Last week I looked at Gab’s growth and this week compare Gab to Twitter. I am well aware that the social media climate was completely different in 2006 when Twitter started than 2016 when Gab was launched. However, given that they are competitors, I felt it important to do a side by side comparison. This gives Gab context and helps frame my thoughts on the implications for your business. I also discuss social media attention shifts and share my past mistake of not prioritizing social media as a way to reach customers.

2. Your customer’s a-en/on is
going to shi3, and when it does,
it will happen quickly.

4. The comparison is inevitable.
A direct Gab vs. Twi-er comparison is highly
imperfect but necessary since they are direct
compe/tors. Gab and Twi-er’s early days next
to each other gives Gab some context.

5. However, keep in mind 2006 was radically
different than 2016. There has never been a
/me in history where social media has been
so heavily used. It is highly doubJul Gab in
2006 would have grown like Gab did in 2016.

6. Timeline

7. •July 2006 launch* — Twi-er is now open to the general public.
•Four months a3er launch — Almost 12,000 total users.
•Six months a3er launch — Users send an average of 5,000
tweets per day.
•Seven months a3er launch — Gets recognized at the annual tech
conference SXSW (South by Southwest) and 20,000 Tweets per
day goes up to 60,000 Tweets per day.
Hubspot and Buffer both a-ribute SXSW 2007 as the first
explosive growth driver of Twi-er.
*Twi)er launched in March 2006 but was not open to the
general public un;l July 2006.
Timeline

8. Timeline

9. •August 2016 launch
•Four months a3er launch — Gab has over 100,000
users that send an average of 20,000 Gabs per day
(posts on Gab) with 200,000 people on wait lists.
If the website traffic growth from part one and the
user base growth above show anything, it is that Gab
needs to be taken very seriously.
Timeline

10. A)en;on shi@s on social media
can happen fast…
Gab could very quickly be something special
and many people might not join now
because it is small rela/ve to Facebook.

11. Many people said they would never be on
Facebook back when it started in 2006,
now in 2017, Facebook has almost 2 billion
monthly users.
Also, 62% of US internet users 65 and
older now use Facebook.

12. Think of how a)en;on shi@s
when a new TV show or NeLlix
series comes out.

13. One month you could be really into a
show about four friends looking for
someone in another dimension…

14. then tomorrow, NeJlix releases
House of Cards and that friend is lost
forever.

15. Snapchat was “just a fad” in 2012
and now there are over 150 million
people using Snapchat every day.

16. Instagram (owned by Facebook), decided to
copy Snapchat with Instagram Stories in
2016.
Less than three weeks a3er its launch, over
100 million of Instagram’s 500 million
monthly users started using Instagram Stories.

17. Don’t repeat my
social media mistake…

18. Many people, myself included, are guilty of
passing judgement on new technology, a new
social network or social media in general when
they have never used it. It’s easy to dismiss
something when other methods are currently
working.
For years, social media was a non-­‐existent priority
to me because I did not see the business value. I
never used it because I thought it was a waste of
/me.

19. New technology and social media are
difficult to learn but those of us in
business have no choice.
We live in a world now where the
average global internet user spends 118
minutes per day on social media.

20. Last May, I came face to face with
something we all know is true: digital
and social media marke/ng are the
present and future of marke/ng.
With more and more /me being spent
on our phones and social media, these
are the arenas where consumers will
allow us to get their a-en/on.

21. What does this mean for Gab?
Social Media in 2017 dominates our a-en/on.
Since social media has so many eyeballs on it,
a-en/on shi3s will just keep happening quicker
and quicker. Those that get in ahead of the
majority of users will have a first-­‐in advantage.

22. Interact with me here
@claytonjay101
SnapchatInstagram
(username) (username)
@claytonjay101
(username)
Gab