When I talk about Twitter to small business owners, I am usually greeted by a look of trepidation before being asked, “Do I really need to be on Twitter?” Twitter has evolved from a simple social network since the first Tweet was sent in March 2006 to the global news source and intricate social sharing environment it is today. Recently, Twitter has even taken leaps into the future of live broadcasting by signing deals with large networks to provide live content via the platform.
With 310 million monthly active users, it is hard to ignore the power of Twitter for small businesses to reach an engaged audience. But, if you need more convincing, here are 10 reasons to start tweeting today!
1.FREE: Twitter is free to use – The only cost is time and effort to send unlimited Tweets. Of course, like all social platforms, there is also the option to ‘promote’ your tweets with PPC advertising which has grown 208% year-on-year in 2016.
2.CURRENT: Your presence on social media platforms such as Twitter shows that your business is keeping up ‘with the times’! Did you know that 1.3billion Twitter accounts have been created and over 500 million tweets are sent daily?
3.INDUSTRY NEWS: Using Twitter can help you keep up with what is going on in your industry. You can keep tabs on your competition and get the latest news by following relevant hashtags. (ie. #CSBWBiz)
4.QUICK: Twitter is a fast way to get a message out, especially about upcoming events or sales. Printing, distributing and even website and email marketing take time and planning. Keep in mind that tweets with pictures get 150% more retweets!
5.NETWORKING: Using Twitter gives you the chance to meet and talk with tons of new people, influencers in your industry, and the opportunity to discover leads you might not otherwise have made.
6.REACH: Twitter can expand your market reach through followers, re-tweets, and #hashtags. People may stumble across your profile and tweets by chance and 55% of Twitter users admit they have taken action based on a tweet from a brand. (ie. clicked on a link)
7.COMPETITION: Your competition is quite likely already on Twitter and tweeting away. 70 percent of small businesses are on Twitter and the average Twitter user will follow at least 5 businesses.
8.FEEDBACK: The conversations, re-tweets, and favorites you receive in Twitter can act as great feedback as to what is popular and what is not in terms of your online brand, not to mention that 77% of users said they felt more positive towards a brand that replied to their tweet!
9.ENGAGEMENT: 80% of Twitter users have mentioned a brand in a tweet, and Twitter allows you to maintain customer relationships both before, during, and after a purchase and act as a constant reminder that you exist.
10.SHORT: With only 140 characters each tweet is short and sweet that allows you to share tidbits and updates without having to write an entire blog post.
Teach Me Social owner Kelly Farrell has been helping empower Canadian Small Business owners through social media for over four years. Teach Me Social now offers services ranging from training sessions for small business owners and their teams to full-service social media account management. Visit teachmesocial.ca to learn more about our service offerings or to book a no obligation consultation, including an audit of your existing social media channels.