Twitter marketing Archives

July 25, 2014 By Dawn Walnoha Leave a Comment

5 Reasons Every Business Should Be on Twitter

The internet is full of social media platforms and it seems difficult and sometimes impossible for a business to keep up with all of the latest trends. To make matters more difficult, social media consultants never seem to agree on what the best approach is for a business, which adds another level of complexity. When determining the best social media strategy, many business owners fail to realize that Twitter can be one of the most powerful tools to use.

The List

Branding: Twitter is very personal. Presenting information in 140 characters or less is not always easily accomplished, which makes tweeting a creative process. By using Twitter properly, a business owner can greatly enhance and build upon its brand’s image.

Viral Promotions: Though social media isn’t always the best at new client acquisition, Twitter’s unique structure can actually help bring people in. With the social aspect of Twitter and the re-tweet feature, customers can share promotions with their friends on Twitter, which can actually help to draw in new potential buyers.

Competitive Insight: By monitoring the Twitter feed of competitors, an individual can see what that company’s clients are saying about its services. This can allow a business owner to tailor his or her own marketing and branding efforts in a more effective fashion.

Build Loyalty: Once again, Twitter is a personal platform. Staying in touch with customers in this fashion helps people feel closer to a business. Rather than seeming like a distant company, people begin to perceive these brands as unique individuals capable of personal communication.

Receive Immediate Feedback: Because of its unique presentation and personal feel, Twitter allows for immediate feedback from clients. By simply putting the “@” symbol before a business’s Twitter handle, an individual can tweet directly to that business and say whatever he or she wants. Unlike an e-mail or phone call, this makes the customer feel like he or she is directly in contact with the person that matters.

Understanding the Importance

For most businesses, these advantages can be a significant game changer, especially if it involves repeat business. The reality is that most social media platforms will not directly affect new client acquisition very much, but it can make a real difference in keeping existing clients. Furthermore, it can build awareness for what your company does on a daily basis, which can go a long way to helping your business grow.

June 11, 2013 By Brandsplat Leave a Comment

Learning from the Most Engaged Brands on Twitter

Back in April, Nestivity released a list of the most engaged brands using Twitter for business. This list featured the creme de la creme of companies who don’t just tweet their faces off but also interact with their followers.

“Most brands have fallen into the trap of using Twitter for push marketing: broadcasting messages and expecting to influence customers with little to no listening or community building,” says Nestivity founder and president Henry Min in an interview with Mashable. “This view of Twitter as a one-way communication tool severely limits quality interactions between brands and their customers. It is a short-sighted use of an inherently interactive communication channel.”

To expand our Twitter practices, we wanted to check out how these big companies were using Twitter and see if small businesses can use some of the same Twitter engagement tactics.

With nearly 5 million followers, romantic quote factory and meme generator Notebook of Love tops Nestivity’s list for most engaged. While this kind of sappy romance stuff might not be everyone’s bag, what Notebook of Love does right is tweet a lot. By delivering the kind of tweets its audience wants all day long, the brand stays on top and is a favorite of Twitter’s ever-growing female audience.

Both Disneyworld and Disney appear on the list (at numbers 2 and 5, respectively) meaning that somebody at the House of Mouse knows how to tweet and how to engage followers. Disney tweets dozens of those famous images from its iconic animated films. Small companies can take a hint from this and start Tweeting pictures of their own products and services.

ESPN came in at number 3, and a glance at its page will easily tell you why. ESPN has mastered Twitter marketing by using tweets both to give the latest sports news headlines and also to start lively conversations with its followers. Back and forth discussions are what Twitter was built for, and if you’re not using it for that, you’re missing out.

Friends, now it’s your turn. Tell us how you engage your followers on Twitter and give a shout out to your most-engaging fellow tweeters in the comments section below!

May 30, 2013 By Brandsplat Leave a Comment

Is Twitter Too Complicated?

As Twitter marketing specialists, we’ve heard it a billion times: “I don’t understand Twitter,” “What’s a hashtag?” and our favorite, “What am I supposed to tweet about?” But it’s not just older folks or the technically challenged who find Twitter confusing. We’ve tried to explain how tweeting works to a slew of great minds and legends in their respective professional fields with mixed results. As it turns out, even Twitter’s CEO admits that the social network is hard to use.

Twitter chief executive Dick Costolo, in an interview with Kara Swisher at the D: All Things Digital conference in Rancho Palos Verdes on Wednesday, said he believes Twitter is still too complicated for the masses to understand.

“Simplicity,” Costolo said when asked what he thought was missing from Twitter.

Costolo marveled at how Twitter, thanks to its 140-character confines, has forced users to create a language of their own, but notes the downside is “remarkable language is super hard to understand” for newcomers. Costolo cited placing quotes around an “@” as one example of new user error commonly found on Twitter. Costolo says Twitter’s future relies on bridging the gap of pleasing longtime users and making the site easier for newcomers. In his chat with Swisher, he also championed Twitter’s ability to break news and spread important information, but denies the company’s rumored desires to become a media company itself.

“We are the platform for global information distribution,” he said to emphasize Twitter’s goal of staying by the people and for the people.

Perhaps Costolo is right. Maybe Twitter is still too difficult for the casual social media user. But as folks who run Twitter for business campaigns, we happen to think it’s those very things that make Twitter an awesome marketing tool. Once a brand has learned the lingo, Tweeting can be an incredibly powerful way to keep in touch with clients, address customer service issues, promote new products and create new content.

Readers, what’s your take? Is Twitter too complicated, too easy or just right? Tell us about it in the comments!

May 10, 2013 By Brandsplat Leave a Comment

Five Things You Might Have Missed!

Which brand is headed back to the drawing board? And who’s turning to their fans for hot online video creation We’ve got the answers to these questions and so, so much more in today’s Five Things You Might Have Missed!

1.) Original Recipe: We’ll never know what the Colonel would think about KFC’s new boneless chicken… but thanks to a new video campaign, we’ll soon know how fans feel about it. #IAteTheBones is the chain’s new campaign which calls for fan-created videos that show reactions to the new boneless chicken. Video entries are posted on Facebook until June 8; weekly winners will be chosen to receive prizes like t-shirts and gift cards. Five grand prize winners will also be selected to receive $1,000 and a chance to be included in an online or social media advertisement within the next year, KFC says.

2.) Curves Ahead: If you missed the hubbub over H&M’s new swimsuit campaign, don’t worry. We’ve got a feeling we’ll be talking about this photo shoot featuring a normal-sized girl for quite some time. Size 12 model Jennie Runk became an accidental hero this week when her campaign for the global clothing brand was released, drawing applause and accolades from fashion industry and marketing insiders alike.

3.) The Facebook PR 411: Lisa Buyer at Search Engine Watch published a fascinating blog post this week entitled “22 Facebook PR Secrets Every Community Manager Should Know.” Must-read tips include why you should market on Saturdays, the benefits of a positive attitude and why less is more.

4.) Watch What Happens: Sci-fi films and tech gurus alike have long predicted a super smart watch that acts like a phone, computer and social network. But according to Read Write Web, the smartwatch revolution might not happen for a while. Still, with big brands like Apple, Microsoft and Google toying with the idea, the smartwatch might be the next tech branding story to keep our eyes on.

5.) Social Media Meh: Is social media marketing lost and no longer valuable? Are we wasting our time? What brands are doing it all wrong? Kipp Bodnar ponders these concerns in a fantastic article on social media marketing that you may have missed.

April 18, 2013 By Dawn Walnoha Leave a Comment

10 Brands That Tweet Right

Does the whole Twitter-for-business thing scare you? Could your current Twitter marketing plan use a little extra oomph? We can help! In the hopes of inspiring you to tweet like a rock star, we’ve rounded up ten of our favorite brands, in no particular order, currently killing it on Twitter. Watch and learn, young grasshopper.

Skittles: “Tast(ing) the Rainbow” in 140 characters or less might be a tall order for another candy company, but Skittles is certainly up to the task. The brand’s Twitter marketing is as random, hilarious and good-natured as the rest of its digital marketing, making Skittles an excellent example of consistency.

Netflix: Having recently moved into marketing original programming, Netflix wisely uses Twitter to promote its new shows while keeping in touch with its customers, who often use Twitter to ask the brand questions, file complaints or to talk back to the company.

Starbucks: A longtime Twitter marketing leader, Starbucks shows us how special offers and follower engagement is done by providing branded tweets that are also a pleasure to read.

Google: The world’s most visited site turns its Twitterfeed into a newsfeed with the latest headlines and updates on all things Google.

Adidas: Think Twitter marketing can’t be cool? One gander at the Adidas Twitter page will have you thinking again. Fashionable, hip and informative, Adidas elevates the platform into something stylish.

The Home Depot: Twitter is great for conversations about your brand and products. Home Depot does this with ease, asking the kinds of questions that get do-it-yourselfers talking back.

Subway: Great brands on Twitter know to vary the discussion, so they post lots of dynamic content like photos and videos. Sandwich king Subway fills its Twitterfeed with everything from nutritional information to Subway celebrity sightings.

Bissell: Even those of us who dread vacuuming can respect the friendly and diligent customer service displayed on Bissell’s Twitter page. No question goes unanswered, no follower gets ignored — and we’re happy to report that doesn’t suck.

Amazon: Still haven’t mastered how to be chatty on Twitter? Amazon has, and a gander at its Twitterfeed is like a master class in Twitter marketing.

Kia: Kia, like many car companies, proactively uses its Twitter account for PR purposes, launching new campaigns and linking to videos of its latest commercials.

April 16, 2013 By Brandsplat 1 Comment

Simplify Your Social Media Marketing

Suffering from Twitter marketing ADD? Having a Facebook management meltdown? Is the once fun task of updating all of your corporate social media accounts more annoying than scrubbing a toilet? Sounds like it might be time to simplify your social media marketing practices. In the spirit of simplification, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite tools and tricks to make social media marketing easier.

Budget your time: Great social media campaigns start with great organization. In addition, a well-thought-out plan saves you time later on down the road. Set a time where you’ll handle your company’s social media (every morning, three times a week, etc.) and stick with it. Without the panic of trying to squeeze it into your schedule, you’ll be able to get creative and have more fun doing it.

Analyze and Reorganize: Analytics tools on Facebook and on dashboards like Hootsuite are incredibly helpful for brands trying to figure out which posts are working and which ones are duds. Use these tools regularly to get insight on your failures and successes and you’ll be able to better direct your future campaigns.

Google Alerts: These have been around for years, but if you’re not using Google alerts, you are missing out. Google Alerts notifies you by email every time your brand, topic or desired keyword shows up in Google searches and in the news. This super-easy tool helps you track your company’s SEO without spending hours manually sifting through pages of searches.

Social Oomph: Companies that are Twitter happy can really get a lot out of this service, which automates the entire tweet scheduling process, provides easy tracking of keywords and instantly purges your direct message inbox. Unlike other Twitter dashboards, this one also lets you save drafts, schedule social media distribution for blog posts and dozens of other nifty time-saving tricks for a few bucks a month. For serious tweeters, Social Oomph is a must.

April 9, 2013 By Brandsplat Leave a Comment

Twitter Marketing Made Even Easier

Good news, Twitter marketing virgins! Now is the perfect time to get started using the social media platform to reach even more consumers, followers and contemporaries. Twitter recently relaunched its Twitter for Business program to help educate marketers and advertisers on all things Twitter.

Twitter for Business has made it incredibly easy for newbies to the site to get started with its three resource guides: Twitter 101, Marketing with Twitter and AdTools. Twitter 101 is exactly what it sounds like. This guide gives blue bird newbies the basics on the benefits of social media marketing with Twitter, along with a glossary of terms, advice on building your brand on Twitter, a simple how-to using the platform — even a tutorial on how to write great tweets. Marketing with Twitter takes things a step further, giving users more in-depth information. Understanding analytics, how to target tweets and how to use Twitter to improve your brand’s reach are just a few of the topics covered here for the budding marketing genius. Finally, AdTools is the one-stop-shop for brands who want to advertise on Twitter. How do ads on Twitter work? What’s a promoted tweet? How much does it cost? These and all other Twitter ad-related questions are covered in this easy, do-it-yourself advertising guide. Twitter for Business also has specific information for small businesses, dozens of success stories from companies currently marketing on Twitter and tips on community building.

Twitter’s commitment to education and to helping businesses understand the platform is inspiring. Instead of just pushing brands into buying ads, Twitter is explaining how its services work and how to best use them for your company’s individual needs. It’s also refreshing to see a brand demystify its marketing products and make them feel more accessible.

So, readers, will you use the new Twitter for Business programs or are you totally over tweeting? Chirp at us in the comments section below!

April 4, 2013 By Brandsplat Leave a Comment

The Anatomy of an Unfollow

Whether it’s the company’s email newsletter or branded Twitter marketing efforts, we all have encountered the dreaded unfollow. Seemingly without provocation, folks who used to love our brand on social media and email marketing drop us like hot potatoes, leaving marketing gurus wondering one thing: Why?

Remember when you used to get in trouble for talking too much in class because it was disruptive? Well, turns out we still don’t like chatterboxes, especially ones who are relentlessly trying to sell us stuff. According to a survey released last year by HubSpot, 54 percent of respondents said they dumped brands who emailed them too frequently. Ditto on Twitter, where 52 percent said in a different survey conducted by DK Media they unfollowed brands who were too noisy.

But just being noisy is only the beginning of the problem for unfollows. Turns out the quality of the message is equally as important. When Constant Contact customers were polled last year as to why they unfollowed, 56 percent cited irrelevant content being the catalyst to press that “unsubscribe” button. Thanks to smartphones, consumers are more savvy and more selective as to which brands they let in their in-boxes, and the ones who churn out boring stuff are almost certainly destined for deletion. Granted, it is true that many unfollows are caused by the rare customer that signs up for a one-time deal or who changes his or her contact information. But all of these surveys seem to hint at another big reason for the dreaded unfollow — desperation. “Begging tweets,” pushy emails and relentless Facebook postings which beg for approval all turn customers off.

In the end, the best thing brands can do to avoid the unfollow is to stop badgering and start having a conversation. Brands should talk to followers on social media and in email marketing just like they would to their friends. But you tell us, readers: What kind of crimes does a brand have to commit to warrant an unfollow? Sound off below!

5 Reasons Every Business Should Be on Twitter

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The List

Understanding the Importance

Learning from the Most Engaged Brands on Twitter

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Is Twitter Too Complicated?

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