What can be explained within the scope of 140 signs? Definitely not the whole world, but more than one may expect. 140 signs is the room conceded to every single tweet, i.e. the contributions of the micro-blogging tool twitter. The web service made its great entrance on the worldwide stage in 2008 and there is no doubt that there has not been any means of communication this year that attracted more attention on the Internet.

Back in 2006 hardly anyone had heard about twitter. Today more than six million people worldwide are using this service according to the provider. Why? Because it’s simple, up to date, and mobile – three arguments which convince more and more journalists. Especially the online editorial departments of major media like the German Tagesschau, Zeit, and Spiegel avail themselves of this offer. The marketing departments of many German enterprises, however, still lag behind. Only very few companies listed on the German share index DAX use twitter.

At the same time the twitter community is permanently growing, gaining importance in the dialogue with clients and customers. Information can be spread within a matter of seconds without the need of special technical know-how. If you know how to send an SMS, you’ll be able to update twitter blindfolded – even away from home. Using a smartphone or the Short Message Service (SMS), you can keep your followers, i.e. everyone who has subscribed to your tweets, up to date. That was exactly what happened on 26th November when eyewitnesses reported live from the terrorist attacks in Mumbai with the micro-blogging tool gaining even more popularity during this tragic incident.

The value of twitter as a tool of grass-root journalism is disputed, admittedly. But in customer relationship management, the service which was developed in California offers a large variety of new opportunities. It fosters the dialogue with stakeholders, creates trust and transparency – after all twittering companies have to limit themselves to 140 signs to convey a precise message. It is not unlikely that the information content of such a tweet is higher than in other instruments of communication. Considering the fact that currently only very few companies make use of this medium, it is a favourable opportunity to hop onto the band wagon and improve one’s online reputation.

The president-elect of the United States, Barack Obama, used twitter in favour of his electoral campaign. Part of his success definitely falls back on this measure. You may not be able to explain the world in 140 signs, but you can definitely bring about some change.

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