3 reasons you don’t need Twitter (right now)
March 24, 2010 by Charlie WalkerPosted in: In this week's e-newsletter - Sales & Marketing, Latest News & Views - Sales & Marketing, communication, online marketing
Should Twitter be an important element in your sales & marketing efforts?
Just because everyone from celebrities to soccer coaches to grandmas is tweeting for legions of followers doesn’t mean you should drop everything and jump on the bandwagon.
Key point to keep in mind: If your customers aren’t tweeting, then it really doesn’t matter if you are.
Here are three things to consider before abandoning more traditional means of communication to start tweeting:
- Twitter’s not (yet) worth everyone’s time. To successfully tweet with customers, you have to be willing to put in the time to respond to questions and keep pace with new developments on Twitter. If you decide to merely stick a toe in the water, failure is all but guaranteed. In order to build credibility and establish a dedicated audience, you must be able to dedicate the vast amount of time necessary to stay engaged with your followers.
- Promoting your business is your No. 1 priority. You want to promote your specific products, services and sales philosophy. But that isn’t what Twitter followers always want to hear. They often want interactive content. Most Twitter fans want a wide variety of info they can put to use now, not just a sales pitch.
- Are your customers tweeting? Twitter is still the new kid on the block, compared to other social networking sites like Facebook. Are your customers using it or planning to use it? An informal survey of your customers’ social media interests can give you an idea of where your marketing resources will be best spent.
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Tags: audience, communication, Facebook, followers, promoting your business, social networking, Twitter
March 30th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Do you have a sample of an informal survey that can be used in hard copy or via an e-newsletter to gage the interest of customers regarding thieir social media interests?
Are you willing to share?
Claudette
March 30th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
This article presents a very common sense approach that many advocates of twitter seem to forget, especially in B2B markets. Do the research on your markets, your customers, and develop an integrated marketing plan that makes the most efficient use of tactics and resources. There are some SEO benefits, but until the customers start engaging, most SM will not yield a good return. Blogging and Linkedin are the most effective for B2B, but both require commitment to be effective.
March 30th, 2010 at 6:58 pm
Not sure these are reasons NOT to use twitter. I do agree with a couple of points, but if you don’t get your feet wet then how else will you learn the ropes.
I COMPLETELY agree with informally surveying customers. I just had that conversation with a colleague. I really want to start this…not exactly sure of my approach yet, but will try to remember to follow-up with you on progress if you are interested.
Thanks for your posts.
March 31st, 2010 at 8:19 am
Twitter is retarded. Seriously, it is a bunch of people wasting their time yammering about nothing.
In my business (and in most other businesses) perception is important. I want my business to be taken seriously. I don’t want to be perceived as a company that values random chatter. I want to be seen as a serious company that is very attentive to my clients and gives SERIOUS thought to my work. So I want nothing to do with Twitter. Keep that logo 1000 miles away from my business.
March 31st, 2010 at 10:17 am
I agree that a company should have a presence where their customers are, and that may not be Twitter yet, but it will be, so why not get ahead of the curve and start learning how to use it NOW.
Over five years after Facebook was introduced some company found a way to utilize it for business and became a pioneer. Now all the other companies are racing to catch up with not only their competition but their customers.
As for Twitter, businesses like Zappos have already found out how to utilize it for business effectively and these ideas are bound to spread like fire. Get your feet wet and learn the ropes before your competition does and try to stay ahead of your customers. Hopefully you’ll learn the tools to maximize your time and the strategies to convert customers into brand advocates (thereby eliminating the need to promote yourself).
People do business with people they now and trust. Twitter is a GREAT way to build that relationship.