By James Rickman
It is estimated there were about 6 million U.S. adult Twitter users in 2008, 3.8% of U.S. adult Internet users. Twitter users in the U.S. are projected to grow to 18.1 million by 2010, representing 10.8 percent of U.S. adult Internet users. Surprisingly, Twitter users tend to be older than traditional Internet early adopters; 45 to 54 year olds, the highest-indexing age group, are 36% more likely than average to visit Twitter.
What does this mean for marketers? Think about how information dissemination and participation in an open conversation with your prospects and customers will support your business goals. While the data show that Twitter readership leans toward entertainment-news related topics, as its user base continues to expand and mature a broader array of interests will be present.
When assessing how to add Twitter to your marketing mix, consider the following valuable options.
Content distribution. Twitter is useful for time-sensitive information, such as:
Announcing breaking news. Several examples; include Iran political demonstrations, the US Airway plane crash-landing in the Hudson and the Mumbai riots all initially broadcast via Twitter.
Transmitting time-sensitive information. This includes last-minute flight delays by airlines and major traffic disruptions.
Positioning your company as a thought leader. This includes distributing original content to extend the conversation.
Providing an alternative forum for comments. This also includes enabling attendees at live events, such as trade shows, to communicate with each other.
Commerce support. Twitter can aid sales, but it can't become strictly a promotional broadcast channel or many followers will leave. Disseminate last-minute deals to drive sales. Provide additional sales support to answer questions and help close deals. Like chat or a toll-free number, Twitter enables e-tailers to service prospects and customers.
Advocacy forum. Twitter is a platform from which to develop a following for you, your brand, or your company. Aid brand building. While many individuals use Twitter to enhance their personal brands, Twitter enables companies to participate in the conversation.
Public relations support. Twitter provides another outlet to enhance PR-related communications. Enable reputation monitoring by tracking and participating in the conversation related to your management, brands, and company. Also follow what's being said by thought leaders in your niche. Use for PR outreach to journalists looking for timely input.
Research enabler. Leverage Twitter's search functionality and ability to query and respond to an audience. Track new trends on Twitter to discover what customers and prospects are saying about your brands, products, and company. Unlike search engines, the conversation on Twitter takes place in real time.
Measuring Twitter's Impact
As with any marketing initiative, it's critical to have metrics in place to assess your progress against your marketing goals. Among the ways to calculate Twitter's impact are:
Followers. The number of people following you or your brand on Twitter gives you a general idea of your community's size. Do your followers retweet your information? What percentage of your followers continue to follow you over time? According to Nielsen Ratings, over 60% of Twitter followers fail to return the following month.
Conversations. This is an indication of how engaged your followers are with you. Consider the content of these exchanges. Have you been able to respond to prospects in a timely manner and change perceptions of your firm?
Brand improvement. Beyond traditional measurements, assess whether public perception of your brand changed as a result of your Twitter interactions. Do consumers feel that your firm is more responsive to their needs?
Lead generation/sales retention. Track the number of sales leads, purchases, or reduced customer complaints. This should ramp up as you build your Twitter following.
Twitter's recent explosive growth translates into an opportunity for marketers or lead generators to engage with prospects and customers proactively in an open forum. To this end, think about leveraging the content and information within your organization to build potential sales gaining followers on Twitter.
What does this mean for marketers? Think about how information dissemination and participation in an open conversation with your prospects and customers will support your business goals. While the data show that Twitter readership leans toward entertainment-news related topics, as its user base continues to expand and mature a broader array of interests will be present.
When assessing how to add Twitter to your marketing mix, consider the following valuable options.
Content distribution. Twitter is useful for time-sensitive information, such as:
Announcing breaking news. Several examples; include Iran political demonstrations, the US Airway plane crash-landing in the Hudson and the Mumbai riots all initially broadcast via Twitter.
Transmitting time-sensitive information. This includes last-minute flight delays by airlines and major traffic disruptions.
Positioning your company as a thought leader. This includes distributing original content to extend the conversation.
Providing an alternative forum for comments. This also includes enabling attendees at live events, such as trade shows, to communicate with each other.
Commerce support. Twitter can aid sales, but it can't become strictly a promotional broadcast channel or many followers will leave. Disseminate last-minute deals to drive sales. Provide additional sales support to answer questions and help close deals. Like chat or a toll-free number, Twitter enables e-tailers to service prospects and customers.
Advocacy forum. Twitter is a platform from which to develop a following for you, your brand, or your company. Aid brand building. While many individuals use Twitter to enhance their personal brands, Twitter enables companies to participate in the conversation.
Public relations support. Twitter provides another outlet to enhance PR-related communications. Enable reputation monitoring by tracking and participating in the conversation related to your management, brands, and company. Also follow what's being said by thought leaders in your niche. Use for PR outreach to journalists looking for timely input.
Research enabler. Leverage Twitter's search functionality and ability to query and respond to an audience. Track new trends on Twitter to discover what customers and prospects are saying about your brands, products, and company. Unlike search engines, the conversation on Twitter takes place in real time.
Measuring Twitter's Impact
As with any marketing initiative, it's critical to have metrics in place to assess your progress against your marketing goals. Among the ways to calculate Twitter's impact are:
Followers. The number of people following you or your brand on Twitter gives you a general idea of your community's size. Do your followers retweet your information? What percentage of your followers continue to follow you over time? According to Nielsen Ratings, over 60% of Twitter followers fail to return the following month.
Conversations. This is an indication of how engaged your followers are with you. Consider the content of these exchanges. Have you been able to respond to prospects in a timely manner and change perceptions of your firm?
Brand improvement. Beyond traditional measurements, assess whether public perception of your brand changed as a result of your Twitter interactions. Do consumers feel that your firm is more responsive to their needs?
Lead generation/sales retention. Track the number of sales leads, purchases, or reduced customer complaints. This should ramp up as you build your Twitter following.
Twitter's recent explosive growth translates into an opportunity for marketers or lead generators to engage with prospects and customers proactively in an open forum. To this end, think about leveraging the content and information within your organization to build potential sales gaining followers on Twitter.
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