5 Tools Merchants Can Use to Serve Targeted Promotional Offers on Twitter

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twitter-money copySmall business owners know that Twitter can be a useful tool for marketing, but many are unsure of where to begin when it comes to serving up paid promotional offers on the popular social channel. With its own unique language and tools, Twitter is a foreign land to many SMBs. For marketers who take the risk, however, the rewards can be great. In a 2013 survey by Market Probe International, 72% of consumers said they were more likely to make a purchase from an SMB after following the company on Twitter, and 32% said they were more likely to visit an SMB if they saw a promoted tweet related to their interests.

A number of hyperlocal vendors are stepping in with platforms that bridge the gap for SMBs looking for more strategic ways to target consumers on Twitter. Businesses can use these hyperlocal tools to search for keywords on social media, and then serve up paid promotions (like offers or ads) based on the conversations they find. Here are five platforms that businesses can try.

1. HipLogiq: Turn Twitter conversations into paying customers.
Using HipLogiq’s SocialCentiv product, small and medium-size businesses can tap into the Twitter conversations happening between potential customers in the nearby vicinity. Businesses select keywords and a geographic location, and SocialCentiv goes in search of relevant Twitter conversations. For example, a hairstylist in Austin may see a local tweet that says, “I’m having such a bad hair day.” The stylist can reply to the consumer on Twitter with an offer to help, and send a promotional offer for 20%-off to encourage the user to visit her salon. HipLogiq also offers “industry specific” templates that businesses can use when building campaigns.

2. Main Street Hub: Connect with potential customers in real-time.
Main Street Hub offers a “do-it-for-you” marketing platform built specifically for local businesses. The company monitors what is being said about local businesses on social media and responds quickly to customer reviews and messages. Main Street Hub helps businesses find and connect with customers who are nearby and talking about relevant topics on Twitter.  The combination of targeted search and @replies drive traffic to the business’ storefront in real-time. Main Street Hub’s Value plan starts at $299 per month for most businesses.

3. Offerpop: Reach social consumers with targeted digital campaigns.
Built to reach customers everywhere they go online, Offerpop offers a way for businesses to boost their reach, sales, and engagement through social media. Marketers can launch campaigns on Twitter (along with many other channels) with a woven social layer that includes paid ads and email promotions. For example, a business running an “Exclusive” promotion may share a coupon with its Twitter followers. Offerpop provides follower-gating options intended to expand a business’ audience, and encourages its users to experiment with different tweet times to identify top performing windows. Offerpop charges based on the number of followers a company has at the beginning of its campaign or subscription, with annual subscriptions that start at $16 per month.

4. Chango: Find your target audience on Twitter.
Chango is a programmatic ad platform that marketers can use to connect with their target audiences on social media. The company says it helps users build brand awareness, acquire new customers, and retarget existing site visitors using algorithms to identify precise audiences and buy ad inventory across Twitter, FBX, display, mobile, and video. Capitalizing on the launch of Twitter’s tailored audiences, Chango helps businesses define specific audiences outside of the social network and then connect with those consumers on Twitter. Using behavioral, intent, and search data, Chango helps businesses target promoted tweets to tailored audiences. Chango charges a “minimal monthly fee,” in addition to the cost per engagement charged by Twitter.

5. Spredfast: Zero in on high-value conversations.
Spredfast offers tools that businesses can use to build relationships and engage with fans on Twitter and other social channels. Organizations can pinpoint the specific users they’d like to target based on a number of factors, including gender, location, language, and age. Once they’ve filtered their audience and zeroed in on “high-value conversations,” businesses can incorporate paid social promotions to grow their audience even further. The company has partnered with Kenshoo Social to help brands create paid promotions to drive sales, generate leads, and acquire new fans. Starting prices for brands that utilize Spredfast’s platform range from $30,000 to $50,000.

Stephanie Miles is an associate editor at Street Fight.

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Stephanie Miles is a journalist who covers personal finance, technology, and real estate. As Street Fight’s senior editor, she is particularly interested in how local merchants and national brands are utilizing hyperlocal technology to reach consumers. She has written for FHM, the Daily News, Working World, Gawker, Cityfile, and Recessionwire.