Twitter Emerges as a Digital Marketing Tool - Case Study Example

?Twitter Emerges as a Digital Marketing Tool Case Summary: A social media website that has caught the attention of the marketing world is Twitter. Twitter is different and more user friendly than Facebook because it allows users to follow the messages of others without being part of the business or person’s friends network. Thousands of businesses in the United States are using tweeting as part of their marketing strategy. A survey revealed that over 88% of businesses in the U.S tweet messages to their customer base. The online connectivity of smartphones has made it easier than ever to follow tweets in real time. Key Marketing Issues Digital Media – consumers have become more accustomed to receiving their daily news through electronic media channels. One of the fastest growing media channels are social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Electronic Marketing – Electronic marketing has become more popular than ever in the 21 century. In 2011 the global online advertising industry generated $71 billion in revenues (Plunkett Research). Social network – Social networks have grown in popularity during the past few years. Facebook is the industry leader with over 845 million users (Facebook). Twitter has become more popular among business owners due to its ability to receive followers without having the need of being in the network of friends. Personal Case Analysis The case study showed the growing tendency of people being in love with social network websites. The interesting thing about the article was that it showed how companies are taking advantage of this lifestyle change among consumers. I think that companies should use Twitter because it is a cost effective way to market to a growing population of consumers that use the services of Twitter on a daily basis. People in the Unites States have become addicted to their smartphones. These devices can be used by people to follow tweets in real time from any location. Interactivity is a feature that brings a lot of excitement to consumers. Case Questions 1) Why is Twitter appealing to companies? Twitter is very appealing to companies because it provides firms with a cost effective marketing medium that can be used to reach thousands of customers instantly. Advertising on Twitter is very cheap in comparison with the advertising costs of traditional media channels such as television and radio. The size of the Twitter population is another attractive feature of the website. There are over 175 million users of Twitter (Carlson). Twitter gives companies the ability to interact with its users. The use of Twitter can be very effective to target younger buyers between the ages of 18 and 35 years of age. 2) How can Twitter be used to strengthen customer relationships and to gather customer feedback? Twitter is a great website because it connects people and businesses with each other. Customers that are interested in the products or services of a company can follow the latest company news using Twitter. Customer relationships can be reinforced by creating loyalty programs in Twitter that allow customers to receive special deals through the twitter feeds. Twitter can also be used as a tool to collect secondary data. “Secondary data is the data that have been already collected by and readily available from other sources” (Managementstudyguide). 3) What are some of the drawbacks of using Twitter as a marketing tool? Twitter can be a very effective marketing tool that can be implemented at a low cost, but there are certain drawbacks associated with its use. The use of Twitter for marketing purposes is limited to the reach of the medium. A lot of people are not users of social media websites. Other channels such as television and the written press have greater reach than Twitter. The use of Twitter is not as popular among senior citizens as it is among teenagers. Using Twitter as a sole marketing strategy does not let companies achieve adequate penetration among all demographic groups. Another drawback of the use of Twitter for marketing purposes is that it prohibits companies from directly reaching its customers face to face. Conclusions Digital media has grown a lot in the 21st century due to the proliferation of wireless internet and smartphones. The broadband era has increased the popularity of e-commerce. Social media sites such as Twitter have given marketers an opportunity to connect with customers. Three characteristics of e-marketing are addressability, interactivity, and accessibility. Twitter can be used by companies to create a buzz among consumers. Other popular forms of social media are blogs. As the internet continues to gain popularity worldwide companies such as Twitter are going to continue to grow. Work Cited Page Carlson, N. 31 March 2011. “How Many Users Does Twitter Really Have?” 3 February 2012. Facebook.com. 2012. “Fact Sheet.” 3 February 2012. Managementstudyguide.com. 2012. “Secondary Data.” 3 February 2012. Plunkett Research. 27 March 2011. “Advertising & Branding Industry Overview.” 3 February 2012. Read More