Source: Entrepreneur
In case you missed it, Twitter is going through some STUFF. Last week, Jack Dorsey, the recently re-hired CEO of Twitter, declared that he would be cutting up to 336 jobs based on the platform’s recent stifled growth (Twitter, 320 MM users, is now smaller than Instagram, 400 MM users).
Not only that — people are saying that Twitter’s losing on engagement. Engagements per follower is at 4.21% for Instagram…that’s 58x more than FB and 120x more than Twitter.
All this negativity, of course, has led to a decline in investor confidence in the company, and Twitter’s stock has declined by 38% over the past year.
Yikes.
Despite all that, I’m rooting for Twitter. I believe it’s still one of the most powerful social channels out there. It’s completely democratic and allows anyone’s ideas to live equally in the news feed, however brief the lifetime of those tweets may be. And while it’s not necessarily the most intuitive, the platform is completely open and accessible to anyone who wants to connect with it. Twitter’s one-way non-reciprocal following mechanism allowed for the type of microfame that launched the modern day phenomenon that we now call “digital influencers.”
I know. Instagram is bigger than Twitter. Yes, Instagram is great and beautiful and addicting and lovely.
But Twitter is something different. It’s about real change. Real commentary. Raw, up-to-date stream-of-consciousness thoughts. And more than anything, it’s a celebration of wit.
The filtered, perfectly cropped photos of the worlds of Instagram and Pinterest hinder honesty and quickness being, by nature, such curated platforms. Twitter, however, can begin and sustain (Egyptian) revolutions. Break the most up-to-date news and crises. And connect complete strangers from around the world.
Twitter is also where brands go to play and to have fun. From the best in class examples — Arby’s, Denny’s,DiGiorNOYOUDIDNT, we’ve seen how Twitter can completely change the way we think and talk about brands.
As noted astutely in Slate, Twitter is ultimately a platform about ideas. That’s where it began and that’s where it continues to shine. No other platform allows for the raw, open growth and connection of ideas the way that Twitter does. Not Instagram, not Snapchat, not even Facebook.
That’s why those ideas are always being quoted, shared, distributed across publications. Twitter’s “true reach” might seem small because it has so many passive enjoyers of its content, but apparently 500 MM people visit Twitter each month without logging in, and tweets receive up to 185 billion impressions each quarter. The impact of Twitter can’t be measured solely by its active user base because Twitter is culture. I mean, they made hashtags a thing.
So…back to our question. What the hell should we do with Twitter (especially as marketers)?
- Don’t freak out. Twitter has Dorsey back, and it’s making Twitter more and more “usable” to the general public with product roll-outs such as Moments. It still has 300+ monthly active users, and again, so many more passive viewers outside of that direct space.
- Keep Twitter in your channel planning as long as you have clear, unique ideas to share and are willing to take some risks. Twitter rewards the bold, the funny, and the interesting. If your brand has something to say and is quick enough to say it in a relevant way, then go forth and let it sing.
#out, @kawiline
