On March 21, 2016 Twitter turned 10! It seems like only yesterday that tweeting was just for birds. But 10 years ago, Twitter was born, and over the course of a decade, it has changed the game- 140 characters at a time.

In 2006, social media was in its infancy; people did not yet rely on it for news, real-time updates, and believe it or not, “selfies” were not yet a cultural phenomenon. Twitter began as an experiment, to see if people could adopt and adapt to a character-limited way of social communication. As we reflect upon how far our tweets have come, we look back on the first tweet ever by Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey. Many have scoffed and laughed at the various “actual tweets from 2006” lists circulating the Internet. But what makes this so interesting is what makes these first tweets comical in the first place. Twitter and its users have greatly matured over the last 10 years, so looking back to the “rudimentary” tweets of the past makes people realize just how different our online interaction has become, especially on Twitter.

These days, Twitter is a sounding board, a 24/7 news channel, a protest, a circle of friends, and a soapbox. In 2006, people were just getting accustomed to limiting their thoughts to 140 characters. Now that we’ve had 10 years of practice, our tweets are eloquent snippets of deep thought, comedy gold, or ranting rhetoric. Twitter has become woven into the fabric of our culture, and it is a method of communication that is taken seriously by the masses. Your Twitter handle is your calling card, and your profile is where you can voice your opinions, tell a joke, interact with your favourite organizations and people.

Marketing is a big part of Twitter, and one of the best aspects of social media is getting the chance to interact with your most loved companies and brands. Have a suggestion, complaint, or comment of praise? Tweet at the company, and they are able to respond directly to you. Consumers are no longer an anonymous mass- you can make your presence known! As Toronto’s social media marketing gurus, we at Qode Social know a thing or two about effective social media marketing strategy! Great campaigns are launched through Twitter, where retweets and mentions get you a chance at winning a great reward! Twitter is an amalgamation of brands and businesses you can interact with, paving the way for newbies like Snapchat to be viably used by businesses for marketing purposes.

So here’s to Twitter, for changing the game and opening the doors for a future of connectivity and digital community.