The top reason users follow SMBs on Twitter

SMBs on Twitter

Twitter and social media play a crucial role in marketing small and medium size businesses. The way SMBs employ social media marketing may vary from business to business--and not all the reasons are well founded.

Twitter recently released some research based on a survey of 500 followers of SMBs in the US and UK, conducted by Market Probe International that helps to shed some light on the reasons these users follow the brands.

Top reason surveyed Twitter users follow SMBs

• Get updates on future products (73%)
• To receive support (63%)
• Interact with the businesses, such as by sharing ideas or providing feedback (61%)

The survey points out that 85% of small and medium business followers feel more connected with the brands after following them via social media. Social platforms act as a way for brands to build good will with their constituency and for their constituency to be heard. With these concepts in mind, it is important to point out that brands have a distinct opportunity with social media, like Twitter, to respond to their followers--strengthening these sentiments.

Twitter also released some studies claiming that Promoted Tweets have an impact with offline sales for CPG brands (Promoted Tweets drive offline sales for CPG brands, August 8, 2013).  This is critical for retail marketing, because, as Twitter points out, 94 percent of retail activity still happens in the physical world. Yet, certainly, with the growth of mobile Internet usage and the rapid adoption of social media by consumers, there vital connection between one's online behaviors and in-store shopping.

SOURCE: Twitter, August 8, 2013: https://blog.twitter.com/2013/promoted-tweets-drive-offline-sales-for-cpg-brands