Twitter introduces new features

I’ve always been in awe of the power of social media. The strength of an image to ‘go viral’, the influence of a tweet, and the beauty of FaceTime enabling my friend in Australia and I to chat virtually in our kitchens over a coffee and cake is incredible don’t you think?

I for one have accounts on more than five social media channels, all for different purposes, all used to varying degrees! Off the top of my head, I’m active on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Pinterest and YouTube. Whilst in certain circumstances it’s great as they all serve different purposes, there are times when I wish my friends were all in one place.

Twitter, the microblogging social network which enables users to publish 140 characters of text is tapping into this idea of cohesive space, where the users, of which there are over 284 million who log in daily, can begin to use different features to enhance their experiences.

First up, group chats. In my world, Twitter is used for connecting with brands, and celebs, catching up on news and when there’s a delay on my train. I have a few friends on my Twitter account @TheEarlyBird but engagement with them is much lower than on Whatsapp and Facebook. To cut a long story short, for me Twitter is a public space where I can follow the outside world safely from the comfort of my sofa.

This now may all change as Twitter has announced plans to introduce group chat functionality allowing a user to send a direct message to up to 20 people at any one time. I don’t know about you but I love chatting and I love it even more when I can connect with a group of friends anytime, anywhere! My WhatsApp is a somewhat disturbing example of my innate need to chat; I’ve over 10 group chats live at the moment on everything from birthday surprises to ‘Come Dine With Me’. This move, in my opinion, is a clever one as now not only can a brand send a direct message or ignite a conversation with a targeted group in private, as an individual user I can now chat to groups of friends, privately, all in one network.

In an additional move, following in the footsteps of Facebook and hot on the heels of Instagram and Vine, Twitter has recently announced plans to introduce video to its network. The functionality will enable users to use their mobile devices to film, edit and share with their followers and the wider Twitter community. The feature will enable uploads of 30-second videos and unlike Vine, the videos won’t loop. For a network that’s renowned for users breaking news before the news breaks the news, it’s exciting to think of the potential power of a video tweet, enriching stories as they unfold in real time.

As a brand have you ever considered using video to ignite conversation with your followers? How would you kick start a conversation with a select group of your Twitter community?

If you’d like help and advice on how to get started on Twitter, get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!

You can find Cariad Marketing on Twitter @CariadMarketing