Since my post about the Cell C network issues of last night, I sat down to think and dug up some information as why I and many others follow brands on Twitter. The reason for me thinking about it was because I have an issue with brands tweeting stuff that has absolute no relation to them.

Take the Cell C twitter account for example, a quick look at their account reveals that they would rather tweet about how many spider legs there are in chocolate bars rather then about their own products or services.

So what are the main reasons for consumers following brands on Twitter? After some investigation I came up with the following reasons:

• Get updates on future products
• Stay informed about company activities
• Receive discounts and promotions
• Get updates on upcoming sales
• Get free samples, coupons, etc.
• Get access to exclusive content
• To learn about the company
• Share ideas and provide feedback
• Product support

All of the above makes sense to me, seeing as they are all related to the brand itself and that I presume that it’s also what brands are trying to give to consumers through social media.

Why do you follow brands on social media?

In a country like South Africa where broadband prices is sky high one player in the ISP market stirred up things recently with their R29 per GB offering.

Afrihost mostly known for their hosting has caused a great stir in the local ADSL market by dropping the price of ADSL bandwidth to an all time low of only R29 per GB. Users are not hesitating laeaving their current ISP to get their hands on this great offer by Afrihost.

I personally cancelled my 5GB account from WebAfrica and purchased one from Afrihost for a mere R149, where WebAfrica was charging me R290 for the same amount of bandwidth. The nice thing about the special from Afrihost is that once you signed up for the R29 per GB price your price will remain the same as long as you are part of Afrihost.

Bandwidth for these accounts are provided via the Internet Solutions network that makes use of the SAT3 undersea fibre cable.

If you are frustrated with the high broadband prices in South Africa, and ISP’s ripping off the consumers please go and support Afrihost and sign up for their R29 per GB ADSL accounts. This is by far the most cheapest broadband price currently in South Africa.