IPO-driven changes and a different perspective on Twitter’s new look
By the time this column runs Thursday morning, Twitter will probably have gone public (if what we’ve been reading holds true). With a new horde of investors to please, marketers can expect Twitter to up its pitch to advertisers in hopes of bringing in more ad dollars – its most important form of revenue. That means one-on-one meetings with agencies and marketing teams, conference sessions featuring Twitter execs and, perhaps most importantly for marketers, new features and ad units.
In last week’s Social Scanner, I looked at one of Twitter’s biggest design tweaks to date – the auto displaying of photos and Vine videos. While I critiqued the change for altering consumers’ relationship to Twitter ads, the new look most certainly has its fans.
Among them is Gian LaVecchia, managing partner and digital lead at MEC New York, which handles media for Marriott, IKEA and AT&T.
LaVecchia said the clients and agencies he works with have yearned for a deeper media experience on Twitter for years. Dismissing claims made by some that the changes turn Twitter into a home for display ads, he said, “I see it as making the timeline a much richer creative canvas for brands to play with. If brands use it as a display platform, it’s quickly going to kill it.”
Addressing the concerns of last week’s Social Scanner, he said it’s too early to tell how the changes will affect consumers’ relationship to Twitter ads.
He said the onus is on marketers, rather than Twitter, to ensure the photos and vines they post are not invasive or annoying.
“The challenge for brands is that they’re under more pressure,” he said. “If you are taking up that percentage of real estate in the timeline, you better make sure you have something relevant to say.”
Understanding Ads on Twitter
Marketing has been looking at Twitter’s ad offering ahead of today’s expected IPO. In part one we spoke to Telus about its use of promoted tweets, Twitter’s first ad unit, and in part two we spoke to Starcom MediaVest about how its client, Kraft Canada, used the promoted account feature to gain 10,000 followers ahead of a campaign. Next, in part three, we spoke to Rogers about the risks of social media platforms like Twitter and the negative feedback it received when it purchased a promoted trend, Twitter’s third major ad unit now in market in Canada.
We’ll conclude the series with a look at Twitter’s evolving relationship with TV and the way marketers are able to target specific types of consumers by keyword, interest and geography in parts four and five, due out today and tomorrow.
The Numbers
Last week, Lithium Technology released a new study that shows consumers will punish brands that fail to respond quickly on social media. Here’s a look at some of the findings.
53%
consumers who expect a response to an inquiry on Twitter within an hour
72%
consumers who expect a response to an inquiry when they have a complaint on Twitter within an hour
60%
consumers who will take an unpleasant action to express their dissatisfaction with a customer service response on Twitter
74%
consumers who believe shaming a brand on Twitter leads to better customer service
42%
consumers who are more likely to praise a brand or recommend it to a friend when they receive good customer service on Twitter (some good news!)
