In last night’s Twitter Part 1 class at North Shore Community College, I asked students why they were taking the course and what they hoped to learn. One student had such a profound answer. She was embarrassed that she didn’t even know how to set up a Twitter account, when it was the same platform that helped individuals’ come together to fight corrupt government in other parts of the world.
This speaks to the power of this social media tool. Within minutes hashtags (#) can trend and news can spread. It gives us the opportunity to watch breaking news as it is happening or correspond with television shows in the comfort of our own home. Did you know the United States Library of Congress archives tweets for historical purposes? (twitter.com/privacy) This isn’t just your teenagers’ communication tool, Twitter is many things to many people. For instance:
• Reporters use Twitter to get information of on site witnesses as news is happening in real-time.
• Businesses use it to engage, listen and talk to their customers as well as run promotions.
• Consumers use it as a customer service tool when they need help or are unhappy with a product or service.
• It’s an information network that can even track illness. Testing is in the works to monitor conversations about feeling ill and mapping to locations. (www.cnn.com)
• It has been known to overthrow a government or two.
• And yes, Teenagers use it to talk to their favorite musicians and celebrities.
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Twitter recently underwent an IPO. It is hitting the stock market and is here to stay. To learn how to set up an account or how to use this platform check out my Twitter Part 1 presentation here. If you Are you intrigued? , join me next week for Twitter Part 2, or if you want to just chat, tweet me @Jeannine_ONeil.
Jeannine O'Neil is Owner of JO Social Branding, a social media consulting business located on the North Shore. Jeannine empowers small business owners with the skills they need to take hold of their social media accounts. Jeannine also teaches social media courses at North Shore Community College. View her class schedule here.
