We all know that social media is the (relatively) new essential e-marketing platform. We also all know that Twitter, as a real-time targeted marketing channel, is often hailed as one of the most cost-effective social media 'tools' currently available. And whilst Twitter has the potential to provide a massive ROI, without a suitable strategy, there's probably little benefit in simply getting your company 'out there' in the Twittersphere. So how can you turn Twitter to your advantage?
To formulate an effective Twitter marketing strategy, you need to know what information to glean from your Twitter followers and stats, and how to maximise your (niche!) audience. And because we're lovely people, we're providing you with three points that will help you to shape your Twitter business marketing strategy to create a clear, trackable return on investment.
1. Who Are You Tweeting To? Know Your Niche Audience
Your Twitter marketing strategy will vary wildly depending on your audience. Twitter is a fantastic way to hook up with an audience - you can choose who to follow, and connect with them accordingly. But it's also worth noting who follows you; take a look at their interests, who they're following, what language they use, what phrases or keywords that crop up, and try to glean why they're following you. It's also worth trying to root out and connect with the more influential posters - who is frequently retweeted? Who is following them? Could you follow them too? Try to spot any common elements between your followers. That's your strength. That's your niche.
2. Talk To Them, and Listen
Although there are thousands upon millions of Tweeters out there, it's not necessarily about numbers - you're looking to find a high converting niche audience who you can talk to. Internet users value personalisation, so use this to your advantage. But you really need to "listen" to your followers and your potential audience. Check out their hashtags, pick up on popular topics and take note of any products/services they're using and reviewing. Figure out what gets them talking and responding. It's all valuable, non-biased data that can help to drive your marketing strategy.
You should also consider how your Tweets reflect your branding and company ethos, and the best way to communicate offers, campaigns and any other pertinent information to your audience. Twitter may help to refresh, redefine or shape this aspect of your marketing strategy, as responses can be measured and reviewed in real time.
3. Quantify & Track
Twitter is obviously one of the most prudent ways to connect on an almost grassroots level with your audience. But for businesses, Twitter isn't just a platform for talking (or, more accurately, tweeting); it's a platform for sales leads and conversions. The return on investment and the way that you quantify that return on investment from Twitter does of course depend on your business - it could be a simple case of brand recognition or a positive product review, or perhaps could be quantified via newsletter sign-ups, account openings or just a sale.
At present there are a few tools available to help you work out the worth of each Twitter lead, although they are a relatively new so it might be a while before you find a comprehensive Twitter sales lead programme.
The point is you need to work out what each Tweep (person that Twitters) is worth to you. This could be an exact number, or a ballpark figure; again it just depends on your business. Use metrics to review the different elements of your Twitter business strategy; this means that you might have a number of goals to achieve and review, such as sign-ups, sales, enquiries, retweets, or page views.
Whatever your ultimate marketing aim is, Twitter will help you to keep abreast of trends, changes, and will probably remain a constant review and analysis process. Knowing how to use it to your advantage is the key to keeping your marketing strategies solid but fresh.
