Is Twitter Marketing Still Relevant?
If you’re looking for a place where to promote your brand and give it a human face, social media is most likely the first stop on your list. Why wouldn’t it be, when according to Statista it has over 2.46 billion active users altogether!?
Although the market leader is still Facebook (with over 2 billion), sites like YouTube (1.5 billion), Instagram (700 million), and Twitter (328 million) are all extremely popular platforms. At the same time, looking at these numbers, you might be asking yourself if it’s even worth investing your time and money into promoting yourself through Twitter when it has the lowest user base.
The fact that only registered users can post to Twitter and that each “tweet” is restricted to 280 characters (a new development from the original 140!) means that as a form of social media it is much more selective than its competitors. As a result, it relies on the philosophy of rapid communication, and is essentially a microblog that incorporates a continual scroll of new tweets. And while 328 million active users doesn’t sound as astonishing as Facebook’s 2 billion plus following, it still makes Twitter a potential goldmine for marketers, especially as its brand engagement remains at high levels.
So, like Twitter, let’s not mince words and get to the heart of the issue, which is finding your target group. Take a look at the infographics below — is Twitter the right choice for you? Can you benefit from it?
If your target buyers fit into these demographics but you don’t have an associated Twitter account yet, you’re missing out on a huge potential for acquiring new customers. Here’s a short step-by-step guide to get you started quickly and easily today. Don’t wait up any longer, create an account and find your own slice of those 328 million potential followers who are eager to familiarize themselves with your brand!
Now that we know Twitter deserves your attention as it represents an untapped population for your marketing activities, let’s take a look at 5 most powerful uses of the platform that will help you spice things up, and also at 5 textbook examples to inspire you!
1. Influencers and Networking
Twitter is best used for gaining new contacts and raising your brand’s awareness within your industry. Get in touch with influencers and gurus and let them know about your business. People with thousands of followers represent great opinion-makers for others, plus they already have a large engaged Twitter following. Don’t forget that if you want to address your target group, the quality of followers is much more important than quantity, as they will likely represent returning or loyal customers. The best way to start is to look for users who are strongly related to your industry so that they can make a seamless and trustworthy connection with your brand in their posts.
↓ Example Tweet ↓ by @pewdiepie, a web-based comedian and video producer, the most subscribed user on YouTube since 2013 (over 57 million subscribers as of October 2017). But his Twitter handle accounts for nearly 12.3 million followers, mostly gamers, who draw inspiration from his social media influence on a daily basis.
2. Follower Engagement Growth
While engagement isn’t necessarily the end goal, it pays to create an engaged audience on your Twitter page. Turn your announcements into customer engagement opportunities. Create various contests and motivate users to spread the word about your products, or come up with profitable exchange ideas such as offering discount coupons and free delivery. Educate and entertain your potential buyers, and promote your brand at the same time.
↓ Example Tweet ↓ by @pepsi, one of the world’s most iconic and recognized consumer brands globally. Masters of customer engagement on Twitter and other platforms, they encourage followers to buy their products and promote themselves on Snapchat at the same time. Clever!
3. Brand and Trust Building
When you brand your company correctly and create both a professional and natural appearance on Twitter, it becomes a lot easier to build trust and credibility with potential customers. People would rather spend money on a company that has a solid reputation, strong branding, personalized tweets, and appears to be a legitimate trustworthy organization. To emphasize your transparency and dedication always aim to be creative in how you showcase your company — show what happens behind the scenes, join trending conversations, and include your customers by retweeting their reviews.
↓ Example Tweet ↓ by @wispa, a @CadburyUK aerated chocolate bar. A Twitter campaign to promote the new bar increased fan following and brand awareness, helping them build a friendly and inclusive brand image.
4. Creating a Loyal Community
In order to start seeing actual ROI from your Twitter efforts, you have to do more than just share updates with followers — put the time and effort into building a loyal community. Your basic followers will visit your store and like or share your tweets from time to time, while a loyal community will engage authentically with you by providing priceless feedback and ideas on how to make your products even better. They’ll act as your own brand ambassadors by promoting your product and brand on their own pages. The takeaway: focus on being consistent and authentic, and providing value, not spam. Turn customers into promoters who become your sales force, your marketing campaign, your public relations department, and your volunteer word-of-mouth supporters.
↓ Example Tweet ↓ by @Starbucks operates in 74 countries as of October 2017. Their tweets routinely help them boost loyalty among customers and help them engage clients with their brand.
5. Customer Service and Social Care
Twitter is the perfect network for connecting to customers. When a customer received excellent customer service and feel recognized, then the bond between customer nad brand is one forged on trust. Monitor your Twitter activity peaks to make sure you’re online when needed. Responding politely and in a timely manner is a matter of course, and other followers will be able to see issues, questions, or comments being responded to and resolved in real time. Be consistent in how you address Direct Messages, too!
↓ Example Tweet ↓ by @NikeSupport, a customer service of @Nike. @NikeSupport represents a textbook example of top-notch social care. Follow their example to increase customer satisfaction. Just do it.
Now that we’ve covered the “How” and “Why” of using Twitter for marketing purposes, let’s take a quick look at 5 recommended tools that can help boost your Twitter ROI.
Mention — track social mentions, analyze competitors, find influencers, generate leads
Buffer — schedule posts, track content performance, manage more accounts
Twitfox — boost growth, generate new followers and traffic
Hootsuite — manage multiple social networks in one place
MonkeyData — analyze your results, monitor all sales and marketing figures in one place
Twitter deserves your attention as it consists of untapped customer base for your marketing activities. Creating a strategy that aligns with your business can help position your brand in a positive light. Try providing customer service via Twitter to increase overall satisfaction, motivate your followers to engage with your brand, build their trust and loyalty, and network with relevant influencers to help you pump up your visibility on your Twitter platform. Should you need a little assistance, don’t be afraid to utilize available tools to help you boost the ROI. And most importantly, don’t forget to measure your results.
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