Twitter Vs. SMS For SMBs

Regular readers know that I’m bullish on text messaging for small or medium-sized businesses needing to bring more customers more often.

There are tens of thousands of examples of SMBs seeing value in the development and nurturing of a permission-based database. One that I heard about recently is a tattoo shop in Utah that fills open appointment slots by sending out offers to opt-ins that get viewed and acted upon within minutes.

There are dozens of other examples in my Mobilized Marketing book. 

Of course, SMBs have alternatives. One is Twitter, a service that promises that it can help an SMB “connect with potential customers and increase your follower base.”

Follower bases are good, but what about the more customers, more often need?

Let’s take a look:

Twitter encourages SMBs to create a presence on the social network, then to integrate it across all marketing channels.

It recommends that businesses feature their @username on their website and ask customers to follow them. Further, Twitter suggests SMBs import an email contact list to follow and interact with customers. Also, it encourages businesses to join industry-related conversations and connect with influencers through hashtags.

Through a lead form, it offers a marketing “kickstart” with supposed easy tips, templates and a content calendar.

Twitter has dedicated account for SMBs (@TwitterSmallBiz) as well as a blog

https://blog.twitter.com/small-business.

Have you followed an SMB on Twitter?

Have you gone into a brick and mortar or bought on line after seeing a tweet from an SMB?

Do you know an SMB that is using Twitter and seeing success?

Is there an SMB that replaced a permission-based SMS club with Twitter and grew sales and loyalty?

Twitter says that it has 255 million active monthly users with 77% of the accounts outside the U.S.

There are 326 million mobile users in America, according to CTIA – The Wireless Association. comScore says that 75% text on a regular basis. Multiple studies report that approximately one-third of mobile subscribers are interested in joining a text club from a brand or business.

There just doesn’t seem to be any rationale for using Twitter and not text.

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This post was written as part of the IBM for Midsize Business program http://Goo.gl/t3fgW, which provides midsize businesses with the tools, expertise and solutions they need to become engines of a smarter planet. I’ve been compensated to contribute to this program, but the opinions expressed in this post are my own and don't necessarily represent IBM's positions, strategies or opinions.

Notes From A Mobilized Marketer - The "There's a Text For That" Edition

25 percent of married or partnered adults who text have texted their partner when they were both home together, according to Pew. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll pick up the dog poop soon” fits easily in the allotted character limit.

One more – 25 percent of cell phone owners in a marriage or partnership have felt their spouse or partner was distracted by their cell phone when they were together. I would’ve guessed this one is about 80 percent.

An app to help you write like Hemingway? Ernest or Seymour?

Office for iPad is reportedly coming before July. Nudge me if you’ve heard this in previous years.

Study: 78 percent of iPhone owners have ‘blind loyalty’ and will buy anything Apple makes.

Prices are going up for Gogo. Speeds? Not so much or at least so fast.

More than one billion Android devices have been activated and more than 700 million iOS devices sold: Forrester.

HTC is looking to low-end phones as a solution for dramatically fallen sales.

61 percent of shoppers use a smartphone before shopping, spend more on average than those who don't, according to Econsultancy.

Apple is said to have gathered an All-Star team of medical experts, scientists, and designers to build the iWatch. Another report says it may gauge signs of impending heart attack. I wonder how doctors will view this innovation.

An Android tablet for $30 not worth the money? True, according to revered tech reviewer Walt Mossberg, who said the Optik 2 is product that doesn’t even do core functions properly.

American Express has added a new live video chat feature to its iPad app.

New to the Sears ShopYourWay app is the ability to buy via mobile, then pick up the item at the nearest retail outlet within five minutes of parking outside the store.