Twitter is a micro-blogging site which, when used properly, can be a great asset to any company. At the end of the second quarter of 2016, Twitter was averaging 313 million monthly users every month. The popularity of Twitter continues to rise- just think of the number of news stories you first hear about on Twitter. The social network is changing how the news is reported; in most cases, someone with a cell phone and a Twitter account is usually on the scene long before the news networks can get there. The demographics of Twitter users make for interesting reading:
-50 Percent of users visit or shop at the website of a small or medium business they follow
-60 Percent of users bought something because of something they saw on Twitter
-62 Percent of users are aged between 18 and 49
-54 Percent of Twitter users have incomes of over $50,000
What Can Your Business Use Twitter For?
The beauty of Twitter is that in most cases it is reasonable to assume that people who follow you are either fans or customers of your company. Consequently, they are interested in whatever you have to say or share. As you build and grow your Twitter following, you are building your brand and have the perfect opportunity to get your information to an audience that is genuinely interested in it. This is the perfect opportunity to promote new products or services, although it is important not to bombard your followers with promotions; otherwise, they will simply unfollow you. Make sure you offer them valuable information that they are interested in, and if they really like it they will share that content which will help to grow your brand and followers.
Customer Support
Twitter provides the perfect solution for businesses that want to provide first class customer support. Because of the way Twitter works, you can set up your Twitter client of choice to notify you the second anyone mentions your Twitter handle. This means that if somebody is complaining about your company, or praising it, you can jump in instantly and deal with the situation. Because you only need respond when your handle is mentioned, it also means that as a small to medium company, you don’t have to pay for someone to run your Twitter account full time, people can simply react to the appropriate notifications. Done properly, this kind of public facing support can generate you positive feedback and gain you new customers. However, if it is done poorly, you might find yourself facing a backlash.
Twitter Ads
Twitter itself is a business and has been actively looking for ways to monetize their business model. One of their solutions is to allow businesses to have sponsored (Advertised) Tweets. These tweets are fed into people’s timelines and can be an excellent way to get your brand in front of new people. Come up with a catchy and thought provoking tweet that will intrigue people, and you have the basis of an excellent advertisement. For more information on advertising with Twitter, this article provides some excellent information. To get setup with Twitter advertising, follow the guidelines here.
Twitter is the social network suited to today’s fast-paced world. It does not (although it can) take up hours of your time, it contains short, punchy items of information, and, as a user, you can dip in and out as often as you wish. Used properly, Twitter can become a real asset to your business and can turn your followers into rabid evangelists of your brand. It is quite possibly the only social network that lets your publicly respond and interact with your customers, and demonstrate your excellent customer service to the world . Just make sure you commit to it properly and have the right people running your Twitter account.