I’m going to start with a summary of my controversial opinion: the only reason you still randomly log onto Twitter is to make sure that yes, it’s alright, you’re not actually missing out on anything.
FOMO is the only thing keeping you from deleting the app altogether. It doesn’t make you laugh that much anymore and it doesn’t inspire you and it isn’t even where you go for breaking news. Why? What happened?
What can we learn from this huge Titanic and how do we capture the attention of the thousands of people jumping ship?
The figures don’t lie, it’s tanking and everyone is leaving Twitter. Business Insider reported that the number of tweets per day has plummeted by more than half since the platform peaked in August 2014. I’m writing to you about this here and now because you (and I) read Zanita Studio. We follow Internet trends the way we follow fashion trends – both because we want to and for many of us, we need to. Because we’re entrepreneurs.
Other apps have grown and give us what we want in a better way.
I use Instagram for an entertaining and inspiring platform when my bus is stuck in traffic. Snapchat is where I go for the surprisingly intimate and funny keyhole-peep into strangers’ lives. If there’s a super intense political situation, Periscope pulls through with live video feeds that Twitter’s 140 characters could never compete with.
The lesson here is one Zanita herself has applied to the principle of fashion blogging before – you need to nail a niche. If you’re presenting a platform that’s trying to be too broad in its appeal and effect, you’re not going to build and keep a quality customer base.
There seems to be a higher concentration of dickheads on Twitter than at a Trump Rally and the moderators aren’t doing anything about it.
Their previous CEO, Dick Costolo, admitted that Twitter “sucked at dealing with abuse.” A guy, called Jon Ronson, has just written a book called So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed and the whole thing explores the horrific ramifications for people who find themselves in the eye of an online shaming hurricane – often starting on Twitter. Posting something funny that has any potential to be misconstrued or taken out of context could make you the next 21st century Monica Lewinski.
Twitter only updated its usage policies to combat revenge porn last year. Last year!? Not good enough.
The next lesson here is that if you want to bring people to your platform, your business, you have to also protect them. It’s the Internet – they don’t need bubble wrap and cotton wool – they need trust in lightening quick responses to harmful content. Gamergate was a sobering lesson in how dangerous the Internet can be for women when service providers don’t monitor their platforms. Make sure your bullying, diversity, privacy, and community policies are watertight. Especially if your customers are female.
So what’s the good news?
People are always evolving and looking for the next great thing! And that’s where we can step in. The Internet is the future and we’re the entrepreneurs ready to take the reins.
– Bri
Follow me: Instagram Twitter Portfolio Blog
You Should Also Read:
7 of the Best Instagram Accounts for Subculture Style Inspiration
A New Charlie’s Angels Movie is Coming
Time Travel with Donald Trump: A Lady’s Guide
