We get asked this ALL the time and it’s a very big question because it determines not only how you spend your time but who is getting your messages.
Here’s the ONE answer to this very big question: It depends on your customers!
You know the saying that the customer is always right? Well, it’s true here too and the customer also determines where you should be sharing your amazing gifts.
Confused? Let’s break it down.
Twitter relies on conversation. It’s a way for your customers to get to know you in a more personal and casual way. Most Twitter users are younger, more tech-savvy, enjoy connecting with people they don’t know personally on a daily basis. They also love chatting.
Facebook is more of a broadcasting platform where you post your new blog posts, products shots, sales, surveys, etc. Facebook users range from teenagers to grandmas. The people who love Facebook are on there to keep up with family and friends. They’ll check less often than Twitter users but they want to be up-to-date on the big news from you.
They still both sound good, right? There’s nothing that says you can’t use both! In fact, most people do! But if you don’t want to keep splitting your time, or if you feel your social media is not giving you the response you want, then think about this: where are your customers?
How old are your customers? How often do they want to hear from you? Do they follow other businesses on Facebook or Twitter? Do they want just the big news or do they want to chat with you about things in the works, offer advice for new shops to pitch, etc?
If your customers aren’t on Facebook (or spend much less time there than on Twitter), then use Hootsuite to post important news BOTH to Twitter and Facebook. Time saved! Or, if your customers don’t like Twitter, then just focus on Facebook and a mailing list! There’s nothing that says you have to do everything on every platform because if your customers aren’t there, you’re wasting your time! And we all know time is the one resource we don’t have enough of.
Make a profile of your customers and figure out which platform they prefer: Facebook or Twitter. Or post a survey and ask people how they connect with you AND how they would prefer to connect with you. Then focus your attention on the site where your customers actually are! You’d be amazed by how much interaction and sales you’ll get that way!
{Featured image via Curateur}
Great post and something I often get asked so I will point people here. Putting it on my Pinterest boards too. I prefer Twitter and have got work via Twitter plus I find it much better for networking online. Possibly because my business isn’t visual plus I prefer to use Twitter so you’ll find me there more often than Facebook. Although I do realise the power of Facebook too. Thanks for sharing on Bizsugar.com
I’m not sure that I completely agree with you about Facebook. I think engagement/conversation is in many respects even more important on there, particularly when you consider how edgerank impacts. I do however agree that most businesses are currently using FB to broadcast but for me an engagement led approach will produce better results on there.
Oh, there’s no denying that an engagement led approach always works best. It’s just less of a continuous conversation on Facebook. So glad it’s working for you though!
Hi Megan,
I have the complete opposite experience with FB and Twitter to your experience above. However, your main points are relevant and valid – find out where your customers are, and interact with them there.
Also, I am intrigued if G+ will make an impact here – it seems to me that it is slowly but surely gaining traction – and perhaps will surprise us one of these days, and just explode like twitter and pinterest did
Hi Megan,
Online, offline the customer rules. That’s the way business goes. If the customer doesn’t like you, you’re out of business so its very important to know who they are.
The more you know about them the better.
This way you can be of better service to them.
Knowing what they want and giving it to them is the best way to keep an get customers.
Twitter and Facebook are two biggies there fore I use both and get to build relationships with a great bunch of people.
Terry Conti