Twitter is Here to Stay. Part 1

My wife hates Twitter. My best friend Mike hates Twitter. Our waitress at Ceviche in Roswell hates Twitter. This was the topic of discussion the other night over dinner. While I completely understand the animosity towards Twitter (everyone knows someone who hates twitter) I think the hesitation to jump on the Twitter bandwagon stems from our limited understanding of its many functions.

Here is the thing with Twitter: It is young. The products and ideas it will spawn have yet to be seen. What is clear is that Twitter is one of the main vehicles driving the social media revolution.

So as we enjoyed our food at Ceviche I went about attempting to convince my wife, friend, and our waitress the details of the Twitter revolution. I believe the negative perception of Twitter comes from the fact that people view it as just another Myspace or Facebook fad. What makes Twitter different and in for the long hall is the fact that it is the next wave of text messaging. I think everyone can agree that texting is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Let me put it this way, in a couple of years EVERYONE who texts will be on Twitter. They not only will be on Twitter but they will have multiple Twitter accounts. The average person will have about 3 Twitter accounts. The first will be for work. Some of the advantages of Twitter in the workplace have already been explored. Many people are beginning to see the advantage of sharing industry related information with their peers.

The second Twitter account will be for your friends. I already picture myself watching Monday Night Football and tweeting back and fourth with my friends. This is simply a mass text message that will act as a discussion between my friends and me. How many people get funny emails, jokes, or youtube clips emailed or texted to them by their friends. Twitter will be a way to send such things while sitting on the couch watching the game.

People will also have a 3rd or 4th account to link in their family. Think about it this way, every New Years Eve I get those mass text messages from people saying Happy New Years! Sometimes it’s from people I haven’t spoken to in years (I just happen to be in their phone) Twitter will be a new way to connect families. Birthday announcements, family reunions, updates, pictures, ect…. It will all come through Twitter.

We have not yet even begun to tap into its potential as a networking device. But regardless of whether you hate it or not, it is here to stay.