Social Media Personality

By Ellen Rienzi, Associate Planner

Last week, it seemed like every website whether blog, newssite, or gossip column was talking about Twitter. While the service has been on everyone’s radar for quite some time, the sudden popularity explosion has everyone talking. The last numbers I saw say 11% of Americans are tweeting and that number was growing rapidly. Oh, and “tweet” was one of Time Magazine’s top 10 buzz words of 2008.

Some brands like Zappos and Best Buy have jumped right in using the site to connect with customers and extend their customer service operations. In fact, Zappos CEO has become somewhat of a Twitter celebrity with over 200,000 followers. Proctor & Gamble saw the potential of the site last night as their “Digital Hack Night’ in which digital media executives and P&G marketers sold Tide t-shirts for charity through social media networks reached Twitter’s top 10 trending topics.

Like Facebook, many brands see Twitter as this goldmine of everyone they could possibly want to talk to. But like more traditional media, it’s becoming increasingly important to understand who is using these sites. As social media continues to proliferate beyond Facebook vs. MySpace, we will see distinct personalities emerge. It will not be just tweeting vs. poking (do people even poke anymore?). To compete with the big names, new social media ventures will have to demonstrate a distinct personality that users can truly relate to.

Understanding the differences between these sites, and more importantly their audiences, is key to navigating the world of social media. Like other media, evaluating which sites fit with your brand’s personality will help you communications remain genuine and consistent.