Ages ago, when I first came across
Twitter, it was all about following Ashton Kutcher and finding out what he had for breakfast. I could not believe it. All the hoopla over a lousy 140 characters of meaningless drivel!
But that was then. Today I am a converted man. I have seen Twitter evolve. I have seen people engage with it. I have seen brands engage with it. Twitter is now ready for giving a boost to your
ecommerce business. Are you ready for Twitter?
Note: If you have not already, then make sure that you read the twin article about
how ecommerce players should use Twitter. Also, consider visiting the
special page Twitter has set up for businesses.
Here are a few reasons for
ecommerce professionals to take Twitter seriously.
1. A Tweet Gets Right to the Point -- It Has To
Given that a tweet (Twitter lingo for a post on Twitter) is restricted to 140 characters, you have to deliver a crisp message. There is no other way. So, long copy, traditional
content marketing, and long
product descriptions are not going to work. Short, crisp messages have been labeled "elevator pitches," but a tweet is far more succinct.
2. Your Customers Are on Twitter
The number of active Twitter users has surpassed 500 million, and the number is growing rapidly. The likelihood that many of your customers and prospects are already on Twitter is very high. As an ecommerce business, can you stay glued to your own ecommerce website, or do you need to go where you customers are?3. Some Customers Are Almost Exclusively on Twitter
To emphasize the previous point, please note that it is not as if everyone who is active on Twitter is also active on Facebook and other social platforms. On the contrary there are many who have adopted Twitter as the social platform of choice, and are exclusively loyal to it. Can you afford to ignore that large user base?4. It Is Tough to Beat Twitter When it Comes to Creating a Buzz
Given the fraction of a minute that it takes to create a tweet, reply to it, retweet it, or republish it elsewhere, nothing is as fast as Twitter. So, if you want to send out a message right now, there might be no better platform than Twitter for you.5. Twitter Makes Auto Publishing and Scheduled-Publishing Easy
Every time your
ecommerce blog has a new post, you can set it up such that it is automatically tweeted. Of course
social media automation is a double-edged sword, and you should use it carefully. But the fact that Twitter makes it all so easy is definitely something that goes in its favor.
6. Twitter Is an Easy Way to Join the Conversation
While "joining the conversation" is getting to be part of many marketers' jargon, you can easily see it in action when you see your Twitter page. If you have a couple of hundred people you are following, you can see conversations taking place in real time. Once you get into the groove, this can be a highly
engaging experience.
7. Accessing and Publishing Is Very Easy Using a Mobile Device
As Internet access is getting increasingly mobile, users find that Twitter is one of the most versatile social platforms on tablets and smartphones. Its character limit also makes it suitable for people to tweet by sending in text messages.8. There Are Ways to Actually Complete the Transaction on Twitter Itself
Services such as
Chirpify allow you to accept payments without requiring users to exit Twitter. More and more service providers are likely to offer in-Twitter transactions.
9. Your Competitors Are on Twitter
If nothing else, then this should certainly get your attention. More and more businesses are getting on to the Twitter bandwagon. There is a good chance that several of your competitors are already tweeting away. Can you afford to be left out?
