Facebook or Twitter? What’s the better blink?

Without fail, this question comes up in almost every marketing or social media pitch I make to a client. The answer (although cliché) is: it depends. What you need to ask yourself, is what do you want to achieve from this social adventure?

Executed for their specific purpose, both Facebook and Twitter can be effective. While Twitter is ideal for short bursts of information about your brand or industry, Facebook can help you tell your story and engage your customers.

If you do choose Facebook as your primary social media marketing tool, remember that no one likes a page with no friends or interactions. Just like in real life, if your Facebook page is boring, chances are you won’t be getting very many Likes or interactions. If you can create Facebook content that is inspiring and resonates with fans, you just may be able to convert them into customers and brand evangelists.

By the same token, Twitter is an incredible tool to help grow your brand awareness. If you create a Twitter profile that is informative and inspiring, you just may have followers who simply cannot resist the urge to Retweet. This action, will not only immediately showcase your company’s brand to the world, but also highlight your expertise (in 140 characters) to a brand new audience…a feat that would virtually be impossible to execute via traditional marketing, despite the amount of strategic focus you put into it.

I tell people this story: Never in a million years would I have considered picking up the phone and calling Martha Stewart or Ellen Degeneres, convincing them that my brand was worth noticing. Now, I don’t have to. Because by the power of Twitter, they just noticed me. All I did was do what I love to do best, and what a pleasant surprise for me, that others loved it just as much.