1. Is Twitter just a bright idea or a real business opportunity? To what extent does Twitter’s situation reflect the past record of its founders? In my opinion, I think twitter is a good business opportunity. Like other internet service, twitter has a large number of users, which provide a potential revenue foundation. At present, twitter’s priority is to find a revenue model to transfer the abundant of users to money. If twitter finds thus a model, it will become another internet service giant in the world. At present, Twitter’s functional model is not original intention of the founder, William, which is an incident idea. After that, the founder notice that this model is suitable with people’s wants, allowing to disseminate information to others in real-time. The founder has a good idea for establishing company but not having a good idea to earn profit from the business.
2. A). what is Twitter’s Advantages and challenges given it chosen technology configuration? First, Twitter is easy to use. Twitter only focus on using text to communication. Users can easily to use twitter without learning or training. The challenge for the method is that text is dull. Some of users would feel twitter is not attractable. Second, web-based platform is another advantage for Twitter. Users can use Twitter service by accessing website from different systems. In my opinion, open source platform will bring twitter a great potential. Users can develop own application on Twitters according to their own interests. However, open source also has challenges that the malicious application can spread without proper supervision. B). what are the benefits and challenges for corporations looking to use Twitter internally and externally Benefit for internally using Twitter: the communication among employees or managers would be efficient because Twitter is just-in-time communication platform. Managers can use Twitter to transmit their order to the specific followers (employees); employees also can report work to managers by using the same method. Challenges for internally using Twitter: it is very different to organize the followers. And it is also danger to use Twitter to transmit business confidence. Using Twitter also can increase whisper or rumor spreading inside the corporates. Benefit for externally using Twitter: the customers can get new product information of the corporate on time, which is a good promotion and marketing method. The challenge for externally using Twitter is that marketing effect coverage significantly depends on the internet.
3. What has been Twitter’s marketing approach to date, and is it sustainable? Right now, in my opinion, Twitter has a very simple marketing approach to earn money, firstly, using abundant users to attract venture capital investors. Secondly, Twitter sells “@” (Twitter name) to big companies or big events. At present, none of twitter functions charge personal users. Most of its expenditure comes from the venture capital. For a long term, this approach cannot survive; however, the investors know the potential of Twitter. In the future, Twitter will provide difference revenue model to earn profit.
4. Can Twitter ever earn profits? If so, what are the best ways it can monetize? In my opinion, Twitter can earn profits in the future, if it does that: adopting advertising models would be a good method to earn money. Secondly, it is necessary to create paid content for users who want to have further service. Thirdly, Twitter can cooperate with publishers, job agencies, etc. collecting commission.