It’s not about Twitter – it’s about LinkedIn – WTF!?

So, hot on last week’s letter on how Twitter’s finally becoming a viable marketing channel, the Wall Street Journal runs an article stating that “…LinkedIn Works, Twitter Doesn’t.”

WTF!?

I love stories like this - full of charts and figures and illuminated by the personal experience of some random business. This time it’s a health food delivery service in LA where the owner states that Twitter ranks 117th in driving traffic to his website, adding “On Twitter, you can’t engage in a meaningful way.”

Err, you’re doing it wrong

Twitter is a cultural phenomenon and it is growing; most businesses don’t know how to unlock its potential which opens a huge opportunity for those who do.

The big marketing story from the Super Bowl was the Oreo tweet – if you’re not familiar with the story read this quick write up on Cnet – you think Nabisco sees Twitter as a waste of time?

Real time

Where Twitter comes into its own is in real time – when you’re interacting with people and dealing with things that are happening right now. As more people join the network and behaviors such as “second screening” become more prevalent, Twitter is going to become more important.

Here’s the catch

The problem is that whoever is managing the account becomes the de facto voice of the business; the words they use, the pictures they post, how they interact with people etc. There are countless stories of companies getting this wrong as the intern goes on a rampage (my personal favorite here.)

Why you as a small business have an advantage

If, as with most small businesses, you are CEO, marketing, finance and creative directors all rolled into one – then like the Nabisco team, and unlike some of your bigger competitors, you do have the ability to react immediately to what is happening in the world and in doing so, make your marketing more relevant and effective.

How to do it?

As I said last week social media marketing isn’t rocket science but it does need to be strategic and reflect your stated goals. If you’d like to get up and running and get a jump start on your competition, reply to this email and book a session.