Editor’s note: This article was first published in October 2010 and covers Twitter’s redesign as news of the day; its forecasts that Twitter would soon overtake Facebook and that social networks would end Google’s monopoly did not come true. Google Buzz was later shut down, and Twitter is now X.
Twitter is getting ever closer to catching up with the well-known social network Facebook. In fact, Facebook’s growth has lately been slower than Twitter’s. Twitter’s new CEO will be in charge of monetising the social network, just as Facebook has done, and to that end they have already changed the interface. They’re rolling it out gradually, so some of you won’t have seen the new services yet.
From now on, you’ll be able to upload photos and videos on Twitter, just as on Facebook. Companies will have the chance to advertise and make themselves known through ads placed within the social network. Some people say that social networks will end Google’s monopoly, and they’re not far off the mark, as it’s quite possible that this will happen in the short term. We’ll explain why in another article, unless Google makes changes in the coming months.
Marketing experts can’t quite understand Twitter’s success, given that until now it has probably been the simplest social network, with the fewest options for personal activity. Even so, it has reached second place worldwide and will soon be in first place, ahead of Facebook.
If we add the improvements they’ve made and will keep making, it won’t be long before they win the market, especially given how well it connects with Facebook.
If Google doesn’t manage to win a large share with its social network Buzz, it may have to think about concentrating on other market niches, as it is already doing.
The future of business lies on the internet. Until now, every company had to be highly visible in search engines. Over time, it will be more important to be fully present on social networks.
Featured image: Joi Ito, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
