Before becoming America’s 45th president, Donald Trump was previously a real estate magnate and a former reality star. Throughout the just concluded presidential elections, political critics and commentators insisted Donald Trump should leave his Twitter account and give it a rest. Instead, Trump ignored them and bypassed mainstream media preferring technology which continued to publicize his provocative sentiments without filters. His daring approach undoubtedly altered the attention of a broad public and the press giving him an estimated $ 2billion worth of free airtime. It, therefore, goes without saying that businesses and entrepreneurs can learn a lot from Trump on winning over vast segments of consumers through Twitter.
- Trumps use of Attention Grabbing and Controversial Content
Trump’s tweets are eye-catching to both the media and public due to their abrasive and provocative nature making them irresistible. He calls out particular individuals, institutions, and firms and demands a response. What is astonishing is that he does this in front of a mass audience of around 300 million Twitter users. Trump’s tweets are controversial since they strike raw nerves and speak brazenly about issues that people struggle to talk about; this includes sexism, race, and nationalism versus globalism, status inequity, and financial security. Trump uses these subjects to pursue cultural resonance, and he is adept at it. Trump understands that branding is a joint activity between an individual/firm and their follower/clients, it’s a co-production on a cultural stage.
Businesses following Trump’s lead should consider how to make their tweets inflammatory to draw attention and buoy up discussions that go far beyond the social media platform on which the statement was initially posted. However, business leaders should be careful on how far to go and always weigh the risks against the rewards. Furthermore, Twitter is perfect for this kind of marketing messages since a 280 character limit elicits controversy due to a lack of details thus allowing several interpretations of the tweet. This format results in controversy and media attention, ultimately increasing the audience.
- Knowing Your Consumer’s Persona – Conservative Voters
A buyer persona is a fictions depiction of the ideal customer. Companies that intend to get the most out of their marketing expenses figure out their buyer’s persona and discover what they want. Trump excelled in this, and he directed his campaign team to listen to conservative talk shows and listen to the issues affecting conservative voters. Trump then used this information to come up with his campaign policies. He capitalized on their aspirations and fears by talking about them directly and emphasized on the terrible consequences of these issues not being dealt with. Companies must replicate this and understand their customer needs and preferences before coming up with products and services. This kind of information on your target market can be instrumental in developing your brand if you utilize the data correctly.
- Trump’s Use of Twitter to Cut Costs
Trump’s utilization of Twitter helped him gain a considerable traction at a fraction of what his competitors spent to publicize their messages. For instance, during the Republican nominations, Trump beat 16 opponents while spending virtually nothing on advertisements. On television adverts, he spent a mere $2 per vote while Chris Christie, Lindsay Graham, and Jeb Bush used $257 $247 $241 respectively. During the general election, Hillary Clinton used triple the amount Trump used, $211 million compared to $74 million. Firms use vast amounts of money in marketing and advertising in attempts to reach their consumers. To cut back on marketing costs, businesses could use Twitter and social media to market; furthermore, social media reaches a far higher demographic than TV ads, for instance, Facebook has over a billion active users while Twitter has 300 million users.
Celebrities and their Importance on Twitter
Twitter can make issues and products go viral through creating an epidemic of interest using a few targeted influencers mainly celebrities who use their Twitter profiles to spread messages or advertise a product among their followers. Celebrities use the connection they have with their followers to appeal to potential buyers. When a star like Kim Kardashian signs up to be a sponsored tweeter for a firm the brand gets a lot of exposure, and she is paid in return. Companies that use this approach expect to extend their reach by captivating the celebrity’s followers and elicit interest in their products.
Tips on How to use Twitter for Business
Using Follower Targeting to Attract the Right Audience
Post a Range of Relevant Content
Connecting your Followers with Other Influencers
Remember to Always Optimize and Test
Try to be as Responsive as Possible
Buying followers lead to gaining an increased audience which is interested in you and your activities. People like Drew can buy Twitter followers to promoted brand and launched their career by improving Twitter social media metrics.