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So slowly we are beginning to see 'advert tweets' and companies that promise you money for tweeting relevant adverts to your followers. Now I don’t know about you, but I am finding this a rather worrying development.
Isn’t the whole point of Twitter and social media to have meaningful relationships, to share; to learn; to debate with our customers and supporters?
Are we abusing our followers trust by tweeting ‘paid for tweets’?
Now I know people may have affinity deals and we all promote our own organisation from time to time – whether it is an announcement of a new event, service or campaign. But I expect this and I actually want this. It is why I am following you. I want you to update me. It is the trade off, from you providing me with value. Or alternatively your twitter feed is purely a promotional feed. This again is ok(ish) as you have told me this in your bio. Your profile is called ‘NCVO promotions’ so I know what to expect when I choose to follow you.
What I don’t want to see is a stream of ‘advert’ tweets where my follows have been paid by a third party to tweet – whether it is an interesting ‘viral campaign’ or not.
I have read that third party companies match tweeters with relevant advertiser organisations so messages are relevant and are matched to what the tweeter ‘usually’ tweets about but I haven’t seen much evidence of that yet.
Transparency
Ok so you included #advert or something similar in your tweet to be transparent, but what you are also doing is making sure I don’t click on that tweet. You may as well just put a huge flashing banner, or pop up with ‘click here now’ on your feed. I don’t click on them and I won’t click on links in tweets with adverts in.
So then you remove this #hashtag as your click through rates to these advert tweets are much lower than your other tweets and you are not generating any income - now you lose transparency and my trust with it.
I may look up to you, and when you tweet or retweet, I follow – as if you are recommending an article of interest, I will read it – it is of value. I trust you. But now you send out paid for tweets and I don’t like it and my trust is starting to fade.
As a consumer and a marketer lets not disrespect SM and our followers, destroying this communication channel we have carefully built up. I am investing my time with you. I don’t want to think of a time when 80% of my twitter feed is made up of adverts. What value am I getting then? Are you really thinking of me when you tweet or are you just thinking of the pound signs you get.
You can generate income from Twitter and social media. And its not by reverting to the ‘push marketing’ techniques of old. Build genuine two relationships with your supporters; answer their questions and give them value. You will see the ROI if you genuinely want to help and converse with your customers and supporters. You need to be in it for the long term and a short term ‘one click stand’ will not win you followers or more importantly trust. And I for one don’t want to see Twitter being used in this way.
ps join me on twitter at http://twitter.com/ClaireRollo
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