Why Use Twitter: Your Following

Everyone knows that Twitter has taken off in the last two years.  With over 250 million users, Twitter is a great way to post personal opinions and get your word out.  But is it good for businesses? Does it work for small businesses? Does it matter if you already have a social media presence on other platforms that are successful?

The answer to all of these is absolutely.  Twitter is a great tool for small businesses, large businesses, or any sized business in between.  The reason I say this though is not because of what you say, it is because of what you don't say.  Whether you are a business that deals with products or services, Twitter is of great value to you because of ability listen.

Check on the Consumers:  As I have mentioned previously, the consumer runs your business. Whether you run a business that sells products or services, or you work B2B or B2C, Twitter allows you to listen in to your customers.  Being able to check on them is invaluable to a business.  You can see their view on your industry, your company & products, or your competitors.

Check on the Competition: The goal of a successful business is to supply a solution that meets a demand of the consumer.  Once that is accomplished, then your goal is to be the best solution in that category.  Being present on Twitter allows for you to check in on the competition.  Follow those companies that are similar to you and compete for the same consumers.  You can see how they interact with customers, new products, events they host, or information or blogs they supply to their followers.  This will allow for you to look at what does and does not work.

Check on the Industry: So you check on the good guys (buyers of your service) and the bad guys (those competitors that you wish didn't exist), now you can check on the the things that can influence the battle.  This could be the passing of a new medical device tax that makes you not be able to expand your company locally, a drought that damages and dwindles your crops, or a new technology that changes the game. Being able to keep tabs on anything that can change the business is vital to know as soon as possible, and Twitter is a great source for immediate and continuous news.

As seen, Twitter is a great tool for listening to the conversation.  You can listen to people and understand more about how you stand in the market and how to better serve your clients.  So many times during our lives, personally or professionally, we talk and never take the time to listen.  Whether you have a yell or a whisper on Twitter, make sure to hear what others are saying.

Why Does Social Media Matter?

My current marketing position has been a struggle to say the least.  I was hired right out of college to create a marketing campaign for a company that had never attempted any kind of marketing.  When I took the job, I realized that there was another catch: I did not have a budget.  My first response: What can I possibly do without anyone else to teach me and without any money to work with?

Luckily, over a few weeks, I began to get VERY involved on the internet.  I knew a lot about social media and knew that this might be the outlet that I could use to drive results.  So my current response is: What can I do to impress my company and clients while successfully marketing with no budget?

Look no further, the answer is social media.  Social media has a wide number of different platforms, allowing businesses to successfully select what they want to do.  Do you want to make videos? YouTube. Are you trying to create articles of content? Blog. Facebook. Are you trying to get a quick following and spread the word? Facebook. Twitter.  Trying to be a wedding planner? Pinterest (Sorry, I had to add this one).

Social media provides us with a rare opportunity to connect directly with people.  We can get linked up with businesses or individuals.  We can form great relationships while getting to know a lot about a company or person.  So these are my reasons of why a business should use social media:

Free This is probably the most obvious one, especially in my position. Most, not all, of social media is free.  You can get more performance out of them through paying more (LinkedIn members, Facebook Ads, Twitter Promotions), but you do not have to pay anything to start.  All you need to do is sign up and get a good user name.  Generally, something short and sweet will do the trick.  Think about your market and products when creating a name.

People WILL See You  Sometimes you may have to branch out and follow people first or try to connect with them, but they generally will respond.  If you provide good content, whether it is general or specific (USA Olympic information or a Rome Braves game review), people will take notice.  It helps you create great word of mouth marketing!

Trials  Social media allow for you to test out some new and creative ideas before running them in more costly places.  Why have something bomb in the pages of TIME magazine? Just put it on a Facebook page and monitor the reach and engagement of the public.

Caution: Social media and marketing campaigns take time.  Do not automatically get discouraged if it does not take off.  Very few things happen overnight, so keep you head up and relax.  If not, then its back to the drawing board.

Yep, You Lost It: Losing Your Customers' Trust

With so many platforms to reach an audience, companies have many options of how to appeal to their clients.  E-mails, company websites, and Twitter, to name a few, all provide the chance to publicize and create buzz around a product or service.  But what if you falsify some information? What if you make guarantees about your product that are not true? What if you inflate your opinion on websites or social media by commenting about yourself or bringing your competitor down?  My answer to all of these: You have failed your customer.

The idea of deceiving your client is the easiest way to make sure that your business fails.  All ethics and personal opinions aside, you must create a relationship that is based on trust.  If they cannot trust you, then they will not buy your product.  Many examples come to mind when we talk about stealth marketing, but the most recent one is

Mitt Romney. I am putting aside my political views on this one.  Romney, the Republican nominee for President, may or may not have done what he is accused of with his Twitter account. Purchasing Twitter followers just to increase your number is not a good thing in any way.  These followers appear fake to your actual followers or outside world, while being a base that is most likely not very interested in your product or service.  If you really like something on Twitter or Facebook, it takes 5 seconds to follow or like it by yourself.  Regardless of whether the Romney campaign did or did not buy Twitter followers, with or without Mitt's approval, it is not a bright spot for the campaign.

So you can try to look like you are creating a larger buzz about your product than you are, but you can also display false content, which leads me to

Wal-Mart.  Wal-Mart has long been the poster child for giant corporations in this country, destroying the dreams of many entrepreneurs and Mom & Pop stores.  With labor issues seen as the forefront issue with Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart teamed up with Edelman to create a fake blog written by a middle-class family that promoted Wal-Mart stores, employees, and products.  Wal-Mart paid for the travel expenses of the RV, put a logo on the side, and determined the route it would travel.

What should you do? Simple: be who you are.  Do not claim that your nuggets are 100% white meat if they are not.  Do not post comments or feedback on your website under a false name.  Don't try to buy people to create a fake amplification of your reach and buzz.  It is fine to participate, but be honest.  Post comments as a yourself, letting people know you care about their thoughts and the product you are selling.  If you use shady tactics to get consumers, they will leave you just as quickly as they came when you are exposed.