Twitter TerminologyToday we are going to learn the art of a successful Twitter marketing campaign that takes an hour a day to accomplish. In the end, your brand will be across every major website, social media site, and social bookmarking site you can think of.
In 2006, a software engineer by the name of Jack Dorsey went to a syndication company named Odeo with the idea of using an easy method to utilize the concept of what everyone was (and still is) doing- posting their status to all their friends to let them know what they are doing at any given moment. Dorsey was interested in creat- ing a status communication platform which would be in real-time, with the whole social media feel to it. The founder of Odeo, Biz Stone, marveled at this thought. They together decided to make this into a short messaging service, better known as SMS, (the same SMS used on a cell phone's text messaging) would be the perfect fit for this idea. Together, they agreed upon a maximum message size of 140 characters, differ-
entiating themselves from the traditinal SMS maximum used on a cell phone of 160characters. The extra
space leaves the room necessary for a user name and a colon. Hence the origin of what we commonly know as Twitter.
In only two weeks’ time, the first prototype of what would become Twitter wasborn. The service quickly grew popular with Odeo employees and other insiders, and attracted the attention of ex-Googler Evan Williams, who initially funded the project. Twitter was launched to the public in August 2006, and by May 2007, Dorsey, Stone and Williams officially cofounded Twitter, Inc. Twitter Defined So what the heck is Twitter, anyway? The common definitions of Twitter are mired in industry jargon such as “social networking” and “micro-blogging,” so if you don’t understand those terms, we need to take a step back for a minute. I find myself explaining Twitter to newbies as something akin to instant messaging or chat—that is, Twitter is a platform that allows you to share, in real time, thoughts, information, links, and so forth with the Web at-large
and to be able to communicate directly, privately or publicly, with other Twitter users. The main difference, however, is that each Twitter communication cannot exceed 140 total characters. I am also frequently asked questions about who can see these messages and if someone has to join Twitter to communicate. I stress that most Twitter posts, known as tweets, can theoretically be viewed by anyone with an Internet connection at any time. No one needs to have a Twitter account to view someone else’s tweets. The public
accessibility of Twitter makes it somewhat unique among social networking websites, where normally you can’t see people’s information without them first accepting your invitation. If you do want to communicate privately with other individuals on Twitter, though, you will need to join and create an account. (I’ll tell you more about how you can send private messages through Twitter a little later.) Twitter is based on the simple question “What are you doing?” and encourages users to answer exactly that. But if you use Twitter only to broadcast your commonplace activities, you’re missing out on its real potential. After all, if all you ever write
is “Going to the grocery store now,” or “Just fixed the office copier,” you’re not really opening up the door for much conversation, are you? Conversations of many kinds and the ease with which Twitter facilitates
them compose the hidden power of Twitter, particularly as a branding and business marketing tool. Twitter has given the public unprecedented direct access to companies, celebrities, and power figures in a way that hasn’t previously been seen. Conversely, Twitter enables unfettered and immediate direct access to the masses. For a brand, Twitter can rapidly reduce the timeline and costs of research, product launches, pilot tests, incentives, and promotions; plus Twitter offers a number of other possibilities that we will explore in depth later in this blog.
Twitter humbly asks, “What are you doing?” Perhaps the more appropriate question for Twitter to ask would be, “What interests you?” Try thinking in this context as you begin marketing yourself or your business through Twitter. Remember that tweeting is like having a conversation. Imagine yourself at a conference or a business-networking event. If a perfect stranger came up to you and blurted out, “I’m eating the empanada hors d’oeuvres right now,” you would probably look oddly at this person, give them an awkward smile, and move swiftly on your way. On the other hand, if a different person came up and said, “I found the information provided by the last speaker very valuable for my business. How about you?” you’d probably be more interested in what this person had to say, and more inclined to respond yes or no. That’s how you should treat
every Twitter interaction. The most successful people and brands using Twitter are the ones who treat Twitter as an ongoing, open, and thought-provoking conversation rather than just a broadcast medium. These users are knowledgeable about their business, responsive to feedback, and respectful of the community.
Some Important Twitter Vernacular
Before we go any further, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the most common Twitter terminology as it will be used throughout this blog to describe the process of Twitter Marketing.
Twitter Terminology
Handle. A user’s Twitter name (e.g., hollisthomases).
Tweet. The message, consisting of 140 or fewer characters, sent by a Twitter user. On Twitter, these tweets are tracked in your user profile as Tweets.
Tweeting or Twittering. The act of composing and sending a message.
Retweet (RT). When someone forwards your tweet, or retweets, they put RT in front of it
to give you proper credit.
@ reply. The @ symbol directly in front of someone’s name (@hollisthomases) indicates you’re sending them a public message or responding to a message they sent you. It’s a publicly visible type of Twitter messaging between two users or more.
Direct message (DM). A DM sends a private message to another Twitter user. In order for them to receive this private message, they need to be following you. In order for you to receive a DM back, you need to be following them. To send a DM, use “D,” plus a space, plus the recipient’s Twitter handle. Do not use the @ symbol when you send a DM.
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