Twitter and the Micro-Messaging Revolution: Communication, Connections, and Immediacy—140 Characters at a Time

47 : Twitter and the Micro-Messaging Revolution

Conclusions

With its simplicity, utility, mobility, and sheer human

appeal, micro-messaging is poised to become a major

communications tool. As a new channel that amplifies

the powerful forces of fast information, ambient aware-

ness, and the attention economy, it will likely become

as commonplace as instant messaging and even email

within a few years.

Like many digital communication mediums before it,

we expect to see divergent use cases emerge for micro-

messaging over time, from personal to professional to

corporate, with somewhat different norms and standards

for each. Already we’ve seen people and entities use

it as a publishing platform, a communications tool, a

combination of the two and a new medium altogether.

But the boundaries aren’t yet clear, and as Wesabe CEO

Marc Hedlund described in the section “Challenges in

Micro-Messaging for Business,” it’s possible to have the

best intentions but still run afoul of other users’ expecta-

tions. As the medium evolves, those who thrive in it will

keep both an open ear and an open mind.

At this point, with more than three million users and

over a million messages a day, Twitter is the dominant

player in micro-messaging, providing the best platform

for connecting with a broad range of people and for

sharing both personal updates and corporate informa-

tion. In addition, its API has enabled ...