What is Twitter?

A free social messaging tool that lets users participate in social networking and micro-blogging. This service allows users to send and read updates that are only 140 characters long (known as tweets). Third-party applications do exist that allow for longer messages.
_{Definition from "Winning Fans with Social Media, Version 1.0" from Sports Media Challenge in Charlotte, NC. www.sportsmediachallenge.com}

“(The fans) know what’s happening during the race. But people like to know what’s going on behind the scenes. I think they enjoy it. And a lot of people respond to some of the craziest things you say.” -- James Buescher, NASCAR Nationwide Series driver

What Twitter Brings to the Game:

• real-time updates, providing unparalleled behind-the-scenes access
• keeps 'brand enthusiasts' (fans) active through engagement, deepening the fan relationship
• personal, conversational
• free to sign up and use

How Twitter Can Go Wrong:

• the immediacy and availability of Twitter raises the risk of tweeting something you shouldn't have; athletes don't always think before they tweet, say something in the heat of the moment, only to regret it later
• behind every tweet is a human, and mistakes can happen; organizations can find themselves in the crosshairs for tweeting the wrong thing
• NCAA compliance concerns -- recruits can follow a coach, but the coach cannot directly chat with a recruit; the thorny issue of trying to regulate technology