tweet? TWEET?

The image above has become a symbol recognized universally.  Powerful?  Productive?  Desirable?

Twitter...

As a channel of Mass Communication I believe Twitter has both: strengths and weaknesses.  October 12, 2012 marked day #1 of my 10 day Mass Comm Twitter Project.  During that timeframe I became much more familiar with Twitter on a personal level.  I've been a 'member' of Twitter for 3 years, but had never truly recognized it's full potential from a Mass Media/Communication perspective.

I feel the greatest asset of Twitter use is speed.  Twitter can be used as a social media outlet, but also offers itself as a competitive communication/marketing vessel.  With today's digital advancements, the drive to both deliver and receive information on demand has reached a high.  Communication demands have forced us with the need to reach the masses with immediacy.  We've surpassed the benefits of conference calls. 

One of the downsides to Twitter from a marketing perspective is the fact that it utilizes a subscriber base.  If people don't know you're out there, they can't market you; if you don't know 'they're' out there, you can't find them.  I also believe Twitter poses a huge distraction in our already over-cluttered information highway.  How many productive and effective media/communication vessels will there be?  How many can any one person effectively follow before hitting the point of information and communication overload?

I'm not sure whether or not Twitter will cross my career path.  Although, I have much interest in marketing, and could see a future need if involved in that type of work.  As of right now, Twitter is yet a form of distraction that I don't have the luxury of focusing on.  Do I think employers might have a reason to utilize Twitter solely as a communication tool?  Absolutely.  It's fast and effective in reaching a massive number of people all at once.   

I now view Twitter from a new perspective.  I see it's more than just a social conglomeration; it's also a tool for communication and a vessel for marketing.  The ability to use Twitter as a, "hey I'm out here" device is pretty cool too.  I gained some followers during our 10 day project, and had a great time searching/following topics and products of interest to me.  I'll continue to use my newly found Twitter skills, and look forward to potentially experiencing it within my future career!