Back in 2006, Twitter was a mere fledgling of an idea; a notion that friends could keep up to date on each other’s happenings via a stream of status updates; an alternative to texting. As the idea of twttr (its original name) evolved, so did its growth, and there are now a staggering 187 million daily users on the platform.
Has Twitter peaked?
Some would argue that Twitter peaked a few years ago; it was a trendy way to meet new people with similar hobbies and interests, using hashtags to search for like-minded people and businesses, however, with the soaring popularity of platforms such as Instagram, and the shift to a more visual social media experience, Twitter lagged a little – internet analytics company Alexa’s engagement stats recorded a fall from number 11 in its engagement charts in 2018 to number 49 in 2020. But does this mean it is over, or is it simply a measure of its evolution? How strong is Twitter for business marketing, and is it worth investing time in the platform?
No, yes, very and yes are the answers. Twitter has certainly not died a death – the microblogging platform is simply evolving with the times – shifting a focus from a timeline of snippets to an algorithm-based re-ordering; crucial for businesses.
Twitter and small businesses
So, how should you make best use of Twitter for your small business? As with most platforms, engagement is key. Nothing gets you connected quicker than taking the time to interact with other businesses and potential customers. Hashtags get you there a bit quicker too. Customers often turn to Twitter to contact businesses (particularly if there is troubleshooting to do!), and the DM facility is perfect for taking them offline and out of public view. Live tweeting is invaluable; check out trending topics that are relevant to your business and jump on that trend with gusto – make sure you use the trending hashtag in your tweets to enable other interested users to connect with you if they so wish.
Engage and make use of Promoted Tweets
Find and engage with your customers. Ask for their @ when they check-out at your store or when they query on your website, that way you can tag them in tweets and further spread your brand love. If Facebook Ads aren’t working for you, Twitter has its own versions, ranging from Promoted Trends, which give you the opportunity to place your trend at the top of the ‘trending topics’ list, to Promoted Tweets, which do exactly what the name suggests, promoting a particular tweet and placing it in the feed of your target audience amongst posts from the other accounts the user follows.
Should your business use Twitter? YES! It may have been around for a long time, but we suspect it’ll hang around for a while yet; so, what are you waiting for? Let’s get tweeting.