Twitter: The Innovation Business Needed, Part Two

Part 2 of a 5-part series

Last post, I talked about how Twitter has evolved from a fun application used to interact with friends to a social media phenomenon that has transformed B2B and B2C communication. Whether it's to promote a new product, reveal a new idea in an enlightening way or respond and interact with consumers, 93 percent of marketers are now inhibiting Twitter for a multitude of reasons. I highlighted three reasons why I use Twitter the most often and why marketers should too in part one. Now, I will explain why 140 characters worth of information has never been bigger.

A giant group text message with friends, family, acquaintances, colleagues, small businesses, political figures, celebrities, sports teams, professional athletes, major corporations, and so much more, all sharing one thing in common: they are communicating their most important words, thoughts and information, to us. If we go online or open up the application on our phones and begin writing a tweet, it has to be important, right? Whether it's a thought, joke, statistic, quote or a link, it has significance because we took the time to write and share it with the world.

Have you ever looked at Twitter like this? Isn't that why we like it so much? We feel connected to parts of the world we could never feel connected to otherwise. We feel heard because our messages have the potential to be seen by thousands, even millions of people.

But why is this important for business? Three reasons:

• It allows you to know your audience. When you look through individual timelines of consumers, clientele and other business, you can often feel like you know the user without ever meeting or interacting with them. For a marketer, this is like a sixth sense. Consumers and businesses are giving you an insight into their thoughts and feelings which means you have an advantage when it comes time to form messages, goals, objectives and content. 

• We are now a world that relates easier to short-and-sweet messages rather than long, in-depth conversation. Have you ever seen a catchy tweet by a big brand? Below reveals a great example of a tweet made by DiGiorno Pizza during the 2014 Super Bowl that engaged thousands of fans because of their ability to relate and process the information in an easy way.  

• Being limited to 140 characters of information forces you to form meaningful messages. Because brands are limited in their content, their two-way communication must be powerful and summarized into short phrases. If consumers cannot relate or feel impacted by the messages revealed through Twitter, they will lose interest. Intrigue your audience with appealing content they can relate to and you'll begin to see a return on investment through responses, retweets, favorites and word-of-mouth. 

Part three will highlight the reasons why Twitter's clear and concise interface with minimized distractions help consumers retain the most important information and why this is useful for businesses. Stay tuned.   

Part One
Part Two    

Twitter: The Innovation Business Needed

Part 1 of a 5-part series

Four years ago I made my first tweet, unaware the action I just made would not only change my world, but the world of communication, business and the lives of people everywhere--forever. In 140 characters or less you could communicate to anyone in the world what you were doing, watching, participating in or just your interests. Little did I know this vast form of communication would spark a social phenomenon and change not only the look of communication, but all of its functions.

I started using Twitter to simply feel connected to other people and make my actions and thoughts known. It started as a game and a way to communicate with multiple people at the same time, mostly through humor. I only followed high school friends and a few celebrities. There weren't sports team pages or nearly as many businesses as there are today to interact and stay updated with. Nearly four years ago, 140 million tweets were being published on a daily basis as of March 2011. That number has significantly grown to nearly half of a billion tweets published daily; over 5,700 tweets per second. Those numbers are fascinating to me and put into perspective the growth of Twitter as social tool. 

The question I asked myself is "Why has Twitter grown so fast and when will it fall off?"

Another amazing innovation could take the place of Twitter, but I do not see this happening in the near future. For a long time we will see Twitter not only grow in its' users, but in its' content and functions. The more important part of the question is why has Twitter grown so fast? When I think about the answer, only one word repeatedly comes to mind: Business. 

Twitter is no longer a social hub for teenagers and young adults to use as a funny chat tool with their friends. Its’ world has changed to a network of marketers and businesses who are promoting their content, services and products to the audiences their research reveals most interested. It's easy to notice too; take a scroll through your timeline and look at all the links that are being posted which take you directly to products or services in some way, shape or form. In 2013 Work Smart reported that 93 percent of marketers were using some form of social media, Twitter being one of the most popular platforms. Today I am sure that percentage has risen given how important social media has become to major corporations. 

But why am I only talking about Twitter? Although I analyze and use Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and other social media platforms on a daily basis, Twitter has always been the standout I go to for three specific reasons: 

• 140 characters of information. Our world has become so used to instantaneous connection that we have become impatient. We want information in its simplest and sweetest form; Twitter forces that.   

• Minimal distractions. I don’t know about you but when I go onto Facebook and see everything that’s happening, it can be distracting and confusing. Between the messenger list, all the tabs and the advertisements, you can be diverted from the material you went to Facebook to see in the first place. I don’t see this problem with Twitter because it directs your attention to the heart of the content without all the fluff.  

• The infamous “hashtag". Let’s give credit where credit is due. Twitter is the originator of arguably one of the greatest ways of connecting others to information through “hash-tagging”. In fact, Twitter would not be what it is today without that one specific innovation.

Part two will express the importance of 140 characters and how it has changed the way we communicate through the world of Twitter. Stay tuned.   

Part One
Part Two

Turning Heads and Turning Tables- The Story of Jake Miller, aka DJ Millz

Jake Miller on the field of Michigan Stadium documenting the emotion of The
Rock before they take center stage at the "Big House" for the "Back to the Big
House" film. 

Slippery Rock University has a very diverse student body, ranging from people of different race, from different countries, different talents and so much more. Sometimes we only see students on the surface of everything they truly have to offer, but when you dig deeper, you can discover fascinating and interesting stories.

I dug deeper into Slippery Rock University student and Director of Media Relations for University Program Board Jacob Miller. On the surface, Jacob Miller is a friendly, hard-working student just trying to make it past finals while having lunch at Weisenfluh. But when you see beyond that, you’ll notice that Jake Miller is the overtime working man, a student, a talent like none other in media design and at night—"your college's favorite DJ."

Jake Miller sets up still-photo shots for the UPB Meet & Greet at the Kid Ink/
Kalin&Myles concert at Slippery Rock University. 

Jacob Miller was born on July 3, 1994 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a teenager, Jake dreamed of being a pharmacist--that changed after he discovered another route. In the eighth grade, at age 13, Jake began “turning tables” or what most people refer to as “DJ-ing”. A combination of a passion for music and combining appealing beats gave Jake Miller another identity: DJ Millz. On February 12, 2009 Jake performed his first show at a King of Hearts dance at the Undercliff Fire Hall for North Catholic High School. After that performance, he knew it was what he wanted to pursuit as a career. Jake has now DJ-ed over 500 events ranging from small dances in the basements of churches all the way to main-stage appearances at the nation’s largest colleges. DJ Millz’ largest performance was at Ohio University on Halloween in 2011, performing for over 6,000 students. 

When Jake isn’t playing the part of DJ Millz, he is at Slippery Rock University producing some of the most impressive media material the university has ever seen. As the Director of Media Relations for Slippery Rock University Program Board, Jake has accumulated a multitude of skills in the art of media, ranging from photography, videography and graphic design. He started with UPB in June of 2014 under a paid position and has proved his worthiness from the work he has done. Whenever you see a video from a special event for students, Jacob Miller most likely produced it. He is the mind behind all the entertainment relayed to students across Slippery Rock University from University Program Board events.

(From left to right) Jake Miller, Mike Williams and Brandon Lombardo
at the "Big House" while filming their documentary on Slippery Rock's
football team "Back to the Big House". 

On December 10, 2014, Jake will be presenting a film he produced with the help of Mike Williams and Brandon Lombardo, about Slippery Rock’s football team playing at Michigan stadium (The Big House) against Mercyhurst. The film is called “Back to the Big House” and runs 55 minutes in length—all material shot by three people following the team’s every act leading up to the big day. “Back to the Big House” combines Coach Mihalik’s history as Slippery Rock’s head coach, previous appearances to Michigan stadium, and the events leading up to the game involving this year’s football team. This was not an assignment or something they were obligated to do, but was simply pursued from a vision. Jake, Mike and Brandon saw a story and decided to make it visible for all of Slippery Rock to see.

Jake Miller may be seen as the average student on the surface, but beneath it lies a student at Slippery Rock University with a vision and passion to pursuit what is important to him at an advanced level that is rare to come by. Combining his DJ-ing skills, his work for the University Program Board and his career as a student has put him on a road to success. He did not simply stop at the bare minimum, but combined his skills, work ethic and interests and turned them into something everyone can enjoy and partake in. Next time you see that flyer hanging in the hall advertising the next concert at the university, the next video posted to twitter recapping an event or are at a party and hear that music you enjoy, you’ll see the man behind it all—DJ Millz aka Jacob Miller.  

The Kid Ink/Kalin&Myles UPB flyer designed, printed and distributed by Director of Media Relations Jake Miller.

Jake Miller describes how he became a DJ and the ways in which he progresses and teaches himself how to be better at his skills.

Jake Miller describes his growing DJ-ing career and what it is like to experience performing for thousands of people.


Jake Miller explains his duties as the Director of Media Relations for UPB and how he became interested in digital media and emerging technology.

Jake Miller gives insight on the making of "Back to the Big House" and why himself, Mike Williams and Brand Lombardo decide to pursuit it.

Director of Concerts and Comedians for University Program Board Brandon Cannon describes his experiences working with Jake Miller and why he believes he is so good at what he does.

"Lone Survivor" Marcus Luttrell at Slippery Rock University

Dodge for Paws raises $500 for Butler County Humane Society

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. (Nov. 8, 2014) 1 p.m.-- Rock PRoductions, Slippery Rock University's student-run public relations firm, hosted its annual Dodge for Paws event Saturday at the ARC

Teams for Dodge for Paws participate in raising money for the BCHS.

to raise money for the Butler County Humane Society.

Dodge for Paws is a dodge ball tournament that gives Slippery Rock students the opportunity to participate in a competitive activity while raising money for and awareness of a local organization benefiting a shelter for stray cats and dogs.

Dodge for Paws also serves as an opportunity for undergraduate Rock PRoductions members to engage in real life PR tasks that include publication design work and distribution, promoting through social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter and coordinating with local businesses and organizations to gain support.

"Dodge for Paws has been going on for a couple years and we use this event to benefit local humane societies," Rock PRoductions President Kyle Dempster said.

Rock PRoductions President Kyle Dempster speaks on behalf of the Dodge for Paws event hosted to raise money for the Butler County Humane Society.

Eleven teams signed up for the Dodge for Paws event and participated in a double elimination tournament. The winners were awarded t-shirts and a pizza party.

Through donations from local businesses and fees the teams paid, Rock PRoductions raised $500 to donate to the Butler County Humane Society this year.

Rock PRoductions committee members present a $500 check to Executive Director Michele Allen of the Butler County Human Society.

The Butler County Humane Society is a non-profit organization that cares for nearly 2,000 homeless dogs and cats each year. The BCHS gives people the opportunity to adopt a cat or dog from their shelter and give them a home outside of a cage.

Executive Director Michele Allen speaks about the mission and goals of the Butler County Humane Society.

"Our mission here at the Butler County Humane Society is to provide a safe haven for the animals on their journey home," Executive Director Michele Allen of the BCHS said.

The BCHS provides opportunities for volunteering and donations. Through their marketing group, the organization also offers the organizing of collection drives for offices, churches or groups and friends.

The organization has been serving Butler County for over 100 years and is a no-kill shelter that allows all animals to live within the shelter until an appropriate home is found for them.

Additional services the BCHS offers through their organization are rabies clinics, spay and neuter services and micro-chipping.

  

UPB Presents: THE HAUNTED HOUSE

University Program Board puts together various events for the students to enjoy at Slippery Rock University. On Oct. 24, 2014, they hosted "THE HAUNTED HOUSE", which was free for all students to come out and enjoy a night of scares. Refreshments were offered to all students after exiting the haunted house, and over 300 students came to enjoy the festivities.

SRU Pitcher Anton Constantino's College Baseball Journey

SRU Pitcher's Journey on Dipity.