Tweeting in the Moment: The Good, The Bad, & The Unfortunate

Yesterday it was announced that Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher are having a baby. You may not read the tabloids...you may not even be a fan of That '70s Show (gasp!). But you know about the baby. In less than 24 hours the news has made its way to you. Why? Because you're on Twitter. And somebody (many people), somewhere (everywhere) has tweeted about it. And you've seen it. Whether you're excited, skeptical, or indifferent, you've know it's happening.

With over 645 million users on Twitter and 58 million tweets each day, it's no surprise that when news hits the platform, it spreads like wildfire. News stories are shared almost as quickly as they unfold. This opens the door for newsjacking (brands tying breaking news into their messages). It's a delicate art. Some brands have mastered it, and some...have not. This is why virtually instantaneous news sharing serves both as Twitter's claim to fame and its Achilles heel.

The Good:

-Oreo's 2013 Super Bowl tweet in response to the Superdome blackout is the classic example of successful newsjacking.

-ZzzQuil's tweet conveyed its message in a way that was both interesting and relevant to its followers. Unfortunately, hoping for peaceful sleep is a lost cause now...there goes my chance at being a billionaire.  

pic.twitter.com/Zy1S1jmCw5
— ZzzQuil (@ZzzQuil) March 20, 2014

The Bad:

-While AT&T's tweet was not made in poor taste, people criticized it for taking advantage of such a catastrophic event. AT&T later removed the tweet and apologized for offending its followers.

-Entenmann's decided to increase its reach by using trending hashtags. Unfortunately, they didn't look into the meaning behind the hashtag #notguilty and ended up using the Casey Anthony trial to promote their brand. After discovering their mistake, Entenmann's also removed the tweet and apologized. 

The Unfortunate: 

In rare instances, we've seen news spread so quickly that the stars of the stories themselves don't know what's happening until they read about it on Twitter. Some of this year's Grammy nominees found out that they had won from the award show's official Twitter account during the pre-telecast. Talk about anticlimactic. And let's not forget about Darren Sproles. It's a sad day when an NFL player has to find out through Twitter that he is being traded.

WOW! "@ESPNNFL: THIS JUST IN: Saints now plan to trade RB Darren Sproles due to heavy interest. He will not be released.
— Darren Sproles (@DarrenSproles) March 11, 2014

The stuff u find out on twitter
— Darren Sproles (@DarrenSproles) March 11, 2014

Pointlessness? There's an app for that!

Not to be confused with the Pointless app, which is modeled after the UK game show and is not actually pointless by definition, the pointless apps that I'm talking about are the apps that brands develop just because they can but have no real purpose behind them.

Now, when it comes to social media, too many brands make the mistake of forming a strategy backed by the thought process of "What can I say that people will share?" This results in posts that are entertaining but that lack relevancy to the brand. I'm looking at you, Flo from Progressive.

I drank so much coffee today that I’m pretty sure I can taste sounds now.
— Flo from Progressive (@ItsFlo) February 27, 2014

Well if that doesn't make me want to buy insurance, I don't know what will!



Apps, on the other hand, seem to suffer from the opposite ailment. There are numerous apps out there that are consistent with a brand's image but that are sorely lacking when it comes to entertainment or utility. Longhorn Steakhouse and Pop Secret were reprimanded in a Business 2 Community article for creating apps that frankly are insulting to users' intelligence. I mean, come on, I can only flip a virtual steak so many times before I go crazy. #yallgonmakemelosemymind

Additionally, we are witnessing apps that are being developed with cutting edge technology but that lack a place in users' lives. For example, an article by Elite Daily describes the new app Spritz which enhances reading speed by emphasizing the Optimal Recognition Point of each word. The app is fascinating...addicting even (don't say I didn't warn you), but I find myself wondering what real-life situation actually warrants this kind of technology. I just picture someone sitting down with a good read, wanting to unwind after a long day, and suddenly...rapid fire! Not exactly my idea of a relaxing time. And what happens if you sneeze? Or blink? Can you pick up where you left off? Or is all hope lost?

The moral of the story is don't get so app-y happy that you get ahead of yourself. If you're going to dedicate time and resources to developing an app, make sure it's worthy of being downloaded.