GET YOUR TWITTER FOLLOW BUTTON!
Back in February, we did a blog post about Twitter redesigning its interface with additional features and rich media integration. Now, Twitter has recently rolled out another change that may have a large impact for businesses; the Twitter Follow Button. Users can now click an embedded Twitter button to follow Twitter accounts directly from websites that interest them.
Officially released on May 31st, this new feature allows businesses with a Twitter presence to generate a simple code for the follow button that embeds on their website, allowing users to follow the company’s account on Twitter with a single click. This single-click action is important because it allows visitors to remain on the company’s domain without being redirected in order to access Twitter, preventing them from having to leave the page and alter their train of thought. Users must be logged in with Twitter to be able to one-click follow- if they are not, they will be prompted to log into Twitter through a pop-up window.
With the option for a business to show how many Twitter followers they have next to the follow button, companies can flaunt their massive amount of followers. Or, companies can choose to hide their number of followers if they don’t feel confident with the figures. It’s common for consumers to judge the validity of a business based upon the number of followers, friends, and reviews they have, so some may find this feature beneficial.
Social media marketing strategies are very important, and social media sites are adapting to the changing consumer and the way they interact with businesses. Sites like Twitter allow companies to communicate with consumers in a unique and personal manner, but driving traffic away from a company’s main site to access another communication channel is superfluous and unnecessary. The Twitter follow button presents a simple solution to growing your Twitter community without disrupting the user experience of your home site.
