1. Soapbox
Does twitter have any value
for a BRAND?
A
ccording to www.mediabistro.com, Twitter has more it’s about a dialogue with your followers based on conversations
than 300 million users and is the fastest-growing they want to have. Simply, it’s about engagement and adding value.
social network. It has become synonymous with Some global brands that set the benchmark for best practice on this
breaking news and creating a platform for the latest gossip. include JetBlue Airways. According to mashable.com, this brand
It has also become a valuable network for brands to manage has no less than 14 listening officers tracking any reference to the
online conversations. brand. One of the things they do right is acknowledge where the
Twitter is home to a host of interest groups and influential brand has failed its customers and handle all Twitter conversations
opinion leaders who command an enviable list of followers. as ‘real people’ – there’s a natural human tone to their tweets.
What’s more, some individual influencers have superseded Starbucks is another great example. Rather than tweet about their
the number of followers of reputable media properties. For own product, they find creative ways to start conversations. They
instance, twitaholic.com ranks Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) at the engage with their followers through voting polls, sharing twitpics and
top of its ‘most popular users’ list with 13 318 074 followers, run competitions - all entertaining ways of involving followers. They
and Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) with 7 298 910 - both far more have fun and bring their brand personality to life using multimedia
than one of the world’s leaders in online news and information, in this space.
CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) with 5 041 012.
If brands learn to understand the value that Twitter can afford Connecting with and growing your brand’s Twitter followers and, as
them, they won’t have a problem gaining momentum and a result, your brand reputation, is quite simple, so long as marketers
presence in the twittersphere. Used effectively, Twitter can be a remember some of these guiding thoughts;
powerful marketing tool. • Followers follow brands based on a ‘what’s in it for me?’
That said, not all brands are suited to this platform. If your brand mentality. So make sure there is a considered content strategy
does not focus on daily activities (e.g. a pharmacy), a Twitter and clear value-add.
account is not going to provide the best value. Alternatively, • Stimulate conversations and participate appropriately. Ensure
brands that need to inform customers on daily deals, new that all content is in context and not self-indulgent.
products, events, up-to-the-minute updates, etc., can thrive. • Encourage re-tweeting by making it appropriate and topical to
Edison Research released a study on how Americans use Twitter share your posts.
and the results were remarkable. They indicated that 42% of the • Track what your competitors are saying. If your competitors are
respondents claimed that they learnt about products and services talking about similar topics, those following your competitors
via Twitter, while 41% claimed that they talked about brands and may also want to follow you.
products on Twitter. A further 19% sought customer support. • Twitter is transforming the way we consider what media is. It
Instant customer feedback is one of the greatest benefits of a brand has moved the domain of media owner away from traditional
leveraging this social network. That said, marketers shouldn’t forget publications to people and brands that now have the opportunity
that their brand has a responsibility to avoid constant advertising of to create their own media space.
their products or services.
And that brings me to one of the most important considerations for
the medium - Twitter is not another broadcast medium for a brand, BY BRENT SHAHIM, MANAGING DIRECTOR, AQUAONLINE
8 [ the Journal ] J
![Soapbox
Does twitter have any value
for a BRAND?
A
ccording to www.mediabistro.com, Twitter has more it’s about a dialogue with your followers based on conversations
than 300 million users and is the fastest-growing they want to have. Simply, it’s about engagement and adding value.
social network. It has become synonymous with Some global brands that set the benchmark for best practice on this
breaking news and creating a platform for the latest gossip. include JetBlue Airways. According to mashable.com, this brand
It has also become a valuable network for brands to manage has no less than 14 listening officers tracking any reference to the
online conversations. brand. One of the things they do right is acknowledge where the
Twitter is home to a host of interest groups and influential brand has failed its customers and handle all Twitter conversations
opinion leaders who command an enviable list of followers. as ‘real people’ – there’s a natural human tone to their tweets.
What’s more, some individual influencers have superseded Starbucks is another great example. Rather than tweet about their
the number of followers of reputable media properties. For own product, they find creative ways to start conversations. They
instance, twitaholic.com ranks Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) at the engage with their followers through voting polls, sharing twitpics and
top of its ‘most popular users’ list with 13 318 074 followers, run competitions - all entertaining ways of involving followers. They
and Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) with 7 298 910 - both far more have fun and bring their brand personality to life using multimedia
than one of the world’s leaders in online news and information, in this space.
CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) with 5 041 012.
If brands learn to understand the value that Twitter can afford Connecting with and growing your brand’s Twitter followers and, as
them, they won’t have a problem gaining momentum and a result, your brand reputation, is quite simple, so long as marketers
presence in the twittersphere. Used effectively, Twitter can be a remember some of these guiding thoughts;
powerful marketing tool. • Followers follow brands based on a ‘what’s in it for me?’
That said, not all brands are suited to this platform. If your brand mentality. So make sure there is a considered content strategy
does not focus on daily activities (e.g. a pharmacy), a Twitter and clear value-add.
account is not going to provide the best value. Alternatively, • Stimulate conversations and participate appropriately. Ensure
brands that need to inform customers on daily deals, new that all content is in context and not self-indulgent.
products, events, up-to-the-minute updates, etc., can thrive. • Encourage re-tweeting by making it appropriate and topical to
Edison Research released a study on how Americans use Twitter share your posts.
and the results were remarkable. They indicated that 42% of the • Track what your competitors are saying. If your competitors are
respondents claimed that they learnt about products and services talking about similar topics, those following your competitors
via Twitter, while 41% claimed that they talked about brands and may also want to follow you.
products on Twitter. A further 19% sought customer support. • Twitter is transforming the way we consider what media is. It
Instant customer feedback is one of the greatest benefits of a brand has moved the domain of media owner away from traditional
leveraging this social network. That said, marketers shouldn’t forget publications to people and brands that now have the opportunity
that their brand has a responsibility to avoid constant advertising of to create their own media space.
their products or services.
And that brings me to one of the most important considerations for
the medium - Twitter is not another broadcast medium for a brand, BY BRENT SHAHIM, MANAGING DIRECTOR, AQUAONLINE
8 [ the Journal ] J](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/journaloct-novhr8-111129074434-phpapp01/85/Does-twitter-have-any-value-for-a-brand-1-320.jpg)
