Twitter Marketing: The Wave of the Future, Huh?

Twitter is a network for the dissemination of news, conversation and information gathering. No other network on the planet features immediate updates provided by ordinary citizens who experience the news. There are several “personal update” networks similar to Twitter, but none offer the same speed and convenience. Using it for marketing, on the other hand, is something else entirely.

Right now, Twitter is awash with marketers sending link after link after link to buy products, visit websites, and even learn how to “market on Twitter.” The problem is that the links are becoming recognizable, similar to the way a telemarketing phone call immediately turns on your warning signals when you answer the phone. So the years of traditional Twitter marketing may be coming to an end.

What doesn’t end is the ability to converse with your customers. Comcast and Southwest Airlines actively use Twitter to solve problems, listen to customer complaints, and eavesdrop on real conversations about themselves in real time. Watch the 60 Minutes episode about the people of Virginia and how some people’s addiction to Mt. Dew has caused their teeth to rot. Pepsi Co. was able to immediately monitor what people were saying about the episode and was able to gather information on how to react from its customers. This type of covert collection of marketing information is too valuable to go away soon.

Finally, the social interaction that Twitter offers will give small businesses the opportunity to interact with potential customers. While less of a marketing strategy and more of a long-term brand plan, this one-on-one interaction that other people can see will reap benefits for all small businesses.