What people really use Twitter for

So I was talking with my co-workers the other day, and Twitter was brought up. Interestingly enough, they were comparing posting on Facebook vs. posting on Twitter. They were saying that they were more likely to post something "controversial" on Twitter than on Facebook. I thought about this statement and realized that I am the exact same way! If I am mad at a situation at work, or mad at something or some one, I would rather tell people on Twitter than on Facebook. Here was the reasoning: people on Twitter are more liberal and laid back compared to people that use Facebook. Also, you are more likely to have less followers on Twitter than on Facebook. Not only does this cut down on people "creeping" on you, but it also cuts down on who will see it. On Facebook people like to post on comments or statuses. If it gets enough comments and likes it will hit your top stories feed, then it really hits the fan. At that point all you want to do is take it off Facebook and pretend 700 people didn't just read what you posted. With Twitter, people can mention you to reply to the post but unless you know everyone to follow the whole conversation. Also, since it is a constant feed most people won't even see it, which makes you safe. My manager at work even said that she would post to Twitter about a bad situation just to get it off her chest, kind of like a release. In the world now, everyone is using social media as an online diary, while provoking people to empathize and interact.

Why is this good for marketers? People are putting their feelings online so that you can hit them at their core. You can find out what they need and why they need it. This is AWESOME for marketers!! Who needs to hire psychologists when we have Facebook and Twitter to encourage buyers to give us all the information that we need. If you use it, you should just make sure you aren't sharing something with the wrong people, and always check your privacy controls!