By Dez Duran-Lamanilao

Comprising more than half of all US sales (28 million), small businesses can provide unique services, outstanding customer service, and more personalized expertise to their consumers. Having lower operating costs, it also follows that small businesses have less advertising budget than the bigger players do in the market.

If you own a business yourself, you know the importance of finding ways to engage and connect with your loyal followers and prospective customers in a cost-efficient manner. What better way to do this but using social media to solidify your presence. With over 300 million active users as of 2017, Twitter can help you do just that.

Here are a few more Twitter user statistics that you can use to market your product or service:

  • The US is one of the top three countries by user count, with more than 30% of online users likely to be millennials.
  • Around 30% of Twitter users in the US are in college or have a college degree and are likely to have above-average income.
  • You can reach both genders, since there is no statistical difference in terms of the number of male and female users.

What can this social networking service do for your small business?

  1. Twitter can help you spread your message to a large group. You can reach out to your existing customers and make your presence known to potential ones. Give them the latest news and updates with just a few (but impactful) characters. You can even create live videos to share breaking news or major live events.
  1. Be informed. The Twitter Search feature allows you to find out the hot topics for the day, the people who are talking about these topics, and when and where they are happening. Getting this information is helpful especially if you are planning your next marketing initiative.
  1. You can position or reposition your brand without having to spend too much. Just remember to give out the kind of image that your followers will be able to remember; something that they can associate positively with.
  1. Engage and connect. Every business needs a direct and constant communication with the target audience. Failing to do this gives your competitors the chance to grab your share of the market. With the right combination of words, you can let your audience know that you are thinking of them and value their insights and opinions.

Size definitely matters. Make it big with Twitter.