Twitter's Changing The GamePlan: What Does This Mean For Your Business?

Twitter is one of the main social media sites used by businesses, big & small, to promote their services & interact with potential customers. Twitter has recently made big changes in their policies & is attempting to launch new programs toward small businesses. Are these moves good for Twitter? Is Twitter the right platform for your small business? Let's get into the details & you decide.

Twitter recently discontinued their relationship with the social media network LinkedIn. An official letter was released by the LinkedIn offices stating that "Starting today Tweets will no longer be displayed on LinkedIn". In the letter, they explain that you can post first on LinkedIn & then 'Share' the post to Twitter, but not vice versa. These changes were made by Twitter since they've been re-developing their strategies. This change is good for (but might upset) those who use the auto-synchronizing option out of laziness & disorganization. As a business owner, you should already know that auto-synchronizing your social media platforms is a no-no; you want each to be unique with the approach by who you're targeting. As for Twitter, this move received mixed reviews. It would have seemed more legitimate if they would have given Facebook the same treatment, however they did not. This is a good strategy for LinkedIn; have you checked out your profile this week? The layout is definitely less focused on Twitter & more on the LinkedIn features. If you use your LinkedIn more often, this change is a win for you.

Switching gears a little, Twitter also started a new program for small business that might benefit you directly. This also received mixed reviews from the small businesses they targeted to test out the program. Twitter has been giving away $100 in free ads to small businesses, allowing them to promote their business across the site. There are pro & cons to investing in these ads:

Pros

• Your business spreads wider than your local community
• Inexpensive 
• Increase profits
• Increase followers

Cons

• If your service is given locally, a wider fan base wouldn't be necessary 
• For some businesses, Twitter ads are an expense that can make them lose money instead of gain
• Your tweets can be directed towards consumers that have no interest in your business

The two biggest points would be: (1) if your business is locally-based (plumber, nail salon, mom & pop store), these ads are not you. (2) You have to decide if the investment is within your budget (you do have a budget, right?). It worked for some, not so much for others. 

Does your company need to tweet-tweet? 

- Shantavia Thomas