Twitter Social Media Tool or Marketing Tool

STUDENT ABC
Professor Light
English 100
9 November 2015
Twitter: Social Media Tool or Marketing Tool
March 21, 2006, marked the day that social networking changed. Jack Dorsey sent out the first ever Tweet on this particular day. Moreover, the Tweet read: “just setting up my twitter” (Dorsey). From this day forward, social networking, news, and other methods by which people communicated would forever change. From then, Twitter started growing slowly but consistently. Eventually, Twitter exploded, and a wide range of people were now active on Twitter. By the end of 2011, Twitter had over 100 million monthly active users, and on average, 1 billion Tweets sent per week.
Today, most people will use Twitter for some reason or another. Colleges, students, teens, adults, professional athletes, grandparents, movie stars, businesses, organizations, and parents are just a few of the demographics who occasionally use Twitter. Twitter handles and usernames are seen daily by most people, showing up everywhere. These include at the end of articles, on flyers, advertisements, Facebook, websites, presentations. Twitter is used by a wide variety of people for a broad range of reasons. Typically, teenagers will use Twitter to keep in touch with friends and show what is happening in their life. On the other hand, adults use it to keep updated with events and share articles with friends (Twitter).
Vince Adkins (@Vadkins) is a 19-year-old college student and uses Twitter as a way to communicate and relate with friends and others. Vince’s Tweets are much more laid back and in a conversational tone. Even though he does not use his Twitter to promote his business or work, he uses it to connect with friends, make new friends, as well as express himself. Vince’s Twitter biographical information is integrated with his snapchat name while his profile picture is a professionally taken high school senior picture. Some of his Tweets are conversations with friends. Vince Tweets about five times per day and usually will Tweet about any major events that are happening such as sports, politics, and tragic events.
Tony Grossi (@TonyGrossi) is a 57-year-old sportswriter, among other jobs. Tony writes for the Cleveland Browns and other Cleveland sports. He has been writing about the Browns since 1894 and is a significant part of all of the sports talk in Cleveland. Tony uses Twitter to voice his opinions on sport-related events and to promote his work. Some of Tony’s Tweets are live Tweets from the Browns game, whereas other Tweets contain links to his articles and other pieces of his work like - “#HeyTony on now on 1540 KNR2, http://espncleveland.com & app. #Browns. And whats Peyton Manning's future,” - and other Tweets like these are responses to fans on Twitter (Grossi).
The underlying purpose of Twitter, albeit not the explicit one for every account, is the promotion. As an average human, merely having a profile leads to your face on a profile picture and your Twitter handle showing up when your name is searched online. At its core, Twitter is used to promote each user. Just a simple Tweet is a promotion of your thoughts, views, or ideas that you wish to present to the world. This brings up the question “is there a correct way to use Twitter?” Both Vince and Tony, differing in age, social status, profession, promote their ideas and thoughts on Twitter. Vince and Tony are both using Twitter as a way to communicate with others. However, due to the age and social status, Vince and Tony have different reasons for being on Twitter, and this is shown through their content, social interactions, diction, tone, and context of their actions on Twitter.
The content of the Tweet, along with the timing, is a significant factor of every Tweet. Will people see it, like it, hate it, and share it? All of this depends on the content. Vince’s Tweets are mostly made up of emotions, quotes, ordinary conversation, and thoughts. This content is appealing to the people that are interested in Vince’s life; an outsider may not see Vince’s Tweets as entertaining or worthwhile, but he is not tweeting for them.
On the other hand, Tony’s Tweets are full of thoughts about the National Football League and in-depth information covering the Browns. Along with squeezing as much information as possible into a Tweet (one hundred and forty characters), Tony provides links to his articles, blogs, talk shows, and radio appearances. Tony uses Twitter as a method to spread the word of his work and knowledge of sports. This content appeals to fans of the NFL, to people from Cleveland, to sports broadcasting companies, and almost all Browns fans. Tony’s content is attractive to a much broader demographic than the content on Vince’s Twitter.
Vince and Tony interact with other users on Twitter, discussing various matters and topics. Vince and Tony will reply to Tweets by other users and welcome interactions with themselves. However, the social interactions that Vince is involved in are much more casual than the interactions that Tony is a part of. Vince often Tweets looking for plans for the day or night, “I NEED PLANS FOR TONYGHT AND TOMORROW HMU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”(Adkins). It is commonplace for Vince to seek responses to his Tweets by either suggesting an activity while making the Tweet a question, “COD anyone?” (Adkins). Vince is open to suggestions from all users, even those outside of his personal friends. His Twitter is public, meaning that anyone could view any of his Tweets and interactions. “Should I keep growing out my hair or get another Mohawk....? Help me out here” (Adkins). A simple topic such as a haircut could lead to a conversation with one of his followers, exactly what Vince is seeking with his Tweets. When Vince comments on another users post, it is usually a Tweet about a current event, a picture of a girl, or Tweet that he feels he could make a funny comment.
Tony welcomes interactions similar to Vince; however, the vast majority of Tony’s Tweets have to do with sports and the athletes. Tony will often ask for interactions, similar to Vince, about a topic that he chooses, “I'm taking 5 #Browns questions right now. Good ones. Go.” (Grossi). Since Tony has over eighty thousand Twitter followers, compared to Vince’s slightly over two hundred followers, Tony will receive many responses to e...