You Aren’t on Gab?
Part 2 — Gab vs. Twitter
Your customer’s attention is going to shift, and when it does, it will happen quickly.
In part 2, I compare Gab and Twitter’s early days and dig into why businesses should not just keep a close eye on Gab but also the quickening pace of social media attention shifts.
Gab vs. Twitter
The comparison is inevitable.
A direct Gab vs. Twitter comparison is highly imperfect but necessary since they are direct competitors. Gab and Twitter’s early days next to each other gives Gab some context.
However, keep in mind 2006 was radically different than 2016. There has never been a time in history where social media has been so heavily used. It is highly doubtful Gab in 2006 would have grown like Gab did in 2016.
Twitter Timeline
- July 2006 launch* — Twitter is now open to the general public.
- Four months after launch — Almost 12,000 total users.
- Six months after launch — Users send an average of 5,000 tweets per day.
- Seven months after 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 attribute SXSW 2007 as the first explosive growth driver of Twitter.
*Twitter launched in March 2006 but was not open to the general public until July 2006.
Gab Timeline
- August 2016 launch
- Four months after 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.
Attention Shifts on Social Media Can Happen Fast
Gab could very quickly be something special and many people might not join now because it is small relative to Facebook.
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.
Social media attention shifts draw some similarities to TV watching attention shifts. One month you could be really into a show about four friends looking for someone in another dimension…then tomorrow, Netflix releases House of Cards and that friend is lost forever.
Snapchat was “just a fad” in 2012 and now there are over 150 million people using Snapchat every day. Instagram (owned by Facebook), decided to copy Snapchat with Instagram Stories in 2016. Less than three weeks after its launch, over 100 million of Instagram’s 500 million monthly users started using Instagram Stories.
Don’t Repeat My Social Media Mistake
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 time.
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.
Last May, I came face to face with something we all know is true: digital and social media marketing are the present and future of marketing. With more and more time being spent on our phones and social media, these are the arenas where consumers will allow us to get their attention.
What Does This Mean for Gab?
Social Media in 2017 dominates our attention. Since social media has so many eyeballs on it, attention shifts will just keep happening quicker and quicker. Those that get in ahead of the majority of users will have a first-in advantage.
Like what you read?
Find Me Here:
I share social media basics and success stories, press the heart button if you want to get on Gab.
Even though I write this on every post, thanks for reading.
Originally published at www.erp101.com.
