--- title: "Social Marketers: Is Twitter Worth the Effort?" id: "22111" type: "post" slug: "social-marketers-is-twitter-worth-the-effort" published_at: "2014-03-14T22:11:21+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T03:46:15+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2014/03/14/social-marketers-is-twitter-worth-the-effort/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2014/03/14/social-marketers-is-twitter-worth-the-effort.md" excerpt: "Some reasons why your association's Twitter efforts may not be soaring, and what's up with the social network's referral traffic. Plus: Don't feel compelled to \"newsjack\" everything." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Marketing" - "Social Media" - "Technology" - "Twitter" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Social Marketers: Is Twitter Worth the Effort? ### Understanding Twitter traffic > Interesting insight into the world of [#twitter (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/twitter?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > traffic referrals from [@contently (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/contently?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [http://t.co/5sBNPEA7nh (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/5sBNPEA7nh) > > — Plaster (@WeArePlaster) [March 14, 2014 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/WeArePlaster/status/444488436305907712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **What’s the deal with Twitter’s numbers?** The succinct social network is the darling of the plugged in, and plenty of effort is put into building association presences, some successful, some less so. It goes without saying that those 140-character messages play a big part in most social media campaigns. But [Contently’s Natalie Burg points out (opens in a new tab)](http://contently.com/strategist/2014/03/12/why-is-twitters-referral-traffic-so-freaking-low) that as far as the big picture goes, Twitter’s referral traffic is tiny compared to the likes of Facebook and Pinterest. “Arguably, the most glaring possibility is that Twitter doesn’t have the value for publishers that we’ve been pretending it does, and everyone should adjust accordingly,” Burg writes. “But Twitter’s defenders are stanch. Could there be a good explanation for the data? Maybe. Possibly.” Burg runs through a number of possible explanations, from the difficulty in correctly measuring Twitter’s referrals to messaging problems. So take a peek and see if there’s a solution for what may be dragging your association’s Twitter traffic down. *(ht [@WeArePlaster (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/WeArePlaster/status/444488436305907712) )* ### Evading Crowded News Cycles > Thoughts ?[http://t.co/v25W010stI (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/v25W010stI) > > — Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) [March 14, 2014 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/garyvee/status/444487972545523712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **We’ve covered the possible benefits of “newsjacking” before,** with the Association for Death Education and Counseling sharing a particularly effective example of the marketing tactic. As appealing as taking to social media in hope of capitalizing on the news cycle might be, it’s always good to use caution and precision. That’s where the advice from [Gary Vaynerchuk’s recent chat with Ad Age (opens in a new tab)](http://adage.com/article/digital/gary-vaynerchuk-problem-real-time-marketing/292136/) comes in. “When everybody is screaming at a loud party, nobody is breaking though,” Vaynerchuk warns, adding, “There’s a lot of everyday events that are much more interesting than the Oscars or the Grammys or the Super Bowl.” So don’t always be lured in by big Hollywood debuts or globally viewed events. The most effective framing device for your outreach campaign could be hidden in the most unassuming of places. *(ht @[garyvee (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/garyvee) )* (photo by Garrett Heath/Flickr) [Morgan Little](https://associationsnow.com/author/morgan-little/) Morgan Little is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/morgan-little/) Tags: [#Marketing](https://associationsnow.com/tag/marketing/) [#Social Media](https://associationsnow.com/tag/social-media/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) [#Twitter](https://associationsnow.com/tag/twitter/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoDaily Recap: Day 1 from the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 13, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/13/daily-recap-day-1-from-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [VideoThe Future is Yours to Create. 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