That New Fangled Twitter Thing

OK, so Twitter is not exactly new, but it is for the advertising world. As businesses move to social media, they are starting to dip their toes into Twitter. So what exactly is Twitter? Why does your business need to be on it?

There is one major thing that I hear when I talk about businesses being on Twitter – “It is full of kids, not the audience I’m trying to target.” Most people think Twitter is nothing more than a bunch of teens creating drama online. However, in October 2013, the average age of a Twitter user was 26-27. In fact, nearly a quarter of all American adults currently have Twitter accounts as of last year! These people are purchasing cars, buying nice clothing for their jobs, and renovating their new homes. Some are even settling down and starting families of their own. If this isn’t the average business’s audience, I don’t know who is.

So what? Your target audience is on every platform. What does Twitter offer that others don’t? A lot, that’s what. First of all, Twitter is a great way to capitalize on trends and gain more views and followers. When you use what is trending, your post is put through a feed. Anyone who wants to learn more or check out other people’s posts on a certain subject, it’ll show up in front of them. That means if you sell stylish umbrellas, and the trend of #TotalDownpourStorm is going on near you, if you create a tweet with that hashtag and your umbrella, it will be seen much more by locals than just posting about umbrellas.

Twitter also gives you the chance to over post. Yes, you people who want to send a post every hour out on Facebook, Twitter is for you! Because there are over 500 million tweets sent per day, sending out a lot of little posts can put you in the stream, make you noticed, and brand you even better.

In the modern age, purchasing and customer loyalty is no longer about product and price, but rather about brand experience. Twitter is a great way to give brand experience. People love the easy interaction, following stories, and all the unique ways you can use Twitter to involve your customers in the brand itself. Take the Applebee’s vs. Outback instance – these two franchises battled for one person’s dinner choice. By going through the fun, these two brands received major recognition, were seen as fun, and probably gained a lot of new followers and interactions!

So why chose Twitter? Well, why not? Twitter is a great way to get in front of thousands of people you are targeting and to give a great, unique brand experience that people will remember. If you have questions about how to use Twitter to optimize your marketing plan, contact Harness TechED. We’ll help you #TurnTheLightBulbOn when it comes to your social media!

By Nicole Firebaugh | @nicole_fir