If a Tweet falls in the forest, but no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
In a 2011 article, CBS News reports that even if a Twitter user has 57k followers, less than 2% of people engage with their Tweets. The article successfully argues Twitter as a waste of time for the average small business if the goal is to actually broadcast a message. While Twitter for business does help with SEO and minor social media relationships, it is not the ideal way to be heard by a large audience.
So what’s a small business to do?
If you are looking to make some noise on Twitter, look no further than Thunderclap.
I was recently introduced to the online tool while working to promote author Ben Arment’s upcoming book, “Dream Year: Make the Leap from a Job You Hate to a Life You Love” and it is definitely a great way to increase social reach. Created by De-De Digital Product Studio in 2012, Thunderclap messages have reached over 1.5 billion people in 235 countries.
According to the website,
“Thunderclap is the first-ever crowdspeaking platform that helps people be heard by saying something together. It allows a single message to be mass-shared, flash mob-style, so it rises above the noise of your social networks. By boosting the signal at the same time, Thunderclap helps a single person create action and change like never before.”
How it Works for Online Marketing
Take the current campaign for Arment’s book launch as an example. With the book hitting shelves on August 5th, his goal is to reach as many people as possible the day of the release. By creating a Thunderclap campaign, he is able to reach an audience of almost 300k! Thunderclap works with Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr, but for the purpose of this blog, we will focus on the Twitter aspect.
3 Simple Steps
1. Craft a simple actionable message with a deadline – one message, one time, one date.
The message for Arment’s campaign is, “Frustrated by an unrealized dream? Check out Ben Arment’s new book and take the leap to make it happen. #dreamyear [insert link to product]” It not only includes a call-to-action, but it includes hashtags and the link to the book.
The deadline for this particular campaign is August 5th because that is when his book launches. The deadline is also the day the message will be automatically broadcast by all supporters. The message will only go out once and campaign managers can choose the date and time.
2. Consistently promote the campaign using all available channels.
This is what makes Thunderclap work. In order to create noise, you must ask your followers, employees, friends and family to donate a Tweet. It only takes them a few seconds and by donating a Tweet they are giving Thunderclap permission to automatically broadcast the actionable message via their account on August 5th.
Additionally, Thunderclap requires a goal to be met in order for the message to go out. For Arment’s campaign, at least 250 people need to join in by August 5th or it fails. Thunderclap recommends setting a low goal for your first campaign, but goals can be set as high as 500 supporters.
3. Build on your momentum.
Ask your supporters to share with their followers and try to create a domino effect. Promote the campaign on your website, blog, newsletter, etc; Thunderclap even has a great widget that you can easily embed into your site. Work hard to meet your goal because, if met, you could reach your largest audience yet. If the goal is not met, the message won’t go out at all.
Thunderclap works for businesses because it allows users to develop a specific message, for a specific time and for a large audience. It is the best way to broadcast your most important content at the most strategic time.
In addition to the campaign, Thunderclap offers comprehensive analytics for brand managers.
To learn more about Thunderclap or to start a campaign for your business, visit www.thunderclap.it
If you want to see what it’s like to be a supporter for a Thunderclap campaign, join the Dream Year Book Launch Campaign – we have 8 days left to gain 100 more supporters!
