1/3 of Twitter Users Talk brands. Why is it Important for a Business to Have a Twitter Presence?

Social media has become the new way to promote and discuss brands online.  The fact that it is now a premiere channel for conversations is certainly good news for businesses.  In fact, statistics show that 33% or one third of Twitter users, use the service to discuss brands at least once a week.  According to the same research, 32% of users make recommendations to others, while 30% ask for recommendations themselves.  This data speaks to the power of Twitter, and how important it has become for businesses to have a presence on the platform. 

The conversation aspect is what can make Twitter a valuable asset to any business.  Efficient use of the service not only enables you to identify your audience, but also the conversations they are having about your brand.  It allows you to easily monitor your followers and the public perception of your brand as well.  Twitter is truly ideal businesses that deal in products or services as it works great for customer service purposes.  Many have found that it is a highly effective platform for identifying problems, quickly responding to them, and boosting customer satisfaction. 

Branding is a term that often gets thrown around a lot.  However, this all for good reason as it is one of the main ingredients for achieving success in the crowded, competitive online space.  What makes Twitter so great for branding is that it provides an opportunity to expose your brand to the world.  A platform that sees millions of tweets, it helps your business become publicly accessible, allowing you to connect with consumers in a very affordable and effective way.  Creating a presence makes it easy for followers to keep up with you and all the happenings of your business.  Branding in this manner breeds the trust and loyalty that adds to the value of your audience. 

Twitter has a reputation as a powerful tool for driving quality, targeted traffic to a website.  You can have the greatest products or the best service in the world, but without a steady flow of traffic, very few people will spend any money with you.  Social networks like Twitter can be  effective at helping you attract visitors.  Build up a network of segmented followers that have an interest in your brand, frequently publish relevant posts, and your potential for increased traffic will be tremendous.  Being active with your presence is important because tweets and retweets result in links that could improve your SEO efforts, giving you the opportunity to significantly boost leads or sales.    

Some were wondering if Twitter was just another social networking fad that would eventually outwear its welcome.  Needless to say, the platform has proved that it is hear to stick around for a while.  Consumers are using the service to discuss brands, and if you build a presence, there is a great chance that they will be talking about your business.  Whether those discussions are positive or negative will depend on your approach to communication, customer service, and reputation management.