Becoming Master of the Twitter-verse?

The social media offerings today may seem endless, but there is one platform that those who wish to reach those ages 25 and older cannot afford to avoid: Twitter. Amazingly, unlike many social media platforms, Twitter is trending older users. Some may ask “Why?” or be curious as to what Twitter has magically done to attract this age demographic, but even Facebook this last week seemed to figure out what it is that has attracted non-traditional users to the Twitter platform: ease of use and little sacrifice of privacy. 

Twitter is by far the simplest platform to use. It requires the least amount of information to enroll, preserving a user’s information privacy, and only requires a user to enter bits and pieces of information from time to time to remain engaged in its community. Developers have also created desktop tools and mobile applications that make it easy to use Twitter on the go. Most importantly, instead of creating a community based on real or artificial friendships, the community is based on following people and information that a user finds interesting. It also allows a user to see anyone’s “tweets” who has made them public, which includes a large portion of the user population since “tweeting” really is not about sacrificing personal secrets, but sharing general information and happenings in the lives of its’ users. In the wake of the deterioration of traditional media, it has also become an important method of sharing information with the masses, aided by the popular “RT” we all see on our feeds (“RT” = Re-Tweet). 

Advice? Tweet now and tweet often. The more you tweet and the more useful information you share, the more likely you are to attract followers, needed both the in philanthropic and civic space.