Behold the social phenomenon that is Twitter.
The social networking and micro-blogging service hit the Internet in 2006 and, according to analysis by Alexa, is now among the top 50 most popular websites in the world. Earlier this year, Nielsen (http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/twitters-tweet-smell-of-success/) analyzed the fastest growing member community destinations and ranked Twitter number one with a huge 1,382 percent growth rate from February 2008 to February 2009.
Since then, the free service has become much more than just a way to let friends and family know what you’re up to in real time. Savvy business owners and creative advertising companies are finding ways to use the service to connect with current and potential customers in innovative ways.
Several Las Vegas companies have jumped on the Twitter bandwagon in recent weeks with innovative marketing campaigns designed to engage, and ultimately reward, loyal followers with everything from free show tickets to cash.
In August, Tao Nightclub at the Venetian hosted “The $5,000 Tweasure Hunt.” There were just two requirements for participation. You had to have a mobile device capable of receiving Twitter updates and a digital camera with a display function.
Contestants received a series of clues at 20-minute intervals via Twitter and then rushed to find and photograph yellow, plush birds, which had been strategically placed in various locations around the property. The first one to the finish line with their digital photo album won the prize. The event was a success and organizers are already planning a second Tweasure Hunt.
Earlier this month, Luxor headliner Criss Angel hosted a less formal scavenger hunt inside the Believe Merchandise Store. One evening he announced via Twitter that four tickets would be hidden in the store the following day. Three clues and one hour after it started, the hunt ended when a pair of female fans located the show passes in the dressing room taped to the back of a photograph of the magician.
The Las Vegas Hilton is currently running a promotion for free three-night getaways. In exchange for your contact information (name, email, birthdate and Twitter Username) they’ll give you one entry into the grand prize drawing on September 25. Contestants must also follow the Las Vegas Hilton on Twitter and winners need to respond within 24 hours via the Twitter direct message system to claim their prize.
Other hotel properties use Twitter to announce “exclusive Twitter only” rates that require direct response via a special link.
Twitter can be a powerful marketing tool if you dream up creative ways to engage your customers. Reach beyond the usual sales announcements that tend to be repetitive and make it easy for your followers to tune out. Instead, think of ways to encourage them to interact with you like answering a relevant trivia question to score merchandise or gift certificates.
What ways do you use Twitter and other social marketing venues to promote your business?
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