Does Marketing with Twitter Matter?
Does Marketing with Twitter Matter?
By Grant A. Johnson
When used right, Twitter is a powerful viral tool
What is Twitter? Is it an effective marketing tool? How do you measure
its ROI? All of these are questions worth addressing.
Basically, Twitter is a next generation instant messaging tool. But how
does it add value from a marketing perspective, instead of just a personal
communications standpoint? The answer lies in attracting enough of the
right followers and creating dialogue among the group you develop.
Instant Messaging Amplified
Like much of social media, it's a relationship building medium and an
additional channel to implement and test. The 140 character limitation
does pose challenges and, of course, in our over communicated world,
relevancy plays a key role in your tweeting success. Twitter users don't
necessarily want to be sold or marketed to, so you need to be mindful
that your tweets are not overly promotional.
Here are a few examples of how marketers are using Twitter:
- Rapidly disseminating timely information to groups that are in
disparate locations or from live events - I just presented at a conference
and the organizers used Twitter to inform participants about what was
happening within the sessions and to communicate logistical details.
Recent news stories that broke via Twitter include the US Air flight 1549
that went down in the Hudson River, and Apple CEO Steve Jobs'
announcement of new products.
- As an extension of PR efforts - You can provide quick news updates,
product announcements and informative opinions. Celebrities offer a
model that can be translated, if businesses are able to attract the right
followers and maintain their interest.
- Personal branding and Twitter are a great marriage - Assuming the
people in your group want to hear from you, it's a fast, easy way to stay
connected.
- Enhancing a blog or Web site by making it more real-time and more
interactive - You can alert your followers to blog updates by teasing with
headlines that entice readers to dig into the more in-depth blog post.
- As a direct marketing promotional tool (carefully) - Savvy retailers
can take advantage of its immediacy by offering sales information or very
limited time offers/discounts to the group. Because it's real-time, a sense
of urgency can be created quite effectively. For example, Dell sold $1
million of equipment, offering steep discounts through Twitter in 2008.
Marketers noticed. If you plan to do this, set up a separate account for
this purpose so followers know what they are opting in for.
- To provide continuous updates - It's a good tool for people who
want or need a constant stream of information. For example, President
Obama used it quite effectively during his campaign. During an
emergency, it can be used to quickly communicate a situation and how it
is being handled. Ford used it recently to help with its PR efforts.
Proceed with Excitement...and a Bit of Caution
Keep in mind, there are also downfalls to Twitter.
A recent study determined that while Twitter is hotter than the Arizona
desert in August (its user base doubled in March), it fails to retain the
new users into the second month, losing an astonishing 60% plus in
month two. Therefore, building a base of followers is harder than it might
seem.
To get started, you can use Twitter's search tool and enter keywords that
are pertinent to your target audience. Follow others in your industry and
those you respect. Then, join in the conversation when it seems
appropriate. However, you can't assume everyone who follows you pays
attention to all of your tweets. Again, relevancy is critical.
Twitter is permanently transparent. You need to be aware that there is a
record of your every tweet that is searchable on the Net. And, everything
you say is "on the record" and can be retweeted.
Speaking of retweeting, it's viral marketing at its best, and a good
measure of value. If someone thinks enough of your comment to pass it
on, that's relevant.
Open Source Enables Many Useful Add-on Apps
Add-on applications play a significant role in both maximizing your use of
Twitter and measuring its effectiveness. These include the likes of
TwitterFox and TweetLater that enable you to manage and view your
account more easily. TwitterAnalyzer, TwitterGrader, Twitalyzer, Bit.ly,
TweetStats, TwinInfluence, Re.twit'd and many others offer measurement.
As this medium matures, we will likely see more and more of these
analytical tools.
In order for Twitter to be an effective vehicle, it's important to consider it
as an additional channel in your integrated mix. You should set goals and
create a plan for achieving them by using it.
Like measurable marketing itself, this new media makes things exciting
and fresh. However, remember that it's not about you. It's about your
customers and prospects. Because Twitter is such a personal tool, one
could easy get caught up in a me, me, me scenario, instead of focusing on
what followers might find interesting.
Twitter seems to be making marketing that's too-fast already shift into
an almost frantic mode. As the tweets are short and frequent, attention
spans with tools like this become even shorter. Remember, your followers
may also be following dozens or even hundreds of others, so
communication frequency will skyrocket among avid users. Just because
someone follows you, it does not mean they will respond, or even read
your Tweet.
Go ahead, give Twitter a test. If you have success with it, send me a
tweet.
Grant A. Johnson's twitter account is twitter.com/grantajohnson.