The Power of Twitter

140 characters can bring everyone “closer” than ever before

By Staff Writer: Meghan Harris

It’s not a great amount of words – but a Tweet this length can do a lot. It can connect you to people all over the world, help you network, bring you closer to your favourite celebrity, help you advertise your business, or even give you life-changing experiences.

Twitter, having been around since its launch in the summer of 2006, is one of the most popular social networking sites out there; and it’s growing fast, with over 200 million users today. As of March 2011, 460 000 new Twitter accounts were opened daily.

If you’ve spent any time online lately, you’ve likely encountered Twitter more than once. Read an interesting news story? Click that ‘Tweet’ button at the bottom of the page on the news site, and now all your Twitter followers can enjoy the post too. If enough people post about a topic, it appears in Twitter’s ‘Trending Topics’ sidebar for people all over the world to see and react to. If you enjoy something a friend tweeted, you can re-tweet it for your own followers to see.

Of course, Twitter doesn’t always have to reach a worldwide audience. Many small businesses run Twitter pages to inform their followers of their latest activities or advertise new deals.

Unlike other social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter bases itself on a of max 140-character updates. Tweeters must get creative in order to get their thoughts across in a few words, and only say what’s most important.

Twitter is also a very well set-up mobile platform, and is easily accessible on iPhones, Blackberries, or other devices. It’s for people on the go, who can update their status instantly about what’s going on around them.

Twitter is also known for its ability to connect celebrities or well-known personalities with “regular” people. Many celebrities have their own Twitter page that they personally and regularly post on (their identities verified by a blue, Twitter certified checkmark on their profile). Celebrities’ posts appear alongside others on a homepage, and fans can see and reply to them. It allows fans to feel more connected to a celebrity they like – even receiving a response from them if they’re lucky. Celebrities can also gain publicity by tweeting about their latest projects or ventures.

Stacy London, American fashion consultant (known well for her role as co-host on the reality program What Not To Wear) posts regularly on her Twitter account, @StacyLondonSays, everything from updates on her current projects to giving fashion advice to fans. While London’s busy schedule doesn’t allow her time to reply to every tweet, she says she enjoys interacting with fans via social media. It also allows her to connect with fans all over the world, and make the philosophy of What Not To Wear available to more than just the lucky few participants on the show.

“There’s something about the immediacy of Twitter that really appeals to me,” says London. “My viewers can ask me questions and I can consult with them in a way that is just impossible to do with Facebook or anything else.”

London mentions that she also likes the succinct-ness of Twitter, and how you have to know the single thought you want to get across. “There’s only 140 characters and there’s only so much you can say,” said London. “You can always link to a longer article that you’ve written or that’s about you. You can point to another site or something else that you want to show in longer form.”

London says that people will often send her photos of their outfits for critique – and that she hears from a diverse group of people, ranging from 12-year-old girls to 60-year-old women, and even men.

Not everything is fashion related, though. “I’ve gotten a few marriage proposals, which I have to say is kind of an ego boost,” London says. “I also get guys who ask me to help them with gifts for their girlfriends – I’ve helped pick a couple of engagement rings for guys for their fiancés.”

London says that in the past she’s also gotten more serious messages, and for a while had to step back and change her approach to Twitter.

“I used to find myself getting involved with young women who I think were looking up to me,” says London. “I got very anxious, because I felt like they were looking up to me for the wrong reasons, and sort of beating themselves up, thinking that I’m so confident, or that I have the best job in the world. And [some of these girls] were hurting themselves, whether it was eating disorders, or cutting themselves, and I got very involved to make sure that they got professional help. It started to be kind of all-consuming.”

“Now, I try to have a more positive, supportive attitude but not too involved,” London said.

Natalie Léger, a student at Toronto’s Ryerson University, is no stranger to tweeting celebrities. She says she doesn’t do it obsessively, but has been fairly successful at getting replies from people. “You have to know what to ask them and when,” Léger says. “I think they appreciate unique questions and thoughts.”

Celebrities’ Twitter followings often range in the thousands or even millions. Two of the biggest followings among celebrities include Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, whose follower counts have each exceeded the 15-million mark, and are still growing. Given these numbers, it’s not always
easy for fans to have their voices heard – and replied to – among the crowds.

But Léger says she’s been fairly successful in getting responses. Her biggest success story happened last April. Unable to get tickets for a concert with John Stamos and the Beach Boys, Léger tweeted to Stamos, former Full House actor, about her situation:

“Freaking out because @JohnStamos comes to Niagara Falls on Thursday and I still don’t have tickets for The Beach Boys!!!! HELP!”

Léger didn’t expect any acknowledgement from Stamos, but minutes later, he replied: “”BE MY GUEST-2tix at will call.”

Léger later received a direct message from Stamos, confirming the offer and also inviting her to meet him backstage before the concert. Leger attended the concert – with her grandma, a Beach Boys fan, and as promised, the two got to meet Stamos and the band backstage before the show.

“One of their band members also asked me if I’d like to go up on stage with them and sing one of their biggest hits, “Barbara Ann,” and of course, I jumped at the chance. I don’t think I had ever experienced so much excitement all at once!” Léger says.

In April, Léger was interviewed by several media outlets about her experience, and even featured on ET Canada. The event built up buzz and publicity around Stamos, even if he was just genuinely being nice to a fan. For Léger, she’s just happy to have had the experience of a lifetime.

“I had been a Twitter addict for a while, and I was always told that it was a waste of time, and that I should pay more attention to my schoolwork,” says Léger. “However, being glued to Twitter at just the right time – it was during a class! – brought me one of the most memorable experiences I have ever had. I’m happy to say that this girl got her fifteen minutes of fame that she has always dreamed about.”

While part of the excitement of Twitter is the ability for fans and celebrities to interact in the same space, the site is also widely used by people to get the word across about any projects they’re working on. This can include small businesses running campaigns or contests for publicity, radio stations advertising their programs, larger businesses advertising, or even celebrities themselves writing about their latest endeavours.

London is currently working on her second style book. The first, Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That’s Right for Your Body, was written in 2005 with her What Not To Wear co-host, Clinton Kelly. The second book is set to be published in September 2012. London advertised via both Twitter and Facebook for submissions, asking for models that are “real women of all ages and sizes” to tell their stories – who they are and why they want style help. London says there were thousands of submissions for the book, and though only a handful could be picked, she personally read every application.

London’s book is only part of her packed schedule – she’s also working on a jewelry collection called Assembly with the company Sorelli, which will debut in the upcoming spring. Additionally, London is working towards the national launch of her company Style For Hire in March – not to mention filming new episodes for What Not To Wear’s ninth season.

Despite all that, London still finds time for social media when she can, and says she’s curious to see what will come next and what the “next big thing” will be.

“I think it’s only going to get bigger and more interesting from here,” says London. “A friend once said to me about social media platforms and tech in general, ‘the tsunami’s coming. Keep your eye on the horizon because it’s going to be here before you know it.’”

Image provided by Social News Daily