Why businesses should join the Twitterverse

Twitter is one social network in particular that I believe is a fast and efficient way for businesses to communicate and engage with users online.

Let’s face it, no-one has the time, energy, or the patience to read a five page essay on why they should invest in your company. It’s for this very reason that Twitter is so effective. You’re limited to 140 characters, and have to get your point across in a matter of a few words, keeping it short and sweet.

If you can’t sell your products, services, or brand in 140 characters or less, it’s very unlikely that 1,400 characters are going to do any better.

So join the Twitterverse – literally the Twitter universe. Twitter has been so successful because it’s quick, free, constantly updated, and there’s no pressure to keep track of everything, so no threat of information overload.

Breaking news: as it happens

Not many companies can claim to have kept the newspaper publishing industry awake at night, but Twitter can. Ever since I signed up for a Twitter account, it has replaced my newspaper. “Mark Zuckerberg buys Instagram for $1 Billion”…guess who was the first to know? Twitter is churning out the news as it’s happening, and not necessarily from journalists or news sources, but on-the-ground eyewitnesses. Anyone can break the news on Twitter.

And unlike Facebook, where it is regarded as socially unacceptable to update your status every hour; with Twitter there is no such thing as tweeting too much. Whether you’re posting a link to your blog, making users aware of your brand, or just staying informed, having a social presence online gives you a competitive advantage.

I’m a Twitter junkie, and I’ve witnessed many businesses using Twitter not only as a means to advertise their products and services, but also as a way for them to engage with their potential and existing customers.

Any response is better than being ignored

As an online platform, Twitter can help companies remain to be seen in a favourable light in the eye of the consumer if they’re able to respond to customer queries (or complaints) in a timely and polite manner.

I recently had an unpleasant experience with my mobile network, and when I took to Twitter to express my grievances, threatening to change networks, I was pleasantly surprised by the response. My network provider replied within a few minutes, tweeting me a few times, apologising and providing me with several solutions to the problem.

Although I was disappointed with the service, and still had no reception for two days, I appreciated the response. Knowing the company cares enough to respond to every single query, whether they can help every time or not, makes the customer feel appreciated and acknowledged.

You can’t ignore Twitter

So if your business is not on Twitter right now,what exactly are you waiting for? We’re long past the days of social networks as the realm of tech geeks. Signing up is simple!

Here’s an easy to follow step-by-step instruction to help you set up a Twitter account:

1. Visit http://twitter.com
2. See where it says New to Twitter?
3. Fill in your full name, or company name in this case, your e-mail address, a password, and then click Sign up for Twitter.

And voila! Welcome to Twitter!