Twitter or Facebook – Which is Best for Traffic Generation

In a time where print advertising and traditional marketing are being phased out, many companies are looking at new age media, also known as social media as a means of creating more engagement amongst their clients. Several apps and networks are available, however the two most popular are that of Facebook and Twitter. Although hosting completely different goals and motives, these two social networks have been proven to help generate traffic and business.

Of course the best option to enhance traffic generation is to utilize both, since they attract very different types of clientele. Keep in mind that even after setting up a Twitter and Facebook account they will not run themselves, and it will take interaction and creativity to keep your traffic interested. As we discuss the pros and cons of both, please keep in mind that personalization is key in addition to building and maintaining the relationships that come forth from these social media outlets.

Twitter – PROS

• Easy to Grow Traffic
  Twitter is practically viral, which leads to enhanced traffic. Although Facebook users can access various content on a business page from looking at what their friends have shared, tweets are accessible to absolutely everyone unless a profile is private.
• Obtain the Followers you Want
  Twitter makes it extremely easy to target the followers you want looking at your content. Successful companies will filter their followers for customers and fans who will ultimately re-tweet their posts and spread the word.
• Great for Providing Services
  Twitter is becoming more popular for clients who are seeking a specific good or service. When seeking out such requests, Twitter enables all tweets that have certain keywords and mentions in them which in turn are seen by the client requesting the service.

Twitter – CONS

• Only 140 Characters per Tweet
  Talk about not enough text! Although some may see this as a pro, only allowing 140 characters makes for rough advertising. Updates and blurbs are great, but how many times do you have to post tweets for someone to get the true attention of your message?
• No Room for Real Relationships
  As stated above, 140 characters per tweet in my mind is not efficient in creating valuable relationships.
• Quality of Followers/Spam
  Twitter contracts an immense amount of spam. Several users set up accounts just to follow people so they will follow that person back in return. This method may increase your followers, but they will not be that of quality.

Facebook – PROS

• More Engagement
  Facebook allows for real engagement from fans and users. Advice can be given along with reviews and comments. A well-built Facebook page will even attract fans to start sharing and being excited about page content.
• Advertised Traffic
  Facebook has an entire platform based around various advertising options. Unlike Twitter where several people “buy” followers, Facebook actually has advertising that is specific to both geographical aspects and characteristics of fans that have not yet been reached.
• More Apps Available
  Facebook app developers are becoming more and more popular and developing useful (and mostly free) apps that business owners can use to their advantage. Everything from analytical to user engagement apps exist and can easily be found by a simply search.

Facebook – CONS

• Consumers Wary of Spam
  If you go on Facebook one of the first things you will notice are advertisements. Yes, more spam is existent than on Twitter.
• Strict Business Page Rules
  Businesses beware! Facebook closely monitors what they consider as spam activity. Even though you may not mean any harm, one simply mistake could lead your page to be disabled or even shut down.
• Hard to Obtain Genuine “Likes”
  Unless you have various ads running or a customer is doing a specific search for your company, it is extremely hard to gain genuine likes. Advertising is the number one resource followed by word of mouth on Facebook.

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