When it comes to marketing on Twitter, there’s some debate. Is Twitter just for people with a little too much time on their hands, or is it a valuable marketing tool similar to Instagram and Facebook? Twitter has had its fair share of bad press throughout the years, as have every other social media platform excluding Instagram.

Twitter is considered a micro-blogging platform on which you express your thoughts in “tweets”. These tweets are restricted to 140 characters or less. This keeps Twitter relatively simple and not too cluttered. Users who register on the site can interact with tweets and follow others, but unregistered users can only read tweets.

Is Marketing On Twitter A Good Idea?

Twitter Facts

As of the first quarter in 2017, Twitter has 328 million monthly active users. Another neat fact to know is that 67% of users are more likely to buy from a brand or business they follow on Twitter. 85% of users even went so far to say that they feel more connected to a brand or business after following them on Twitter! So there must be some good to marketing on Twitter, right? Right.

Twitter Benefits

Customer Service

Twitter is still mentioned as one of the top sites for customers to complain. They expect a response in an hour or less too, so keep an eye on your mentions! This is the easiest way to filter in complaints and take care of them in a prompt manner.

Cost

Take a second and appreciate that 140-character pitch you’re about to put out there. Think about how much that tweet is going to cost you: nothing. Unless you plan on paying someone to take care of your account or promote tweets. Either way, you look at it, Twitter is a budget-friendly option.

Updates

If you have an update that you need your customers to know right away, Twitter is a good way to share that news. Twitter is a great way to post your latest promotions and news for your customers to take advantage of.

Communication

Twitter doesn’t just have to be used for resolving issues. You can have conversations with your customers! Chit chat makes a business look good because it makes you look more human. It’s not just an automated response from a computer. Twitter doesn’t work that way!

There are plenty more reasons to consider using Twitter to promote your business than just these, of course.

Twitter Concerns

The Numbers

Many users follow hundreds or thousands of accounts. While you do know that your tweet will appear on their timeline, you don’t know that they will actually see it.

Distractions

It doesn’t take long to get distracted while checking on your Twitter account. There are plenty of debates going on, and it’s sometimes difficult to sift through those. When you’re focusing on reading through all of these debates, it’ll be hard to focus on business identity.

Time

The time it costs to be active on Twitter may not be worth it to some businesses. Some businesses hire full-time workers to man their Twitter accounts and ensure any mentions get a swift response. If working with Twitter takes away from other aspects of your business, it’s time to reevaluate what you need.

“Trolls”

As with any social media platform, trolls exist. Trolls are people whose main objective is to start a disturbance on the internet with no coherent reason. They do so by posting irregular and off-topic material to gain the attention of people on the internet. If you don’t handle toxic comments and negativity in a decent manner, everyone will see. And you will become victim to these so-called trolls.

Why Twitter Should Be Used For Business

Whether you find that you’d like a Twitter account for your business or not, the decision is up to you. Every social media platform has their pros and cons. You may find that your business excels on Twitter more than other accounts, or you may find that it is a waste of time. Everything must be taken into account and discussed before making a decision. As with every other tool on the internet, your tweets will only be as good as the effort behind them.