Twitter is a social networking and microblogging service, enabling registered users on the platform to read and post short messages named tweets. Twitter messages are limited to 140 characters and users are also able to upload multimedia such as photos or short videos. Tweets are posted to a publicly available profile or can be sent as direct messages to other users. Twitter is one of the most popular social networks worldwide. Part of the appeal is the ability of users to follow any other user with a public profile, enabling users to interact with high profiles persons who might regularly post and engage with audiences on the social media site. As of the fourth quarter of 2016, the microblogging service averaged at 319 million monthly active users. At the beginning of 2016, Twitter had reached 310 monthly active users per quarter (Statista, 2016).
Facebook is a popular free social networking website that allows registered users to create profiles, upload photos and video, send messages and keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues. The site, which is available in 37 different languages, includes public features such as:
1. Marketplace – allows members to post, read and respond to classified ads.
2. Groups – allows members who have common interests to find each other and interact.
3. Events – allows members to publicize an event, invite guests and track who plans to attend.
4. Pages – allows members to create and promote a public page built around a specific topic.
5. Presence technology – allows members to see which contacts are online and chat (WordStream, 2017)
Sources:
- Number of monthly active Twitter users worldwide from 1st quarter 2010 to 4th quarter 2016 (in millions). Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/282087/number-of-monthly-active-twitter-users/. Accessed on 20 March 2017.
- 40 Essential Social Media Marketing Statistics for 2017. Retrieved from http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2017/01/05/social-media-marketing-statistics. Accessed on 20 March 2017.