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What is the real value of a follower on Facebook/Twitter?
How valuable, really, is a follower on a social media site?
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4 Answers
This is a great fundamental question with a complex answer. There are many variables when you contrast and compare these social media platforms and social media marketing processes. I wouldn't look at this with a focus that is this narrow IMHO if I were you. Here's why:
Value is determined by your industry focus, type of presence you have established on either platform, how you are leveraging each to generate leads and revenue.
Each platform can extend your brand across multiple digital touchpoints, which can be quite powerful. Twitter can be deployed via your Web Site, LinkedIn, Squidoo Pages, FriendFeed and many other sites.
So, by creating content on this platform you are generating a content stream across the web which can have significant value above and beyond "Follower Value." Your reaching multiple digital touchpoints which helps to increase the value of your content tremendously.
Facebook enables you to leverage content within their powerful platform as well including Videos, Blog Posts, Content pulled from other platforms such as Posterous, etc. Your Facebook profile is also extended across the social web and can generate much more ROI than just measuring Follower Value. Also, Facebook is working every day to extend their "social graph" across the web; meaning, a presence on this platform gives you tremendous leverage and the ability to interact with Followers within this community.
Social influence is now being measure by Bing and Google in terms of search engine rankings. Facebook's closed environment does not enable search results to be generated, but Tweets via Twitter are now being recognized by search engines. I expect this to accelerate moving forward.
Last but not least, both of these platforms are about engagement with your audience and customers. Having a presence on both or either enables you to communicate with and engage directly with your vertical market, business partners and customer, which is extremely valuable.
I think this question is important and as you mention, Lee there isn't an easy answer. Let's talk a brand Facebook fan page for example, for one to hit the "like" button, it means they encompass feelings from "I've heard of this organization" to "I LOVE and identify with this organization." As a result, the number of "likes" can be ambiguous to the true value of a particular use of social media.
Also it is important that brands don't simply use Facebook or Twitter as an extended version of their website. This seems obvious yet I see brands simply posting informational updates and there is little consumer interaction. While some updates are necessary and useful, there should be a "brand voice" or an individual "brand face" behind each account which will also help encourage people to use FB/Twitter as venues to reflect on brands and products.
- Jesse
@JdeAgustin
www.metabrandblogwordpress.com
Alternatively, a follower is a tangible output (measure or parameter) of someone's presence or impact.
Twitter and Facebook business users are always looking for ways to gain mind share in the potential customer space. Noticing who is following and how many are following can determine how effective one's message. Because analytics are now available to reflect how or what is effective in either the content or the manner of promotion, the follower is now becoming an important parameter to consider.
Jesse, I don't think you read my post carefully - I mentioned how important "engagingly" is on both of these platforms and with three years of experience in social media marketing, I would never imply there are any easy answers. My post made just the opposite point.
The focus of my answer is on how important it is to leverage content across the social web and the impact on how this impacts and accelerates value for the individual or company.
Brianna, please visit my Blog which has multiple posts about social media marketing encompassing content, Facebook, Twitter, SEO and more:
http://www.LinkedMediaGroup.com
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