Silent Movies: The Original Microblogging Platform

This past weekend I watched an old, 1927, black and white, silent movie called Metropolis. The more I read the captions, the more I realized silent movies were the first microblogging platform. For this blog, I will use Twitter as an example, but the list applies to all microblogging platforms.

Silent Movies vs. Microblogging

Text

Silent Movies: Writers had a limited amount of text with which to convey the most pertinent messages of a silent movie’s story line.

Microblogging: A limited amount of text should tell your audience a story about yourself and your products or services.  Your Tweets should be relevant, personal, and conversational. Not necessarily all at the same time.

Scenery

Silent Movies: Where writers couldn’t add text, scenery had to match the story line.

Microblogging: Your Tweets, your brand, and your website should match your message.  Write about what’s relevant to your audience, and brand yourself as caring about the same things your audience cares about.

Gestures

Silent movies: Actors used overt gestures and facial expressions (Silent movie actors studied the art of mime).

Microblogging: If someone retweets you, thank them. Interact with your followers and those you follow. And don’t be afraid to put a smiley face or wink in with your Tweets.

Future

Silent Movies: They evolved from one form of communication into another.

Microblogging: It evolved from one form of communication (blogging), and it will evolve into another form of communication.  Microblogging may not die out, much like blogging, but it will develop into a new form of communication.

I don’t think it’ll be too long before we’re using computers like the one in Tom Cruise’s Minority Report. Maybe them, social media marketing will become more virtual, and we’ll be able to interact with one another in holographic virtual realities.

Do you have any thoughts about what social media marketing might look like in the near or far future?  Go ahead and comment, e-mail me, or Tweet me.