Twitter Usage in the Fortune 50: A Marketing Opportunity?

Abstract

The Web 2.0 is transforming how organizations communicate. One of the fastest growing aspects of this communication has been Twitter microblogging. This paper examines web pages of the 2009 Fortune 50 firms as listed on the CNN Money website to determine their implementation and usage of Twitter. Results indicate that the majority, 54%, of firms have a Twitter account. Moreover, 37% of these firms have multiple accounts. Although usage varies by industry sector, 85% of the companies utilizing Twitter use the technology for news distribution. Twitter is used to a much lesser extent for marketing/ promotions, customer service, and human resources.