To Tweet Or Not To Tweet…That Is The Question

Twitter is a popular social media platform  with over 300 Million users. It is a microblogging system that allows users to send and receive shot posts called Tweets. The Tweets can be up to 280 characters long and can include links to websites. Users can create their own unique tweets or retweet other users’ tweets. Many different types of users exist including students, policymakers, politicians, and the general public. Businesses also use Twitter. Twitter can help businesses reach another group of people on social media, but is it worth the effort?

To Tweet (The Benefits)

Twitter is popular. It allows businesses to reach a wide variety of users. The platform allows a business to reach potential customers, especially if a relevant hashtag is included. Customer service can also become part of the social media communication by interacting with customers. If the customer interaction is positive, it can have equally positive impact on the business. Twitter helps with brand identity and the cost to use the platform is free. Paid ads are available, but many businesses have enjoyed the organic benefits and interactions on the platform.

Not To Tweet (The Challenges)

Even though Twitter may seem like a useful social media platform to incorporate into the online advertising mix, it still has its downsides. With so many different platforms out there for businesses and users, is Twitter worth committing resources to for maintenance? To use Twitter well, a business must use it regularly. It also means having the right person maintaining the twitter account. Just like with any social media platform, complaints must be addressed pretty quickly. If negative comments are not addressed quickly and with a positive outcome, the platform can become a liability for a business. In addition, Twitter is restricted to a certain number of characters…so if you tweet make it catchy.

The Answer

Twitter can be a useful platform for businesses, but it truly may not be worth the investment for all businesses. Due to the limitation of the platform and the required maintenance, it may not be as valuable as other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Youtube. However, if a business has the resources and a good advertising team, then go ahead and incorporate the platform as another resource to reach potential customers.