I have always wondered about people who join and actively participate in social networks such as Twitter and yet do not provide a picture of themselves in their profile at the very least.  Behaving like a social being and hiding one’s face at the same breath does not appear to jive.  It is a bit uncomfortable to receive messages from unseen tweeters or those who do not present a face with their names.

Tweets usually carry a request to share something like a link and a faceless tweet appears more like spam than a legitimate request.  Majority of twitter members look forward to activities that make the platform fun and exciting, not disturbing and tiring.  With a tweet limited to a maximum of 140 characters, messages have no option but to be short and to the point, which is good.

I don’t know if it has to do with the very limited space when friends tweet back links of projects they wish to promote instead of responding as normal people do with words that make sense.  After all, aren’t we supposed to keep in touch with friends and acquaintances through Twitter and not be purely bombarded with marketing initiatives?  That’s the price, I believe, of having a ready and large audience to market to.  Business people just cannot pass up the chance to promote themselves and their products in every opportunity possible.

Twitter is a good way of keeping in touch but receiving tweets comprised of unwelcome messages practically the whole day everyday can be very annoying.  The level of annoyance can be such as to make some people rethink their Twitter usage but then again, advantages usually out-shadow the inconveniences and so most just take it as part of the use of the platform.

Twitter as a social platform is known to facilitate connections between people.  It is also quite popular as a means of following personalities of specific interest to you.  For business people however, Twitter can serve as a source of fresh ideas that can be followed-through to create innovative enterprises. 

Some of the best business ideas originated from casual exchange of views and opinions between friends and acquaintances.  It is not much different with Twitter except that there are more ideas that surface because of the large number of membership.  Another advantage of having access to tweets is the wide range of possibilities offered by getting opinions from different backgrounds whether personal, professional, industry, or the economic level. 

There are those that say that communication in Twitter may be too much to arrive at any sensible conclusion.  The perception of being too much may be attributable to actual membership practice which does not impose any limitation as to the number of tweets.  Business people will have to learn to separate the tweets that are relevant to their purpose.   

Anything that manages to get the attention of a good number of people is potentially useful as a business idea.  A social event, tragedy, or latest sensation can be the start of a trend that will require a specific product or service.  Necessity indeed is the mother of invention thus businessmen who are keenly observant of prevailing needs by consumers will always find themselves in the forefront of new discoveries. 

The next time you use Twitter, try to be more aware of the business possibilities that can be generated from the activity.  Twitter is free and fun as a way of communication but it is certainly interesting to harvest ideas from a non-traditional place like it.  Twitter is where the most unexpected ideas are born and business would do well to take note of it.

A certain topic is considered to be trending in Twitter when a large number of users are “tweeting” or publishing Twitter updates about it.  Trending can be based on a worldwide scope but it can also occur per country or per city.  Twitter trends can be seen on the official Twitter Search Page as well as other web applications.

Big stories and major events may trigger a Twitter trend although there are other possible factors that can initiate it.  Twitter’s algorithm especially favors breaking news stories rather than topics that have occupied public consciousness for some time.  The focus is placed in emerging trends before they are even considered the hottest thing in town. 

When searching about trends for a specific location, it is possible that some countries and cities will not be included.  This simply means that the tweet volume received for such place is not enough to be included in a quality list.  The components of the list are simply based on tweet volume and not on manual selection.  Twitter trends change frequently although developments on a previously trending topic can still be accessed. 

Tweets for Twitter trending are expected to be real thoughts and not merely attempts to be part of a trend so that relevant information is obtained by participants from the exercise.  It is not intended to be a personal advertising or promotional platform.  Unrelated links and follow requests are not welcome.

There are questions as to why seemingly popular topics don’t make it as a trend on Twitter.  It would probably mean that such topics are not as widespread as it was believed to be.  What is sure is that a trending topic has managed to manifest a sharp increase in tweets.

Twitter users answer the question “What’s Happening?” to provide status updates.  The question has elicited answers ranging from the most inconsequential to the most important, depending on who is providing the answer.  For a “tweet” comprised of 140 characters or less, a message is sent to the intended receiver or the general public when desired.

The success of Twitter as a social media platform is a clear manifestation of how most people enjoy having a say about anything under the sun.  It has provided a venue to sound-off what would usually be hidden amongst the many frustrations and jubilations people have on life.  It has even become a stage for people who took the standard question too literally and have never stopped talking about themselves since joining the online social networking service.  It has likewise exhibited the power to exert influence on specific issues.

Based on a study made on “tweets”, there were six categories that have been identified including news, spam, self-promotion, pass-along value, conversational, and pointless babble.  The last category is sought to be further be clarified as wanting to know what other people are thinking, doing, and feeling in situations where physical interaction is not possible.  Various tools are provided for adding and following content, making the platform more interesting and alive.

If we are to gauge the expected life expectancy of Twitter as an effective social media influence and propeller of social interaction on the current response of users, we can safely assume its continued leadership along with Facebook and other social media platforms.  As long as people are willing to freely engage in interaction about what is happening with them and around them, we can expect to see more of Twitter in the years to come.  Twitter is reportedly being eyed for public offering in the very near future.

Some of the buttons

Say Hello To Japanese Buttons

Yes, we have introduced a new section. Now we offer Japanese buttons along with Spanish and Italian buttons.

Enjoy

Enjoy your new buttons !

Not only do we have fun designs, we’ve also got Spanish (“Sigué me en Twitter”) and Italian (“Segui me sul Twitter”) buttons for you to choose from. And we’re also bringing you Personalized Twitter Buttons, which reflects your current number of followers!

You can check out all our button designs at TwitterButton.com