Twitter campaigns are increasingly important for reaching on-the-go consumers. Between the launch of Twitter Places for mobile check ins, which Brafton reported in June, and a report from Nielsen indicating social network visits are a top mobile internet activity, it seems users are downloading Twitter apps to access their accounts on the move.
Marketers may be able to reach even more mobile consumers with Twitter campaigns in light of the social network's recent announcement that all third-party apps for tweeting will use the secure OAuth authentication method. OAuth lets consumers access apps without compromising their passwords.
This application authentication method offers increased security over Basic Authentication as it does not allow apps to store usernames or passwords. With Basic Auth, users' passwords are sent over the internet each time they open an app.
Some popular apps have already started offering OAuth, including Twitter for Android, iPhone and BlackBerry. This means Twitter campaigns may soon reach consumers with these smartphones who have been cautious about third-party apps in the past.
Notably, Twitter is generally less mired by security issues than the leading social site, Facebook. Brafton recently reported on Facebook Places – something of a competitor for Twitter Places and other geo-social apps. Since its launch, Facebook Places has raised countless privacy concerns. Users have posted comments on the Facebook blog ranging from general fears about security breaches to strongly worded disapproval, with one commenter posting, "this should be illegal."
Nonetheless, Facebook may still be the best social site for reaching consumers on the go. According to Facebook Statistics, more than 150 million users access the site through their mobile devices.
