With all the newer, shinier image-driven social media sites like Snapchat and Instagram, many marketers have lost sight of the value of Twitter, preferring to chase after the latest “toy”. But if you’ve been ignoring Twitter it’s time you reexamine it.
As of June 2016, 313 million people are using the platform and posting 500 million tweets a day. That’s a lot of traffic and interest. With all that chatter going on, marketers may wonder if it’s worth the investment of time and resources. 65.8% of businesses are on Twitter and nearly half of the people who follow brands on the platform report that they are likely to visit the company website.
Are you still considering it? What are you waiting for?
Twitter is an ideal platform for sharing opinions, articles, and other information. As long as your audience is watching the stream, they’ll see your posts. No hidden agendas here or pressure to advertise. You can, but it’s not required for your posts to be seen.
As the number of people you follow increases, your Twitter stream can begin to resemble a stock market ticker tape. Lists allow you to find the people you want to see quickly. For instance, as a marketer, you could have a list of customers and a list for marketing “genius.” You could make your customer list private so only you can see it. Your marketing genius list could be public and you could encourage people to follow it as a handy resource. With these lists, you can quickly scan what your customers are posting. This makes it easy when you’re looking for content from a particular group.
Twitter offers vast benefits for you and your business. Start interacting on Twitter today because 66% of businesses are already there, and one of them is probably your competition.
Top image: bigstock
As of June 2016, 313 million people are using the platform and posting 500 million tweets a day. That’s a lot of traffic and interest. With all that chatter going on, marketers may wonder if it’s worth the investment of time and resources. 65.8% of businesses are on Twitter and nearly half of the people who follow brands on the platform report that they are likely to visit the company website.
Are you still considering it? What are you waiting for?
7 Reasons Marketers Need Twitter
1. Twitter Helps with Thought Leadership
Each social media platform has its own personality. Think of them as different types of parties. Facebook is cocktails on vacation. It can get rowdy but mostly people are there to enjoy themselves and unwind. LinkedIn is a chamber of commerce networking function. Some frivolity but mainly business. Snapchat is a frat party or a bachelor party. What happens there disappears after a while. Twitter is your company Christmas party or association conference. It’s the perfect mix of fun and business. Things can get a little wild but there’s also a lot of valid, professional exchange going on there.Twitter is an ideal platform for sharing opinions, articles, and other information. As long as your audience is watching the stream, they’ll see your posts. No hidden agendas here or pressure to advertise. You can, but it’s not required for your posts to be seen.
2. Lists Help You Keep Contacts Ordered
One of the many interesting things about Twitter for marketers is the list feature. You can follow people and then assign them to lists. Your lists can be public or private and you can even follow other people’s public lists.As the number of people you follow increases, your Twitter stream can begin to resemble a stock market ticker tape. Lists allow you to find the people you want to see quickly. For instance, as a marketer, you could have a list of customers and a list for marketing “genius.” You could make your customer list private so only you can see it. Your marketing genius list could be public and you could encourage people to follow it as a handy resource. With these lists, you can quickly scan what your customers are posting. This makes it easy when you’re looking for content from a particular group.
3. Twitter Moments Help Marketers Be Part of the Conversation
Twitter’s Moments feature publishes popular things people are talking about making it easy to join the conversation. It features links to articles and conversations people are having around those pivotal topics.4. Gain Customer Insights
Marketers can also listen in on conversations of customers and their ideal demographic. Listen to their needs. Find out what is keeping them up at night. You can even figure out what frustrates people about your competition or go to your competition's Twitter profile and see who they follow. You might be able to figure out some of their customer list.5. Attract People Who Are Already Interested
The warm lead is always better than a cold one. With Twitter, you can scout out who’s already in the market for your product or service and connect with them. The marketing team working with Del Mar Racetrack actively scouted people who mentioned coming to nearby San Diego and invited them to come for a visit. This type of marketing is a whole lot easier than convincing someone to make a trip to the west coast just to see you.6. Show Your Audience a More Personal Side of Your Brand
People do business with those they know, like, and trust. Posting to Twitter is a great way to increase brand awareness and showcase a more personal side of your company. From posting behind-the-scenes images, a blooper reel on your latest company video, or merely sharing your favorite things and asking people to add theirs, the conversations you have on this platform can help customers, and potential customers, see you in a new way.7. Use it as a Bridge to Your Website
As we mentioned earlier, nearly 50% of people who follow a brand go to check out their website. Twitter can make an excellent bridge leading from where your ideal customers are to where you can help them learn more about you and how you can solve their problems. Once they get to your website, make sure you have valuable content for them or you’ll lose them as quickly as they came.
Bonus infographic:
Click image to enlarge+.Why Twitter Matters to Marketing
Courtesy of: Webpagefx
A Final Takeaway about Twitter for Marketers
In addition to all the wonderful things Twitter can do for your company, Twitter is also an excellent place to grow your personal brand. Not only does that benefit you professionally but it also benefits your company. As people get to know you and see you as a thought leader, you bring that area of expertise to the company you work for as well. Ultimately, this can be a very powerful leveraging piece when you interview for a new position, ask for a raise, or decide to do something for yourself such as publish a book.Twitter offers vast benefits for you and your business. Start interacting on Twitter today because 66% of businesses are already there, and one of them is probably your competition.
Top image: bigstock