We’ve all seen the case studies. The coffee shop that saw triple digit increases in sales. The food and ice cream trucks that are driving customers to their location each day. Even the Sunset Strip is (desperately) turning to Twitter. Judging by the many success stories, Twitter seems to have a well-deserved, proven place in the small business marketing toolbox.
But will it stay that way?
Small business turn to Twitter for a variety of reasons, none more important than its simplicity and cost. If I told you that your business could potentially increase sales using a free marketing tool that’s incredibly easy to use, you would certainly give it a try.
Over and over again, we hear that all Twitter and other social media tools cost us is our time. But what’s your time worth? What’s your hourly rate from 9-5? Why stop calculating at 5pm? If you make $15/hour, is it worth $15 for you to spend an hour a day on Twitter? Will you see an extra $15 in sales for your small business?
Perhaps the bigger question to ask is if you spend an hour a day on your other marketing efforts? Is Twitter’s free cost leading small businesses to rely too heavily on the popular tool? I can’t help but think that some businesses, who already have cut their marketing budgets, are giving social media an increasingly share of marketing time and dollars.
Is Twitter’s success and quick adoption due in part to the fact that we all have more free time in a recession to spend on something like social media? I think it may. And this leads me to question small business marketing priorities once the economy turns around and there’s money to spend.
Will small business turn to the proven, traditional marketing efforts and begin to phase out social media as their business picks up and grows, as they don’t have time to sit in front of the computer for a few hours a day?
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