of updates to mock

How are they using it? Asking or answering questions Users leverage the power of Twitter’s 5 million monthly unique users to get answers Anyone can find your question and send you an answer Because posts are public, one answer can help others with the same question Search.twitter.com is a great way to find an expert

Asking or answering questions

Users leverage the power of Twitter’s 5 million monthly unique users to get answers

Anyone can find your question and send you an answer

Because posts are public, one answer can help others with the same question

Search.twitter.com is a great way to find an expert

How are they using it? Marketing a product or service Becoming more and more common Used to be limited to small web startups, but now large brands are participating Can be effective when done well. Southwest posts Twitter-only specials on airfare

Marketing a product or service

Becoming more and more common

Used to be limited to small web startups, but now large brands are participating

Can be effective when done well.

Southwest posts Twitter-only specials on airfare

Covering or following live events Twitter has become a source for breaking news before major media picks it up Mumbai terrorist attacks, US Air crash on the Hudson Used to cover live events as well SXSWi, Consumer Electronics Show, MacWorld Expo, election, sports How are they using it?

Covering or following live events

Twitter has become a source for breaking news before major media picks it up

Mumbai terrorist attacks, US Air crash on the Hudson

Used to cover live events as well

SXSWi, Consumer Electronics Show, MacWorld Expo, election, sports

Providing customer service Monitoring keywords to find customer praise or customer complaints. Responding to customers in a timely fashion Comcast uses Twitter to overcome call center delays; staff of 15 dedicated to it How are they using it?

Providing customer service

Monitoring keywords to find customer praise or customer complaints.

Responding to customers in a timely fashion

Comcast uses Twitter to overcome call center delays; staff of 15 dedicated to it

How should I use Twitter? Subscribe generously Post regularly Be responsive Ask for help For brands, monitor and reply carefully

Subscribe generously

Post regularly

Be responsive

Ask for help

For brands, monitor and reply carefully

Social Media Subhead text here Twitter Demo

Key features The interface Posting Replying Retweeting Following/Followers Direct messages Favorites Search Mobile

The interface

Posting

Replying

Retweeting

Following/Followers

Direct messages

Favorites

Search

Mobile