Are You Using Twitter to Promote Your Business?

If you’ve been marketing online for any time at all, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Twitter. Even those who are less than internet savvy have heard of this site, which reigns as the current Kung-Fu master of social media applications. Millions of folks spend their days writing 140-character-or-less posts, called “Tweets”, to tell the world what’s on their minds.

As it turns out, Twitter is also an excellent marketing tool. Businesses ranging from Kansas based iThemes to large corporations like Ford and Morningstar Farms are using Twitter to engage potential customers, build brand loyalty, and increase their demographic reach.

What can you really say in 140 characters?

As it turns out, quite a lot. Savvy business owners know that the way to grow a business today is by engaging customers. Gone are the days when companies could simply rely on talking “at” a customer, rather than “to” him or her. That approach still works to a degree, but it is no longer sufficient for sustained growth and continued business viability.

There are several reasons for this:

• Customers are no longer forced to sit through television advertisements, thanks to the power of digital video recording (DVR). With the push of a button, television viewers can skip through commercial segments, stripping you of the power to reach them… no matter how much money you’ve spent or how clever your ads are.
• Customers today have greater access to information than ever. For example, I recently saw an infomercial for  a new exercise video series. A decade ago, I would been forced to make my purchase decision based on the (rather biased) information presented in the commercial. Today, I just picked up the laptop and began looking for feedback and reviews about the product.
• The sheer array of consumer choices available, both online and offline, means that you’re probably not the only game in town. The companies that work the hardest to engage customers and encourage brand loyalty are the ones that prosper.

Twitter gives you a unique opportunity to approach your customers as people, rather than simply as revenue sources. It also gives you the chance to show the human side of your company, which will do more for attracting and retaining customers than any slick advertising campaign ever could.

For more information about Twitter, including tips for maximizing your use of this powerful media tool, visit my Twitter  Tips post on Blogger’s Workshop.

Lee

Twitter: @JJMbuzz

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