Twitter Marketing – Strategic Considerations
Does Twitter Marketing make sense today? In the dynamic field of Digital Marketing Strategy, a primary concern for our corporate clients is assessing their social media footprint and its impact on their business objectives. It is vital for every enterprise to periodically evaluate their social media imprint, and measure the impact of their strategic efforts.
Twitter Mob of Angry Users
Recently our clients have raised questions about Twitter Marketing. A change in the platform’s ownership has precipitated an array of new policies which are leading clients to question the value of their Twitter presence, Twitter’s recent decision to cap non-paying users’ daily feed view, has been roundly rejected by both its verified members and non paying community. Initially limited to 600 per day, it is a stark reduction of a key user activity. As of April, Google reports, a meager 640,000 of Twitter’s 353 million users subscribed to the premium service.
From a marketing perspective, this radical policy change poses significant concerns. The reduction in available posts to non-paying users implies a proportional decrease in the number of displayed advertisements, thereby potentially undermining ad visibility and reach. Moreover, this altered paradigm at Twitter has resulted in commentary on posts becoming overwhelmingly dominated by paid account holders, many of which tend to propagate hostile discourse and extreme political commentary. The platform’s proclaimed era of “free speech” seems to have devolved into an environment where the algorithm disproportionately favors those who financially contribute, thus posing a threat to brand image and reputation.
As exemplified in a post by Anheuser Busch, the company experienced extreme financial harm due to the platform’s newly developed algorithms amplifying the backlash of a small angry mob of paying users. Given the current circumstances, we assess that the potential benefits of engaging are outweighed by the potential harm that can come from a negative interaction. We advocate a strategy of minimized engagement on the platform to preempt the risk of reputational damage.
The current dynamics of Twitter as a social media platform necessitate strategic caution. Abrasive political rhetoric and the potential for rapid escalation of controversy can threaten an enterprise’s reputation in mere hours. Given these considerations and the distinct demarcation of risk, we now advise our clients to reconsider Twitter as a platform for growth and brand enhancement.
We recommend platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, or LinkedIn, each of which provides a distinctive, safer, and potentially more productive landscape for engagement and strategic growth.
