Twitter Marketing: The Wave of the Future, huh?

Twitter is a network for the dissemination of news, conversation and information gathering. No other network on the planet features up-to-the-minute news delivered by ordinary citizens experiencing the news. There are several “personal update” networks similar to Twitter, but none offer the same speed and convenience. Using it for marketing, on the other hand, is something else entirely.

Right now, Twitter is inundated with marketers sending out link after link after link to buy products, visit websites, and even learn how to “market on Twitter.” The problem is that the links become recognizable, similar to the way a telemarketing phone call immediately flashes its red flags when you answer the phone. So the years of traditional Twitter marketing may be coming to an end.

What doesn’t end is the ability to converse with your customers. Comcast and Southwest Airlines actively use Twitter to solve problems, listen to customer complaints, and eavesdrop on real-time conversations about themselves. Watch the 60 Minutes episode about the people of Virginia and how some people’s addiction to Mt. Dew has caused their teeth to rot. Pepsi Co. was immediately able to monitor what people were saying about the episode and was able to gather information on how to react from its customers. This type of covert collection of marketing information is too valuable to go away anytime soon.

Finally, the social interaction offered by Twitter will give small businesses the opportunity to interact with potential customers. While it’s less of a marketing strategy and more of a long-term branding plan, this one-on-one interaction that other people can see will pay off for all small businesses.