Statewide social media initiative to increase Indiana’s visibility on twitter
December 3, 2009 (12:30pm EST / 11:30am CST) tweeters from the banks of the Ohio River to the shores of Lake Michigan will donate one minute to the future of our state by sending a tweet containing “#Indiana”. The goal is to get #Indiana to trend among the top ten words on twitter, exposing our state to this global audience.
Twitter is the preeminent emerging technology used by social media advocates and early technology adapters from every continent. There are currently four billion twitter ready devices in use globally because – unlike facebook and LinkedIn – twitter is a text based service that can be accessed from very basic mobile phones. According to Compete.com twitter had over 25 Million unique visitors in September 2009 ( http://bit.ly/3wPSs6 ), and the latest numbers from Pew Internet and American Life show us that 1 in 5 Internet users tweet; “Fully 39% of internet users with four or more internet-connected devices (such as a laptop, cell phone, game console, or Kindle) use Twitter” (Portrait of a Twitter user http://bit.ly/2ZffjH ).
When words or phrases start to trend on twitter there is a snowball effect as tweeters begin to ask, “why is Indiana trending?” Among social media platforms twitter is unique in that virtually all tweeters participate on at least one other social networking platform, so when messages spread virally on twitter they quickly appear on other platforms. If “#Indiana” trends it will increase name recognition globally, it will provide favorable exposure to existing Indiana businesses and possibly attract future business. It will also raise awareness of social media among Hoosiers and encourage them to lend their voice to the global dialog happening round-the-clock on twitter. There is no downside to this initiative.
Twitter can no longer be discounted as an inane platform where self-absorbed individuals share what they are doing minute-by-minute. It is a viable business tool increasingly making headlines – e.g. Business use of Twitter, Facebook exploding, “using Twitter to get the word out .. jumped 250% since Spring..” (Computer World November 9, 2009 http://bit.ly/22BQct) and, Internet Use Increases Social Connectivity, “Rather than pulling people away from each other, Internet use actually enhances the size and diversity of people’s social networks…” (Information Week November 9, 2009 http://bit.ly/3sDmtb). Twitter is the largest bridging social capital group in the recorded history of our species, and if Indiana wants to remain relevant in the 21st century Hoosiers should actively participate.
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