TV advertising works. You may not like it, and as a digital marketer, you may bristle at the idea that it’s effective. But it’s hard to imagine marketers spending some $76B a year on something that’s completely ineffective. (Which doesn’t mean they’re not slow in adapting to digital’s strengths …)
The folks at Twitter probably wish there was some sort of proof that TV advertising doesn’t work, because as Shelly Palmer points out, Twitter gets a huge volume of free advertising as broadcasters do all they can to get you to tweet about their shows.
And still, the user numbers for Twitter are fairly paltry in the grand scheme of things.
That doesn’t mean that Twitter sucks or that you should replace it with other social media channels. It’s still one of the most powerful social media networks/broadcast platforms available, but the hype may outpace the substance.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, channels like Twitter should be a complement to mundane and unsexy things like your website and a strong email marketing list. Those are channels and presences you own. They are things you can rely on when the next big thing comes along and unseats Twitter. (Even if – or especially if – the next big thing is more hype than substance.) Because when that next big thing comes along, you’re building your following from scratch just like everyone else.
