Here’s What Twitter Does Better Than Facebook

There is no question that Facebook is still KING when it comes to social media marketing. Across the globe, 800 million people use Facebook for connecting with friends, brands and companies. That’s a tremendous amount of market share. That being said, Twitter and its 200 million users offer awesome potential for marketers, advertisers and businesses.

 

Here’s why we think Twitter can offer your business advantages that Facebook cannot match!

 

There’s no clutter on Twitter. It’s 140 characters of news, connections, branding, marketing, etc. For the most part, Twitter cuts to the chase. There’s no personal B.S. No love lost. No love gained. No relationship status. No trifling behavior. No, “What are you doing on Friday night” chitter-chatter. Twitter is straight-forward and free of the unnecessary hoopla that convolutes the social media stratosphere. That’s great news for a business that would like to distribute its message, brand, products or services quickly, clearly and efficiently. Furthermore, Twitter is much more streamlined than Facebook. It focuses on one thing – the distribution of news in less than 140 characters – and it does it really, really well.

 

Look, Facebook is a powerful tool. We have been really impressed with how Facebook has added depth to its cache by creating “The Timeline,” “Places,” “Check-ins,” “Milestones,” etc. However, it’s this depth that clouds branding, marketing and advertising efforts. All these bells & whistles mean your message and your hard work may get lost in the shuffle.

 

There is no question that both Twitter and Facebook have tremendous viral power. That’s why so many businesses and brands have leveraged the platforms for their best interests. That’s also why new salaried positions are being created (i.e. Social Media Ninja, Social Media Manager, Social Media Wizard, etc) and emphasized by Fortune 500 companies. We think Twitter has more viral capabilities because of the strength and simplicity of hashtag (#) usage. Position a hashtag next to the word(s) that you want categorized. Then, watch as your Tweet is distributed all over the world thanks to that one little symbol. This viral capability is a goldmine for marketers, advertisers and businesses alike.

 

Yes, Twitter has more advantages than Facebook. We’ve documented some above. However, until Twitter (200 million) closes the gap in user disparity, Facebook (800 million) will remain as the social media KING. Ultimately, market share and user base are the best barometers or benchmarks for measuring marketing and advertising success. That’s why 30-second TV commercials positioned during the Super Bowl cost hand-over-fist more than a 30-second spot positioned during your 6 pm newscast.

 

If Twitter can close the user gap, we believe it will become the go-to social media platform for Fortune 500 companies and local economies. Make sure your business is on the cutting-edge of this social media evolution before it gets left behind and dusted by your competition.

 

Please let us know what you think in the comments section below.

 

This entry was written by Jerry Miller, the founder and president of Virginia Media Ventures, LLC