This post was published June 8, 2011.
“Bain: 80% of Twitter engagement is link clicking.”
This heading caught my attention in my Twitter stream, and yes, I clicked on the link. The Twitter link took me to a CNN Money article by JP Mangalindan with some interesting user engagement data from Adam Bain, Twitter President of Global Revenue.
Mangalindan writes,“When it comes to Twitter advertising, Bain says 80% of Twitter engagement consists of people clicking on a Tweet, while the remaining 20% is a Retweet or a Tweet… in doing so [retweeting], they’ve transformed it from advertising to content endorsement.”
Mangalindan continues, citing some compelling examples of how many of the top Tweets “of all time”are advertisements.
Wow. The top tweets of all time are advertisements.
Let that sink in.
Grumpy Social Media ‘experts’
I have always been a little annoyed when Social Media ‘experts’ warn people not to ‘sell’ on Twitter. I’ve read many blogs where Social Media ‘experts’ have lectured readers from their gilded cages chirping about the evils of using Social Media to sell.
If you run a business and are passionate about what you do, why shouldn’t you share your passion? Why wouldn’t it be ok for you to share a link to your website to tell a larger audience about what you do? Silly grumpy experts.
Spam Scarlet Letter
I’ve heard people criticizing fellow tweeps who send repeat messages and links. “Business person, you stand accused of Spamming. Verdict – Guilty. Mark them with the Spam Scarlet Letter.”
To me this is similar to people who willingly exchange business cards but later complain when someone has the audacity to contact them to tell them about the product or service they feigned interest in at a networking event.
Don’t get me wrong; these people are entitled to feel annoyed or irritated by whatever they want whenever they want. The trouble is that they often rock the confidence of people who desperately need to proactively connect with people to spread the word about their businesses.
A new Twitter user who reads a blog telling them that sharing links to your website is spam may avoid the Spam Scarlet Letter, but be marked by the most tragic fate of all, getting no return on investment from their Social Media efforts.
As an owner of a White Label Social Media Agency, I know that sharing links on Twitter increases website traffic. Pay per click advertising like Google Adwords has gained a place in the marketing arsenal of many businesses. I hope that these latest figures go some way in helping people add the Twitter cluster bomb to their arsenal. (No need to throw out those email marketing hand grenades or direct mail fire bombs. You will still need them.)
Twitter can drive traffic to your site. With pay per click, you have one shot. The person clicks, and they either engage, or you may never hear from them again.
Why not try a Twitter cluster bomb? If you send a tweet containing a link, one of your followers may retweet it, resulting in people you don’t even know clicking on the link and following you on Twitter. Your new followers might read your next tweet and click on the link and repeat this process until they trust you enough to buy.
The statistics show that people will engage with links that are advertising products and services. Woo-hoo! Time to add the Twitter cluster bomb to your marketing arsenal.
I encourage you to read JP Mangalindan’s article, “Bain:80% of Twitter engagement is link clicking.”
