Is there any question Twitter has revolutionized the way information and news are disseminated? The short answer is: no.
When the Academy Awards were recently held in the US, host and entertainer Ellen Degeneres tweeted a group “selfie” that was wildly popular. The “Tweet heard ‘round the world” was re-tweeted more than 3 million times and literally crashed the social networking service. Beyond the more frivolous, Twitter also continues to play a critical role with unfolding consequential events around the globe. Just do a quick search for events in Venezuela and the Ukraine – Twitter is at the center of the storm.
Photograph: Reuters
But between the two extremes, Twitter has a utility that has changed the very way business communicates and engages with customers. A 2013 University of Massachusetts survey indicated that 77% of Fortune 500 companies actively use Twitter. The evolution of Twitter in commerce has seen companies rightly utilise the service to not just promote services and products, but also create a meaningful dialogue with consumers.
Yet despite all this, Twitter has not been particularly popular in this part of the world. Or as Asia might collectively say, “Dear Twitter, we’re just not that into you.” There is an exception, and it’s a big one. Jakarta, Indonesia ranks among the top three most active global cities in posted tweets, and is on top of the heap according to some reports.
So will the rest of Southeast Asia follow Jakarta’s lead in turning on to Twitter? Time will tell. Until then, the revolution will be tweeted – in 140 characters or less, of course.