What the *TWEET* is Twitter, and how can it help you?
By Beth Myers Landbo, Director of Marketing, Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation
So, you’ve been hearing more and more about Twitter. It’s hard to miss it – between athletes, Hollywood stars and big corporations using Twitter, it seems this form of social media is more in the news than the celebrities, themselves. But what is it and why should you care? The truth is, Twitter and other forms of social media can be a great help in marketing your business and embellishing your current marketing plan.
What are we talking about? Social or new media includes many forms of media. The most popular are applications such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and online or virtual news rooms with outgoing RSS feeds, blogs, videos, etc. Twitter, specifically, is a free site that consists of short updates called tweets. They are limited to 140 characters. People can subscribe to get your tweets and you can subscribe to get theirs – this is called “following” on Twitter.
How many people are using Twitter and who are they? As of the end of February, Twitter had over 7 million subscribers and had grown over 1300% since February of 2008 (Nielsen wire). While this still pales in comparison to Facebook, which has over 25 million subscribers, the rapid growth of Twitter can’t be ignored. In April, Twitter was expected to surpass the New York Times in number of unique visitors to their site. The users of Twitter are shown to be an older audience. So, it’s not just the teens using it. The largest percentage of audience for Twitter is 45 to 54, then 25 to 34 year olds.
Why is social media so popular? Here is one theory that makes a lot of sense to me. In the 1950’s, we had a very social, very connected society. We knew what was going on in the lives of our neighbors and our friends. It was that small town feeling, even within larger cities because we had neighborhoods that meant something. Since that time, with the electronic and technology revolution, we have inched further away from that with every generation. Some analysts believe that the popularity of social media is our way of bringing back what we had in a new and different way. It’s about connections. It’s about relationships. It’s about truly knowing each other again. Why is social media good for business? Because when it comes down to it, people will still do business with those they like and with whom they feel comfortable.
Why should you be engaged? My new key phrase is "We all need to stay in the game by staying ahead of the game." Think about those who waited to see if the Internet was going to catch on. Social media is taking off, conversations are happening, people are engaged. It’s simply a choice as to whether you (or your company) want to be a part of the conversation and even whether you want to lead the conversation. Companies are figuring this out. In a nationwide study of companies and marketing practices, only two areas of marketing showed a rise in budgeted resources – e-mail campaigns and social media.
Social media is three-dimensional marketing.
How are companies using it? So, getting back to Twitter, some companies (both large and small) may never choose to tweet. And that’s ok….some companies simply use it to monitor what is being said about their product, their service, their industry, even their competition. There are search functions within Twitter and through separate applications that anyone can use to see what is being said about any subject. The companies that have really figured out how to take advantage of Twitter utilize it to talk to their customers -- maybe someone has a gripe that you can fix easily or at least talk through the problem. Companies are using it to counter misconceptions about their company or industry….or to promote their latest product…or to produce loyalty.
So what do people tweet about? This answer is probably different if we are talking about a personal account or a business account – and I’ll talk about a business account for this venue. You can tweet about anything your company or organization is excited about, anyone you want to thank, any new product or service, everyday good stuff that happens around the office, or pass on a great article about your industry. One great thing about social media is that it can help you be seen as an expert in your field. There is a LOT of knowledge out there -- YOU have a lot of knowledge. This is a way to share your knowledge with others and for you to also learn from others. You can also “retweet." This is when someone posts something that might be pertinent to your audience as well. You can retweet, thus giving credit to the original poster but also getting that information out to your audience. You can also converse with people. Again, the conversations are out there – you have to decide if you want to ignore them or be a part of them, but they are happening regardless of your participation. It’s three-dimensional marketing. Above all- remember Twitter is informal, conversational and spontaneous. If you find yourself planning your tweets, then you’re missing the point - step back and remember the basics.
Do some companies have concerns about employees abusing social media? Most companies that understand the value of social media are letting up on their IT policies, and some of the top companies with hundreds of employees “tweeting” about their company have said they have not really had their concerns materialize. Like anything else, it’s about setting out expectations and guidelines. Some major companies are using it – General Motors, Comcast, Zappos, Dell…the list goes on. And politicians have caught on, too – 121 members of Congress are now tweeting. But it’s not just big companies. Many small companies are also finding it to be a very valuable tool.
Any cautions about using Twitter?
- Twitter, more than any other social media, is at its best when it’s informal and conversational. Too much marketing-speak or “mission statement” stuff and the twitter universe will tune you out. Conversations need to be genuine, sincere and from the person who is tweeting – the important thing is to have your personality come through.
- Don’t think Twitter is going to replace your marketing strategy. Twitter and other social media sites are just more tools in your tool box. It’s a way of diversifying your marketing strategies and staying current.
- Don’t laden it in red tape. Twitter won’t work for your company if every tweet needs to go through three people for approval before it is posted. Remember that everything you tweet is public and can be found on a search unless you do what is called a “direct tweet” which is really sort of an instant message or email to someone on Twitter.
- If you want people to listen to you, you need to listen to them. Don’t expect people to follow you if you don’t follow others. See who else is out there talking about the same things or other people in your industry, your colleagues….follow them and they’ll likely follow your tweets, too.
- Mostly, don’t be afraid to make “good mistakes” – this is fairly new to ALL of us. To be overly cautious is to limit your results. A few mistakes won’t kill you – but not being in the conversation just might.
One last thought: Change is the only constant in life. Don’t be left behind.
For those who want to learn more…A great site about social media in the business setting, including Twitter, is www.ragan.com. Two good books: Twitter Means Business and Twitter Revolution - both can be found on Amazon.com or at local book stores.
