Over the weekend, social media platform ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter) reminded me that I joined and created my profile on there 15 years ago.
It prompted me to ponder and run through the impact Twitter has had on my work life and the wider ripples it’s caused within society and the media landscape. Twitter/X hasn’t been as prominent in my social media activity in recent years, my use trailing off in preference for other platforms and forums.
During the early days in 2008/09 (following the use of various online community internet forums/networking content sharing platforms of the early to mid-2000s) many of us in the marketing, communications and tech space were trying to work out if there was any real value beyond sharing with a few others (and the World) on Twitter seemingly trivial personal details such as 'what you had for breakfast'. Was this just another tech-driven, momentary innovation, or would it have a more significant impact?
So, I thought I'd jot down a few musings of ‘great’ and ‘not-so-great’ things Twitter has helped introduce into our lives over the past couple of decades.
- Introduced people, helping to form and grow communities - In the early days, meeting and learning with fellow professionals about the emerging social media landscape were exciting times. Working out how to integrate Twitter and 'social' into the world of business, different types of organisations, and individuals with common interests could be a gamechanger, opening up a whole portal to new people and those with shared attitudes, aspirations, and goals.
- Leapfrogged corporate walls and barriers - An individual could now throw a public spotlight on a failing of a major business or organisation. Introducing a new dynamic of ‘one-to-one-to-many’ where organisations who historically chose to ignore, sideline, stall, or provide standard responses to individual customer concerns, were now fully exposed to a whole new challenge. Organisations would now have to answer to both the individual and their network of supporters and do so convincingly. It quickly facilitated the coming together of a collective of multiple parties, so their joint voices could quickly escalate issues. This would create a stronger and more potent force, a tidal wave of outcry that would catch the attention of the mainstream media and the public, and demand resolution. Organisations had to learn how to respond promptly, and learn new ways in managing their communications, and customer services engaging with stakeholders, and the world at large.
- Instant sharing of news and content – which challenged mainstream media, notably TV and radio broadcasters and newspapers. Breaking news would now be released instantly through Twitter and could be shared widely amongst Twitter users before it was announced by the broadcast media in their hourly or breakfast/lunchtime/evening slots. Mainstream news media had their long held ‘crown’ of breaking news stories taken away from them and had to respond to ensure they remained valued and relevant. Redesigning their newsgathering, inbound and outbound channels, editorial processes while beginning to join and monitor Twitter (and other online sources) to capture and verify announcements before broadcasting. ??
- Empowered the competitiveness of small and medium-sized businesses - The ethos and model of Twitter relied upon one-to-one relationships, personal contact, and an interconnected network of individuals and communities, which instantly resonated with small businesses who operate in this way. SMEs recognised the potential of this networked platform, to reach a global audience. Notably it was the SME and Fashion sectors who were the first to embrace this low cost/high reach platform because it matched their business culture, approach, minimal budgets, and historic inability to compete with extensive delivery channel infrastructures of corporate business. They quickly understood the importance of personal dialogue and peer-to-peer validation, which provided valuable endorsement from stakeholders and customers, which could then be leveraged through the platform to drive traffic and encourage referrals. Individuals and smaller organisations grasped this opportunity long before the larger corporate organisations, who were hamstrung by traditional ‘command-and control’ restrictions and processes, defined by a culture of ‘mass communication, impersonal content, and a corporate tone-of-voice’. The agility and responsive, personalised two-way dialogue provided a potent way for individuals and innovative businesses to build engagement and gain advantage over the slower-moving, non-responsive traditionalists.
- Celebrities and Causes – recognised the reach Twitter could provide, and its profile-raising potential could generate support for them and what they stood for. It gradually dawned on those with growing numbers of followers that this could help them influence key outcomes, raise issues, and promote their own interests. To receive instant feedback from such a loyal and vocal base of followers could at scale result in creating the required movement to affect change, remove obstacles, empower campaigns, and create new events. Twitter provided a new tool which noted and well-known personalities could now weald to secure media and business deals and cement their importance in their chosen field as a bona fide ‘influencer’.? Notably, Twitter also provided the perfect platform to rally support around major societal, environmental, and political issues where many would be mobilised into a coordinated response, addressing a major event and potentially driving significant changes.
- 'Opening the floodgates' of a public media platform - As Twitter gained notoriety and traction it ushered in a whole new set issues that needed to be understood and somehow managed by those affected. The ease of anyone being able to register on the platform and use it freely from the convenience of their laptop and phone meant that it effectively gave a ‘loud hailer’ to every individual who wanted express themselves and respond to other users on the platform. Unfortunately, it allowed those users who chose not to identify themselves or comply with acceptable standards and professional etiquette within public forums to target other Twitter users with abuse, misinformation, and harassment. This established the unfavourable creation of the ‘troll’ who would hide their true identity behind their Twitter profile with the idea they could disrespect and potentially harm others’ wellbeing with impunity.
- Nurturing a toxic media landscape - Twitter has to take some of the responsibility amongst the numerous social media and online platforms, for allowing the flourishing of online harassment and toxic behaviours aimed at those in the public domain. Many noted sportspeople, commentators, politicians, businesspeople, and media personalities have had to contend with pointed attacks and vitriol by those who feel justified in doing so, be it either for personal satisfaction or contributing to a wider opinion or onslaught. Sadly, this has overawed those who have suffered targeting by social media posts and, in some cases, led to long-term damage, health and wellbeing issues, and even fatalities. Given the interdependence of social media and mainstream broadcast/press in today’s media landscape, a conflict originating on social media can very quickly escalate with newspapers and news channels ‘fanning the flames’ by debating and showcasing many opinions around the issues and persons involved. This has led to over scrutiny that can easily degenerate into a toxic cocktail which thrives on instantaneous comments, knee-jerk assertions, misinterpretation, misunderstandings, conspiracies, and rebuttals. Notably, the untimely passing of UK TV presenter Caroline Flack in 2020 prompted an outpouring of concern from many quarters, and a call for social media users to adopt more respectful use of social platforms. The demand for greater accountability in media use and a tougher stance be taken against online bullying, harassment and intrusion was supported by the #BeKind campaign where users of social media were encouraged to refrain from contributing and sharing damaging and hurtful content.
Although this piece has exceeded the original 140 characters Twitter allowed us to use for many of its years of existence, the chance to pause and consider the many benefits it’s brought to me professionally and personally outweigh the downsides.
I feel fortunate to be part of that first tranche of individuals and the community of professionals who tried to set the benchmarks of ‘best practice’ in the social media landscape back in the 2000s/10s. And I've never forgotten those essential tenets and guidelines on how best to live with, navigate, and use the ‘social space’, including the maxim ‘Don’t post something you wouldn’t feel comfortable showing your mother/parents/family’.
For my part, being able to recognise the strategic importance of Twitter and social platforms beyond their tactical use advocated by the ‘bright young things’ of the time, meant that I could help marry these new approaches with those organisations that needed to reshape their culture to become more responsive and transparent. It’s been rewarding to witness many invest the time and effort to redesign teams, business models and processes so quality engagement could enhance both businesses and public bodies, and win trust, support and advocacy through dialogue. And of course, it’s the many people ?with whom I’ve met and had that short conversation initially through a few tweets, building upon a shared interest that opened up new opportunities and thinking that I continue to value and learn from fifteen years later. X
#Twitter #socialmedia #engagement #reputation #anniversary #communities #socialmediaplatforms #communications #conversations #dialogue
