As we enter 2023, it’s important to revisit the various social media platforms and assess their value to small businesses. One platform that has been a topic of conversation in recent months is Twitter, particularly after Elon Musk purchased the platform. This acquisition brought up questions about the platform’s validity and whether or not it is worth pursuing for small businesses.
At McNair Media, we have discouraged our small business clients from using Twitter actively for the last few years due to the limited resources and time that most small businesses have. However, we wanted to investigate whether or not Musk’s claims of massive traffic spikes were true, and whether or not the platform had improved in a way that would make it a viable marketing channel for small businesses.
Our Testing
After testing the platform, we found that not much has changed in terms of the ability for small businesses to advertise to their customers. While big brands may benefit from advertising on Twitter, small businesses don’t have a clear way to market themselves towards local traffic. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are much better for that kind of marketing.
Moreover, Twitter is no longer a reliable platform. The numerous outages and issues that have cropped up due to the massive layoffs that Musk has implemented have made the platform less trustworthy. This begs the question, is Twitter even a good platform for big brands at this point?
What About Twitter Blue?
Another question to consider is the value of Twitter Blue and the benefits of paying for Twitter as a way to boost traffic on the platform. In our testing, it really seems that having a verified checkmark actually does more to limit your reach than to give you more reach. It also seems that the platform ostracizes you with a Twitter Blue verification versus the old legacy verification checkmark.
A Final Goodbye
As we considered the viability of Twitter in 2023, it felt like sitting in a coffee shop that its best days had passed. If you are in the Findlay Ohio area, you are familiar with George House Coffee & Tea in downtown Findlay that recently closed. I was told about how wonderful it was to frequent there, the ambience of the bookshelves and more. However when I visited, its best days were behind it and it felt like a shell of its former self. Our VP of Operations felt inspired and wrote this as our final sendoff to the social media platform.
We need to take a moment to remember a beloved coffee shop that will soon close its door. For 17 years, we gathered to discuss, celebrate, berate and share. We grew up here. We drank from communal outrage and sipped on shared joys. In the blue light we shopped and chatted and came together to make the world a smaller place, a more connected place. Where will we find each other now? In the reel of Instagram? In the dance of Tik Tok? On the wall of Aunt Judy’s page? No! No. We are thrown out, lost in the cyber space, never to meet again. As the doors of our and dare I say your beloved shop close next month, remember. We are still connected and we will meet again. Goodbye, Bluebird. Goodbye, Twitter friends. May we find each other again.
Natalie McNair
In conclusion, small businesses should stay focused on more viable marketing channels such as search and social media platforms like Facebook to maximize their reach to local customers. While Twitter may have some value for big brands, its reliability issues and lack of a clear marketing strategy for small businesses make it a less attractive option overall. As always, it’s important to continually reassess social media platforms and adjust marketing strategies accordingly.
