Twitter Survey Shows it's Gaining Acceptance

I am in the process of creating content for a presentation for printers on how to offer more marketing services. While working on this, it has become clear that Facebook and Twitter are the two hot properties today. Everyone wants to learn more about them, figure out how to use them better and if they work. On May 19, MarketingProfs, an online resource announced the results of a survey that shows Twitter is gaining acceptance among users as an important social media marketing tool. The survey was conducted between April 11-14.

According to the survey, 84 percent of small businesses said they expect their company’s use of Twitter to increase over the next six months – 46 percent by a “significant” margin. The survey results are part of a case study collection. Currently, 66 percent consider Twitter either “somewhat important” or “extremely important” to their company’s business/marketing operations, compared to 29 percent who consider it “not very important.” Click here for a summary.

On a five-point scale, 41 percent of respondents said Twitter delivers “great value” to their company, ranking ahead of LinkedIn, which garnered 25 percent of that category, and Facebook, which had 17 percent. Corporate blogs ranked at the top of the list with 52 percent saying it delivered great value, according to the small survey, which included more than 200 Twitter users.

The survey results are part of a new book Twitter Success Stories: How 11 companies are achieving their marketing objectives – 140 characters at a time. http://www.marketingprofs.com/store/product/21/twitter-success-stories/?adref=tcscpr  The 32-page report describes how 11 diverse businesses are using Twitter to achieve different business objectives. Included are:

• Disney leveraged one of the industry’s first Twitter sponsorships to promote its 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition “Pinocchio” Blu-Ray and DVD launch.
• Souplantation, a salad buffet restaurant, is using the micro-blogging service to drive in-store traffic through promotions, contests and “quick engagements.”
• The Coffee Groundz, a Houston-area coffee shop, built a vibrant customer community and increased sales by almost a third.

Readers, to contact Howie directly e-mail your comments here and to sign up for Howie’s free newsletter click here.