Twitter: The Next Step for Online Marketing

Posted by Staff Writer on Sunday, September 6, 2009 at 10:16am.

A number of “new” marketing techniques in social networking have flourished during the current recession. That is true across Africa as well as in the U.S. and Europe. These new networking techniques include myspace.com, facebook.com and email. More recently, however, Twitter has replaced Facebook as a primary business marketing tool, according to an article in the business section of the New York Times.

This is partly because users became disenfranchised with the policies on Facebook.  As one disgruntled user, graphic artist Leif Harmsen puts it, “It’s not ‘your’ Facebook profile.  It’s Facebook’s profile about you.” Other users - particularly creative artists - have hesitated at Facebook’s ownership of everything posted on the site, forever.  While Facebook has backed down from that policy somewhat, users are still leery of posting creative content.

That is one reason why Twitter is emerging as the social networking tool of the moment. “Tweets” are just 140 characters, which take very little time to read. Yet, they can widely disseminate a business message or promote a new product.

While personal interaction is great, it can be time-consuming. It is also inconvenient for many people. That is why email interaction is becoming increasingly more common.

One very effective technique is to provide a free online newsletter emailed directly to clients. The newsletter is available only to clients who provide you with an email address. You can include information about new products and services in the newsletter.

Online reviews are another essential tool for marketing. Customers often check the online reviews on major retail sites to determine if a product lives up to its claims or not. A wise entrepreneur will monitor reviews and may even encourage satisfied customers to post new ones. Adding reviews to a well-designed interactive company website will instill confidence in customers.

Participation in forums can also create the type of personal give-and-take that customers crave.

Another way to engage customers is to get involved in charitable causes that the customers care about. Whether it is providing food for a local orphanage or mosquito nets for non-governmental organizations to distribute, customers feel a connection when they believe the business owner’s care about the community, and the world at large. This tactic subtly develops the connection between the customer and the business. In this sense, doing good is also good business.

Check out Twitter 101 here