| If you ask 100 people whether you should use | | | | picks up where the Twitter shortfalls begin. As a |
| Twitter for you business, you're likely to get split | | | | business and advertiser you need to build one on one |
| answers. Twitter is undoubtedly very popular, and it | | | | relationships with your customers. Engaging them in a |
| can provide sales and a new level of customer | | | | opt-in campaign allows you to do this and it is much |
| interaction for your business. There are several | | | | more personal because messages are being sent |
| benefits and weaknesses to using Twitter for your | | | | right to their mobile device. |
| small business, lets take a look at them when | | | | Benefits of Text Message Marketing vs. Twitter |
| compared to SMS text message marketing. | | | | 1) 95% of messages are read by your subscribers in |
| Twitter is part of a larger group of social media web | | | | in 15 minutes. You know with text message |
| 2.0 sites. Also in this realm are Facebook and LinkedIn | | | | marketing that your message is being heard. It is |
| which we use but as you will find, it is hard to focus | | | | almost impossible with Twitter to measure this. |
| your attention on one and gain maximum benefit. | | | | Tweets could go days without being seen, if at all. |
| Twitter is free and you probably already have | | | | This will not increase your business when you need it |
| customers and potential customers using it. | | | | most. |
| Benefits of Using Twitter | | | | 2) The text audience is much larger than Twitter. |
| 1) Allows you to check up on your customers, haters | | | | Twitter is estimated to only receive 22 million unique |
| and competition. There are new Twitter search alert | | | | visitors a month and some say it may be showing |
| tools that allow you to be sent alerts when someone | | | | signs of declining. On the other hand there are over |
| Tweets about your business or competition. This is a | | | | 150 million people a month who actively use text |
| great way to stay on the curve. There are several | | | | messaging as mobile communication and this number |
| free tools out there that can help you accomplish | | | | continues to grow at a rapid rate. |
| this. | | | | 3) You can gain new subscribers instantly in your |
| 2) You can Tweet sales, promotions, product advice | | | | store, through your traditional advertising and through |
| and discounts. The ROI is only sales against your time | | | | your customers forwarding your offers to a friend. |
| as Twitter costs no money directly. People | | | | Adding a mobile call to action which is ease and gives |
| Re-Tweeting your message allows it to have viral | | | | your customers a clear benefit is easy with text |
| potential. To track Twitters effectiveness use special | | | | message marketing, not so much with Twitter. |
| offers that are only on Twitter. | | | | 4) Mobile marketing companies allow you to have |
| 3) Grow your customer base. By using Twitter | | | | text based contests, voting, coupons and offers. |
| actively you allow people to find your business who | | | | There is no easy way to do this on Twitter. The |
| previously didn't know you even existed. | | | | various text campaign types have be proven to be |
| Still Twitter results and time vs. return can be hard to | | | | fun to customers, increase loyalty and sales by |
| measure. Is it the number of followers you have? | | | | rewarding your best customers. |
| The number of Tweets you send? How do you gain | | | | As a business owner today, you should embrace all |
| the most followers? How many people should you | | | | of the new media outlets there are available to reach |
| follow? How do you cut through all the proverbial | | | | your customers and increase your sales. You need to |
| noise on Twitter to get your message across? Do | | | | build a database of your best customers that have a |
| followers actually read your Tweets? | | | | true relationship with your business. Twitter can be a |
| Twitter can be seen as most useful when you | | | | nice addition to your marketing but will not be able to |
| incorporate it into an overall marketing strategy and | | | | replace the ROI, increased sales and customer loyalty |
| not as a stand alone to an end all be all. Text | | | | that text message marketing provides. |
| message marketing that uses SMS based messages | | | | |