Twitter and the Brand Bowl
The Baltimore Ravens became Super Bowl champs last week, but Twitter took home the prize as far as getting the attention of advertisers. According to Marketing Land, Twitter was mentioned in 26 of 52 national TV commercials (50% of all spots), Facebook was mentioned in four and Google+ wasn’t mentioned at all.
Twitter dominated in terms of marketers integrating social with their national TV campaigns, and it shows where marketers see the social TV conversation going—Twitter. Brands also used Twitter, not Facebook, to pounce on real-time social conversations related to the blackout.
Most brand social integrations were #hashtags, which arguably can be used on any social network. However, they are primarily associated with Twitter, so while it’s likely conversations spilled into other social networks, advertisers were squarely focused on Twitter.
Twitter also posted some impressive engagement stats, which suggests brands correctly anticipated where people would be interacting and followed suit by using Twitter.
Commercial Choices Showcase Platform Strengths and Weaknesses
This is just one study, and its findings can be easily overstated. However, it does point to some key strengths and weaknesses between Facebook and Twitter.
Marketers understand Twitter. It’s easy for them to grasp and understand. Its open nature makes it the ideal channel to mobilize an audience around a brand in real-time at any given moment. In addition, that’s where people congregate during shared cultural moments.
Facebook, on the other hand, is more complicated. Marketers need to understand the content as well as the advertising and how it all works together. Facebook’s made it so you can’t be successful in one without the other. Despite this, the extra effort may be worthwhile. Facebook shows more potential in terms of using social TV engagement to influence action.
According to eMarketer, Facebook was most influential in terms of getting people to watch a TV show with 41% of respondents watching a program due to opinions of others online. Twitter came in second, but at only 14%. This may, in part, be caused by the nature of relationships on different social platforms. Facebook is made up of a user’s closest, most personal relationships, while relationships on Twitter tend to be looser.
Desired Behavior Should Impact Platform Prioritization
Marketers should consider the behavior of their customers on social platforms and how their connections on various platforms influence them. If the goal is awareness, the platform with the most conversation and greatest likelihood of being shared by many people may be the best option. However, if the goal is to change or encourage a behavior, another platform may be more successful. Think about the desired action and then choose the appropriate place to deliver a message or send consumers.