Are You Tweeting – A Follow-Up
In my post titled Are You Tweeting? I promised a follow-up if I had seen any indication that Twitter was becoming more of a consumer based platform. Well the jury is out and I can confidently (and sheepishly) say that things are now alive and kicking when it comes to reaching out to consumers via Twitter.
I’m sure you’re asking, ”What changed? Did we suddenly have consumers by the scores setting up Twitter accounts and searching for product promotions?” Well, the answer is “Yes”. In 2009, Twitter became the fastest growing social network.
The real power behind Twitter is the fact that it’s a powerful multi-level networking tool, very similar to many multi-level marketing programs. For example, let’s say I receive a Tweet and decide to pass it on to ten of my friends. Let’s then assume that they pass it on to ten of their friends, etc, etc. You can see how powerful the multiplying effect can be when trying to generate buzz around a product, promotion or idea.
I’ll cite one example of this phenomenon. It’s based on a press in June 2009 from Dell titled, @DellOutlet Surpasses $2 Million on Twitter. It’s an interesting read because it highlights the fact that much of the sales growth in their Dell Outlet has been the direct result of promotions and communication via Twitter. Since 2007, Dell has been using Twitter “as a way to message out coupons, clearance events and new arrival information to those looking for Dell technology at a discounted price.”.
It’s astounding to see that Dell’s Twitter subscribers (followers) grew six-fold from 100k in March 2009 to 600k by the end of June 2009. Try to replicate that with other online marketing efforts. So, what was the primary reason for this growth? Dell cites the fact that “Our followers responded by re-tweeting @DellOutlet messages to their followers, and our numbers rose even more.” The power behind this simple concept is really amazing when you think about it.
Now, I’m NOT suggesting that every business or association will be as successful (revenue wise) with Twitter as Dell has been this past year. Obviously Dell has found a community of potential customers that are interested in close-out and discontinued product offerings. What I AM suggesting is that the time has now come where, if you are not using Twitter, you should look more closely at your products and services to see if there might some potential to reach new customers or clients via Twitter.
Chip Jones
Founder/Principal
Interactive-Arts.com
