5 Reasons Why Twitter Will Be a Social Media Juggernaut in 2012

Recent news about Facebook’s IPO and Google’s new Knowledge Graph have made headlines this past week, and have taken the media by storm. But, where does this leave Twitter? 

Twitter seems to be lurking in the shadows casted by Google and Facebook, but don’t be fooled. Twitter’s influence should not be underestimated. The company may not have gone public, but this is the year they “plan to demonstrate it’s a juggernaut."  

Twitter is changing the way we get news in 140 characters or less. There are 140 million active users, and 500 million registered users in total. That number only continue to grow as more people follow their favorite artists, athletes, journalists, authors, comedians, or presidential candidate. The sky’s the limit with Twitter, and it seems like more people are finding ways to use this social media platform to meet their specific needs.

Here are five reasons why Twitter is still a force to be reckoned with:

1. It is more accessible to all age groups

Twitter may not be as large a social media platform as Facebook, but the same crowd is also not using Twitter. Substantial portions of Facebook users are between the ages of 13-17, and that does not seem to be the case with Twitter. It has been made largely successful by adult users. This creates different needs and uses for the social media platform.

2. Changing how professionals reach out to each other

Twitter has helped professionals, organizations, and many others create a social presence out there. They can share ideas, build from one another, and potentially collaborate if it seems right. Twitter has allowed it to be easier to reach out and communicate with groups and organizations that may have been impossible to reach out to before.

3. Changing how we get our news

It is not surprising to hear that we live in a fast-paced world and like to see our headlines all in one place. Twitter allows us to follow news organizations like CNN, the New York Times, BBC, and also our favorite reporters, journalists, editorial writers, and more. The headlines are constantly going up, and we are always in the loop about the latest news all in one place.

4. #DNT

Twitter announced on May 17 that it would be giving users the ability to enable a Do Not Track feature through certain browsers. This gives users the control to decide whether they want their information tracked, an option that Facebook (notorious for their aggressive tracking) will probably never give users. Twitter users have to give their trust and admiration for Twitter’s move towards privacy.

5. It is helping make news

Twitter has been said to be a partial catalyst behind the Arab Springs, and helped activists to mobilize, organize, and spread their ideas. Twitter has also played a crucial role for current presidential candidates and the upcoming elections. Twitter has helped to create news and organize movements in unthinkable ways.