As luxury brands make decisions about social media, weighing value received against the time and monetary investment required to use social media effectively, Twitter deserves a good look. If your luxury brand hasn’t given it a good look already, you’re probably a bit behind – but don’t fret. It’s never too late to adopt a new marketing platform if you think it’s worth your time and investment (and with Twitter, you don’t have to spend much of either, at least not initially.)

A recent study by social media performance monitoring group Pingdom pegged the vast majority of Twitter users as females between the ages of 25 and 54, a prime target for luxury brands looking to attract new buyers. Where do luxury brand retailers start?

Build Your Social Brand Through Interactive & Relevant Tweets

Luxury consumers are often savvy and intelligent (though we certainly can’t speak for all of them – surely a Snooki or two in the mix is muddying the waters – yeah we said it!)

But in general, their Twitter usage follows the same savvy pattern. To attract followers, Twitter communication needs to both engage and inform, while also providing value.

Burberry revealed its 2012 collection via Twitter before it hit the runway, giving its social media followers an exclusive early look. Marc Jacobs used Twitter to create an online conversation about its line at New York Fashion Week in 2012, with a series of images and real-time conversations that resulted in the hashtag #marcjacobslive placing number eight in Twitter’s trending topics during the show. We wouldn’t be surprised if Burberry and Marc Jacobs saw a boost in online sales from these.

By providing added value, such as an early look at a collection or an inside look at the preparation for a major fashion event, both Burberry and Marc Jacobs gave their social media followers a perk that money couldn’t buy. Those users gained an additional connection to the brand – an invaluable marketing success.

Recover Quickly If/When You Have a #TwitterFail

Unfortunately, some luxury brand owners, like almost all online retailers, have made poor choices in the representatives managing their Twitter communications. Errors do happen, especially in the fast-paced world of social media. But the response to any social media misstep, whether actual or perceived, must be equally fast-paced. A swift, sincere response is critical. Social media brand representatives need to be chosen carefully, and all activities monitored to ensure the reputation of the brand is enhanced by social media activities.

Twitter, while intimidating due to its quick pace and vastness, is a natural target for luxury brands looking to expand their social media presence.