Coming up with witty 140-character tweets for followers is all very well and good, but until now, it hasn’t been clear what those tweets had to do with lead generation. 
Now Twitter has launched a program that allows users to send their information to advertisers with a click of a button. If they see a product or service that interests them, they can send their personal information to advertisers through Twitter.
This is far easier than the old system of having to click through to the advertiser’s website and complete an online form there.
A Less Than Perfect Solution?
Twitter lead generation cards allow advertisers to create and maintain their marketing list on Twitter. This will certainly make Twitter marketing easier, but it may not be the magic wand advertisers are hoping for.
Followers Only
The only people who see an advertiser’s promotion are those who are already following the advertiser. In other words, Twitter’s new card system does not allow an advertiser to reach out to new audiences. The fact that advertisers can only preach to the choir makes the usefulness of lead generation cards somewhat limited.
Email is King?
The information that Twitter provides to advertisers is limited to a Twitter handle or user name and an email address. This means that advertisers cannot use time-honored sales techniques like phone calls or direct mail marketing. There is also no guarantee that the email address associated with Twitter is a monitored account. Some people use dummy email addresses to avoid spam.
At Risk for Spam
Speaking of spam, lead generation cards may hold some problems for advertisers, but users may also find themselves in an unappetizing position. Once an advertiser has a user’s email address, there is nothing to prevent the advertiser from spamming the user, or from selling the information to other companies who might do the spamming.
Time Will Tell
Every new program has kinks that need to be worked out, and Twitter’s lead generation cards are no exception.
Still, in spite of the potential issues for both advertisers and users, Twitter’s efforts to create a lead generation program are encouraging.
If will be interesting to see if advertisers are able to use the information on the cards to convert leads into customers. It will also be interesting to see whether customers recruited this way are satisfied with the goods or services they receive.
Will Twitter’s new program be a success or a flop? Only time will tell.
