Mashable - The Social Media Guide - Latest Comments in STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

cfudge — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:56:48 -0000

i started tweeting and then stopped. i thought i was bored of facebook stayed away for a while ( 3 hours) and then got pulled back in. Sometimes it takes more than 140 charcters to relay a thought. Thats what annoys me most about twitter. sometimes a couple of extra characters could go a log way. When you have to modify what you want to say to fit 140 characters, its easier to just update your status on facebook without that restriction.

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

jpapagan — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:39:11 -0000

I agree with the people here who are saying that Twitter is harder to explain to people and harder to get "everybody you know" to use it, as opposed to facebook. Twitter is fantastic for broadcasting to an audience (i.e. celebrities) and for everyday people to get news and info from celebrities and/or media outlets.

HOWEVER, it is difficult for the average Joe to build an audience and thus, find good reason to Tweet regularly. I know many people who created Twitter accounts and then abandoned them shortly thereafter because they "didn't get it" or simply "did not see the point." But with Facebook, once you get a friend to join, they usually get sucked in and latch on easily. Unless you have a business to market or an existing audience derived from another medium, it is very difficult to embrace Twitter (as an active tweeter, not follower). In essence, Twitter is at risk of defaulting to "just another broadcasting medium," as opposed to Facebook, which is a truer embodiment of the multi-directional "connect" aspects of a social media tool.

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Bibowski — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:05:04 -0000

This may be a dumb question, but is this ONLY visits to twitter.com?? If so, I can't remember the last time I actually went there, but I tweet at least 5 or 6 times a day through Tweetdeck.

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

DonH — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:46:23 -0000

Quite simple. It was cute to begin with but it is too limiting for most people. The demographic you need to hit is the baby boomers to really make it fly. We are still stuck on email. Facebook is used to keep up with pictures of our grandchildren. Twitter is like ... who wants to be that much into somebody's life? Sorry, it is just a toy compared to other things.

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

socialwendy — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:25:25 -0000

Regarding the Teen audience- they see using Twitter like going through the Pope, no disresepect intended- they text each other directly and see no reason for others to get involved for the most part- when they want eyes on their online activity, they Facebook @SocialWendy- The Social Wendy Group

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

socialwendy — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:19:15 -0000

We are seeing changed total audience behaviors across different demographic and psychograhic segments. Participation in conversation, following and bit.ly click-throughs has leveled over the last 90 days even on well-known big brand projects- matches the posted stats.
Just makes us try new things and continue to get creative in providing value for participating in the conversation.
@SocialWendy

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Mike Kunkle @DreamWorthy — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:12:09 -0000

Twitter has come a long way, but it seems to have strayed from its initial purpose of microblogging or posting updates that those close to you want to read. I think it's stalled while people who aren't early adopters are figuring out what to do with it ("crossing the chasm," if you will, ala Geoffrey Moore.)

Consider some of the challenges:

- Teens and the youth market won't see it as powerful as chat or as private as IM.
- Adults trying to use it as chat can find it hard to follow a string of "conversational" tweets. (The new lists may help with this.)
- There is a ton of SPAM or SPAM-like updates. Unwelcomed DMs proliferate. So does porn.
- Even legit attempts to market a business are viewed as SPAM or unwelcome, often because of a gap between intent of one user and the expectations of others, and no forum other than 160 character profiles to explain intent. (We created a "Twitter Manifesto" for this purpose - see http://tr.im/DWTwitterManif.... But we've seen so little of this from others.)
- Those with the most massive followings tend not to follow-back or engage with their followers.
- Despite massive amounts of venture captial, the API and open source philosophy have led to apps that are actually more powerful than Twitter. But the proliferation of apps and options is likely confusing to the average person (not high-tech, not an earlier adopter).

Personally, we feel Twitter will move into the mainstream eventually, but our guess is that it will be as these issues are addressed and people have a better sense of what to actually do with it.

By the way, we are not Social Media experts, nor do we play one on Twitter. We're just small business owners of an online gift store who are trying to figure out Social Media and how to network and market effectively with it.

Keep the interesting articles coming,

Kali & Mike Kunkle
_____________________
DreamWorthy Gifts LLC

Shop at: http://www.DreamWorthyGifts...
Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Drea...

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Kim Kolb — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:02:26 -0000

Hey Stan,

Personally, I don't use twitter as much as I probably should, but that is because you only get half a story of replies, people trying to sell something or retweet the same message several times. I like Facebook because Business is separate from personal and things get communicated better.

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Nihilo Zero (blog) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:45:51 -0000

My guess is that Twitter would be more popular, and I doubt it's too late, if it would implement a few key features -- like inline video and pics which all users can see regardless of their browser or interface. When I first tried Twitter it was too bland for me and I just didn't get it. Months later I started using the Firefox add-on "Power Twitter" and that made the Twitter experience something which was totally palatable. I think one problem Twitter faces however is in implementing improvements too slowly -- because a lot of people won't come back for a second look like I did. One thing it has going for it is it's utter dominance in terms of what it is and what it does. I think Twitter will last.

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Jay Glogovsky — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:51:56 -0000

I think it is very hard for Twitter to survive and become more then a "fad" because they have very limited things to offer. Also, more and more are pouring into Facebook, all of the options Twitter offers are now offered by Facebook which is the 3rd largest community in the world, next to China and India.

Twitter was something that was hot for a short time because of celebrities, but just as celebrities, their fame is seasonal.

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Rose B — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:24:29 -0000

personally i'm tired of mashable saying this type of stuff but never say if they are getting stats of apps and apis or just the main site, which I rarely go there anymore but use twitter regularly

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Gus — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:40:25 -0000

can you prove that?

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Perx — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:03:28 -0000

no.. twitter users in india (which is in asia) are increasing by the day.. especially since many celebrities have joined up..

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

neiltwaterguy — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:14:58 -0000

well said John - twitter is being used more selectively and becoming an accepted comms method. There's becoming a depth to its use which isn't measured in simple stats...

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Jeremy Jones — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:30:47 -0000

that was a run-on-rant...haha

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Jeremy Jones — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:30:13 -0000

it is impressive what they have built

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Jeremy Jones — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:29:41 -0000

good point.

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Jeremy Jones — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:29:12 -0000

I thought so at first too, but it's really useful once I learned how to really use it.

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Jeremy Jones — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:28:08 -0000

Agree. Can't deny the facts on how many users there are.

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Jeremy Jones — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:26:13 -0000

I think it's just a shake-down...twitter is on the rise. First rise was curiosity, now when people see the practical uses and how it's used it will grow again. I'm all for twitter.

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Andrew — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:49:09 -0000

There are a limited number of people who actually have a use for Twitter. Facebook is based on friends; Twitter is based on topics. There are just not that many people who actually follow trends, read the news, or find the time/care enough to write about a topic themselves.

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Adwrighty — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:36:46 -0000

Next phase will be key. Can Twitter push on from this plateau or will it fall like so many other properties that reach a plateau and can't find the next key to growth. Personally, I think they'll manage it. However, it won't be just down to their own innovation. It will require others to find new uses for it, new ways of sharing information, tracking trends. But more importantly brands / companies will need to embrace it as a way to sell product. I'm not saying we all need to fear Twitter becoming commercialised, but it's the brands that will grow it through their marketing to what are at the moment an unconverted audience.

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

nelehela — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:16:59 -0000

It's choking on itself due to being "gamed" to death. I see the same daily tweets and re-tweets of the same linked content from hundreds of users. Index that!

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Joaquin de Castejon — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:29:16 -0000

Sidian, it's not just the minimalism. I think the key is its being 1) public and 2) asymmetrical. Not to mention the support and freedom the app developers have to come up with new applications.

It just gives a lot of power to the users.

Re: STATS: Has Twitter Flatlined Just Short of Mainstream?

Mark Spooner — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:35:05 -0000

I like to be free and easy with the english language more fun that way. Or it could be my two second attention span which leaves no time for editing.