Enhanced Twitter brand pages: will they make a difference?
Reporter Ishbel Macleod, self confessed Twitter addict, discusses why she thinks that enhanced Twitter pages won't lead to any commercial effect for businesses - and would be put to better use by the creative industry.
So more brands, including some UK brands such as Cadbury and ASDA, have unveiled enhanced Twitter pages.
You can tell the ones who have got it: not only do they have the banner ad on their page; they are also proudly displaying a YouTube video in pride of place at the top of the screen.
According to Twitter “An enhanced profile page increases your brand’s Twitter presence by prominently featuring your most important content and visually branding your page. Your enhanced profile page is completely public — users can view it without joining or logging into Twitter.”
As a Twitter addict, I can admit that it does make the pages look nicer, perhaps even a bit more ‘official’ compared to that of the average Twitter user. But will it have a huge effect on business?
Yes, it includes a logo or promotion in the 835x90 header, and allows the brand to have a promoted tweet at the top of the timeline – but if it isn’t containing a video link (which it seems that all the brands with enhanced profiles are currently doing) or a photo, how much of a difference will it make to the page?
A lot of the brands do not release ads or videos often enough to constantly show off on this channel, meaning it will be pretty much the same as having a basic tweet at the top of the page.
Perhaps the enhanced page would be something that would be better for marketing and advertising agencies to have themselves, to show off their latest creative work.
After all, Twitter did say in a statement: “Enhanced profile pages will continue to roll out to advertising partners, as well as other select partners, charities, media organizations, and individuals.”
The creative industry would be the perfect place for the enhanced profiles to be put to full use: allowing agencies and freelancers to show off their work, which would be updated much more regularly than a brand in itself, as well as using it to promote the brands themselves.
Do you think that the rollout of Twitter brand pages will have an effect on a company’s business? Let us know your views.