With Facebook continuing to be the most attractive and appealing network for users, Twitter is one of the classic and obvious options as an alternative to the juggernaut, Facebook. Twitter’s share price has continued the downward trend since May last year. Before this, the social platform had some turbulent periods of highs. However, it’s time for the company to think big and to begin attracting an even wider audience. So, where should we imagine Twitter to be within the coming years?
Firstly, it’s important to note that the company is well aware that change needs to happen. The bold word of innovation really needs to be at the heart of the company moving forwards. A few tweaks are already planned, these include the extension of characters usable in a tweet â this will be achieved by removing URLs, username mentions, picture attachments and other similar features, from the character count. This means you are able to say more without reaching that dreaded red highlighted text which indicated that you’ve over-reached the character limit. Yes, one of the great things about Twitter is that you have to keep your thoughts summarised, and this can be seen as a good thing in many scenarios, but this upcoming tweak is likely to appeal to the majority.
Twitter works very differently from Facebook, and that’s something which helps to keep the two apart. Yet, Facebook is constantly thinking about new ways to move forwards, something Twitter appears to have failed at.
The very mechanics behind Twitter has continued to be enough to attract many users to the platform. However, like with anything, similarities can create a definite staleness. With this said, the company appears to be well aware that they aren’t doing quite enough to move things in a more exciting direction.
It’s also important to realise that many alternative social networks are appearing, Twitter is no longer the obvious number two. You’ve got the likes of Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Google+, LinkedIn and Reddit all offering their own take on things. Simply put, as the competition expands, Twitter must do the same if they’re to remain one of the leaders within the social media world. What’s more, you can only imagine that more newcomers will arrive soon.
Recent reports suggest that many people welcome the idea of niche networking. For example, Facebook attempts to be the all in one solution, no matter who you are. However, LinkedIn, of course, is the obvious choice for those seeking professional networking. Instagram and Pinterest are becoming popular for younger users, whereas Facebook is struggling to appeal to younger users â at least according to certain trends.
Developers need to get creative and provide exciting features that can’t be found elsewhere. Certainly not an easy task, but a necessity, never the less.
Making Twitter easier to use and more understandable for newcomers is sure to be something I’d imagine them focusing on. After all, Twitter isn’t the easiest social platform to grasp initially. Facebook’s issues with privacy should only be an area that Twitter aim to excel in. Facebook might attract trolls, but this has become a headache for Twitter, too. Ultimately, this is a key area that the company are working to improve upon.
Finally, it’s great to hear that Twitter is ready to make some changes. Let’s just hope they are bold enough and become popular with the current and future users.
