5th
The Future of Marketing?
Much has been said about Twitter in the last year.
Useless. Fad. Annoying.
But also, innovative. Personal. Inclusive. Amazing.
After doing a fairly deep dive over the last few months, I can categorically say its a great thing. But with all great things, it is only great if managed correctly. You need to be careful about the people you follow. You also should have an idea of what you want out of it; whether its just to share, learn, or just meet people.
Twitter is a fantastic way to meet strangers, and with the various tools and the way people reference others, you can find people who’s interests are near your own. That way you minimize the irrelevant chatter most people critical of Twitter harp on.
What it allows is one-to-one conversations, with people normally you’d have no contact with. That’s pretty cool. There’s real experts on there, and its a great place to learn.
Then I look at it as a marketer. As a channel for my clients to talk to their consumers directly. There are a group of brands on Twitter working hard; notably H&R Block, Whole Foods, and more recently Overstock.com. I was quite impressed with Overstock, after I followed them they returned the favor, and read this blog. In other words, they did their homework on me.
Me, being ONE person. But it impressed me, and I’m not easily impressed with marketing efforts. Thus I ponder what impact a brand could have if it spoke to consumers in this truly personal way, at a total ground level. Needs will be understood, products improved, experiences crafted.
And that’s the kind of marketing I look forward to.
