Whether your business sells to consumers or other businesses, Twitter represents a real marketing opportunity. This amazing communications platform has grown from non-existence to 125 million users in about 3 years. Many people have experienced the “dribble” of Twitter and there’s even a TV commercial that pokes fun at the senseless things people say on some of the popular social media platforms. Others however, have found marketing success using Twitter – but you have to have the right expectations and something meaningful to offer.

eMarketer.com recently wrote about a survey of why people follow a brand on Twitter. It stated that 44% are seeking exclusive deals and special offers. An additional 24% said they were a current customer. After that, most Twitter followers are looking for interesting and/or entertaining content. See chart on right.

B2C Businesses

For those businesses marketing direct to the consumer, this means you should focus your attention on promoting and educating your marketplace about your products. Use Twitter to communicate special coupons, sales and other promotions.

B2B Businesses

If your business promotes specials deals and discounts with some frequency, use Twitter to let the marketplace know about them. If not, become a “thought leader”. That is, begin producing good, solid content that is helpful and meaningful to your target market. Begin “tweeting” about the valuable content and if it’s good, the Twitter network will help it go “viral” and get the kind of visibility you didn’t think possible.