Twarketing: (verb) Twitter marketing. It’s a lot more complicated than it sounds. Ok, in the case, maybe it’s the other way around. (I dare you to say twarketing 10 times, fast.)
As most of you know, in addition to being an editor, app developer, and writer for Ballpoint, Inc. (yep, a lot of the Word Wit and Phrase Wit definitions/questions have come from this little head of mine), I also manage their social media accounts. While I took to Twitter like a geek takes to Star Trek, Facebook has never been a natural thing for me. It’s something that I’ve needed (and still need) to work on, which brings me to today’s post.
The webinar I joined today (as a student, not speaker) was about how to garner Facebook Likes from the people who matter, those who have the potential to connect to (AKA to buy) your product. All of the social media people say the same thing – it doesn’t matter how big your following/Like base is, it’s about reaching the people who will actually become involved. While I tried to be open-minded as I listened, I couldn’t help but think that I should be the one speaking. My webinar would be called “Twitter Rules, Facebook Drools: It’s Easier to Connect with Your Base There.”
Here’s why:
1. Not all bases are created equal. If you’re running a luxury pet spa, then fine, your base is limited. Even though there are a ton of pet people out there, very few can actually afford to use your services. However, some companies, like ours, have a product that everyone can like! Sure, maybe our apps are more marketable to ESL people or word nerds, but language apps are things that everyone can enjoy! Consequently, Twitter makes more sense for us. It allows us to reach everyone, all at once, and in an easier fashion than Facebook.
2. With Twitter, you get to be the aggressive one. I get to follow anyone I want and have it not be creepy! Boo-yah, Facebook! When you’re working with a Facebook fan page, you have no way to reach out to and get Likes from specific people. Like today, I was on some nerdy Facebook fan page, reading people’s comments, and I happened to come across several people who could have seriously benefited from one of our apps. With Facebook, I have no way to let them know that! We’re not friends so I can’t write on their walls, I can’t DM them, and I can’t respond to their comment by posting links to our apps on another person’s fan page. (Well, technically I can, but for those of you who are unaware, that’s extremely rude to do. Plus, I would look like a heartless marketing person who is just trying to peddle a product. They don’t know me or the fact that I’m legit, so it’s not a good look.)
Twitter is all about following strangers and occasionally barging into people’s conversations, right? If I saw a Tweep and a non-Tweep bickering over which phrase was correct (let’s go with, shoe-in vs. shoo-in), I would totally intervene. I would apologize for barging in, introduce myself to the non-Tweep, explain why I know the answer, point that person to my app, probably chat for a bit, and then follow them from @BallpointNews. They’ll learn that I’m a pseudo-authority on the subject, they’ll hopefully like me, and they’ll, again hopefully, feel good enough about the exchange to follow me back.
See how easy it was for me to connect with someone who might actually buy my app? Twitter rocks, it really does foster reciprocal relationships! With Facebook, I pretty much have to wait for those people to find me. Yeah…I hate waiting, so that’s not as fun.
3. Hashtags and lists, oh my! It is SO easy to creep your base on Twitter. Why? Because hashtags and lists make it as easy as shooting fish in a barrel! People unknowingly invite you to find, follow, and make them part of your base by using hashtags. For example, if you design e-book covers, you just need to do a Google search for popular writer hashtags. Yep, type in “#amwriting” on Twitter and BAM! Your base is right there, you better start talking to them!
Lists make it just as easy. People have already done the creeping for you. Let’s stick with the above example, if I’m an e-book designer, I just have to friend book reviewers; they’ll probably have some kind of “favorite authors” list. I would literally just have to sit there and keep clicking follow.
Final word: All of this is just my opinion, based on my experience working for a small company. Like I’ve said, I’m partial! Sue me! If you want a more unbiased take on this debate, I invite you to check out this infographic on www.techi.com. It’s also where I swiped the sweet picture for this post!
Last but certainly not least, I want YOU to weigh in! What has your experience been? Who has your vote, Facebook or Twitter?
