Twitter, Social, the Presidential Election and Existentialism

A rose is a rose… People now-a-days know, or are fairly certain, that the 2016 election was won on Twitter.

How so? They either followed it on social media or read it in the news. Basically, you can forget President Trump’s one-liners on Twitter against his opponent, then-Secretary Hillary Clinton, but you are fairly certain of the outcome. Or, depending on your Meyers Briggs personality type, it may be the other way around. Hence the term popular term “Twitter Wars.” Kind of.

If we view Twitter as one “mouthpiece” of many….(no political joke on the election intended), let’s reflect on a few existential questions:

Why was Twitter the loudest? Twitter is viewed as the third-child or second son in social media. Really. It was founded in March of 2006 in San Francisco, California. Its market differentiater is the 140 character limit. It came after LinkedIn (2002) and Facebook (2004).

Why limit to 140? Basically, you can get 140 in, but you can’t jump off the deep-end. It is perfect for short, succinct, poignant slams otherwise known as “Trumpisms,” or for ideas that bring attention or charm. A Tweet. Let’s twitter.

Stats. On the day of the United States Presidential Election in 2016, TWITTER was the largest source of breaking news. How is that for a stat!

Security? The 140 character limit is almost like a security blanket. Is that false – maybe? But secure – yes, in so much as you are limited to what you can say in 140 characters.

What about the number 140? That number in mathematics is unique like any positive integer. It also has a binary equal with an odd number of ones. In communication, it equals two to four sentences. In the Bible, it is the year Job died. We all toil … it is said.

Pen-ultimately, if a CEO were to conceptualize his or her company, he or she might wonder:

First, can I strategically market my brand in 140 characters time and time again? Yes.

Second, will I fit in as I tweet? Naturally – Everyone is doing it.

Finally, Can I have a natural limit or a checks and balance on content? Yes.

So… in 140 characters:

“In life, people usually regret two things: their missed chances, and second, they never stop to smell the flowers. Tweet like Trump!”

That said, let’s forget Existentialism, and start marketing your company today. First, consult with a marketing firm to develop your content, brand and strategy. That’s better than simply shooting from the hip in such a public way. Because they say … A rose is a rose by any other name – except if it is on Twitter.

Jessica Weber, guest columnist