Facebook pages have long been a brand or a company’s “Solid Plan B”; a site for community and consumer engagement on top of an owned website. This year, it could be wise for social media managers to recommend and for in-house social media strategists to consider having a second look at investing in a Twitter account (and of course, a solid Twitter usage strategy).
Is Twitter the Next Top Social Network Site for a Business?
Twitter has, for far too long, played second fiddle to Facebook’s giant user base and usage. It was perhaps not surprising, at least to me that Twitter may finally be set to commit to push for the spot of top social network site. Here are several reasons why brands and companies should probably begin concentrating their social efforts in Twitter, if not already.
Faster, Better… Easier
Personal use has shown me that Twitter’s almost laughable simplicity actually encourages me to log onto it more often than Facebook. This is despite the fact that I have more contacts on Facebook. Facebook often takes a while to load, even on its stripped down version; Twitter has very little need to streamline. It does not take a genius to see that a more easily accessible social platform may market ideas and products better than a hefty and sluggish one.
A ‘Fairer’ Ad System
I will be one of the first to criticize Facebook’s selectivity when it comes to the items appearing on my News Feed. Edgerank has already denied brands and companies from reaching all of their fans, organically earned or paid for through Like Ads. Twitter’s feed, in comparison, is a noisy stream – but one which does not filter and select information the way Facebook does. This, in my opinion, allows brands – big or small – a more level playing field as engagement will be determined by content quality, not advertising budgets.
Growing and Growing
Twitter is currently the fastest growing social networking site in the world. With a growth rate of more than 700% since 2009, its more than half a billion users are steadily gaining numbers. Simply put, there will be more and more people on Twitter in the next year (or several years). In the Philippines, this has an even bigger implication as Internet users are expected to reach 66 million in 2016 (note that at present time, the Philippines has nearly 100 million people).
Takeaways:
- For social media managers and marketers, it may be high time to redouble efforts in studying and learning the nuances of Twitter, especially on how to maximize platform-specific features like hashtags, @mentions, and vanity URL shorteners, to name a few.
- For in-house social media strategists, consider investing the time and effort to drive people from your current Facebook communities to your brand or company’s Twitter account. Be more proactive in following influencers in your community as well. It also never hurts to consult with top digital agencies on best practices.
Do you believe that Twitter has what it takes, at least for brands and companies, to be the top social network site? Please share your thoughts in the comments!
Featured image from Wikicommons, retrieved on January 29, 2013.
References:
- “Twitter is Now the Fastest Growing Social Platform in the World”, Global Web Index.net.
- “Twitter Ranked Fastest Growing Social Platform in the World”, Forbes.com.
- “Philippine Population Trends”, Google Trends.
About Jason Cruz
