As one of the most used social media platforms in the world, Twitter has proven to be an incredibly effective tool for social media marketing. With its tight character limits and specifications on images, it provides a great opportunity for small businesses to create a concise message. Plus, it’s excellent for generating traffic on home pages and blog posts.
Still, with 500 million tweets sent each day, how do you make your voice stand out from the crowd?
Today, we will be diving into some surefire tips for using Twitter so that you can use the platform to share messages and connect with target audiences. We will also be sharing some examples of brands to pay attention to on Twitter if you ever need a source of inspiration.
1. Make Your Twitter Profile Unique
There are certain aspects of your brand that emphasize your distinctiveness. It’s what your customers love about your business.
A great place to show this off is in your profile.
Your profile picture should be your logo or another image that will allow users to immediately recognize your brand. Although Twitter bios need to be short and to the point (no more than 160 characters), it’s important to put some time and thought into it. What type of messaging is consistent with your branding, but will also grab peoples’ attention?
Hootsuite recommends including awards or achievements in your Twitter bio, as well as some relevant keywords. This will help customers not only get a sense for exactly what it is you do, but will give you an SEO boost as well.
Lastly, your handle should include the name of your business. If for some reason your preferred username is already taken, try adding the name of the city your company is in.
2. Add Links To Tweets
A great way to drive traffic to your website or blog is by linking to them in tweets and in your profile.
Each time you have an update or publish a new blog post, tell your followers about it. Be sure to include interesting visuals by either adding graphics to the tweet or allowing the link preview to be shared. Have a few short, attention-grabbing sentences explaining what this announcement or blog post is about, add some relevant hashtags, and then you’re set to get clicks.
Don’t forget to add a link to your website in the given space on your Twitter profile. This will help give people more information about who you are and encourage them to learn more. This is also a great place to share other social media usernames so that your audience knows where else to find your content.
3. Create a Twitter Posting Schedule
If you’re looking to grow your audience on Twitter, one of the first steps you should take is to have a set schedule for when you will be posting, as well as posting more often.
Having a content calendar for all of your social media accounts will help keep you organized and ensure that you are sharing the proper amount of content. While not all posts can be planned (that’s the beauty of social media), having a sense for what will go up on which day will help your overall social media schedule.
As for how often to post to Twitter, CoSchedule recommends three to five tweets each day. On this particular platform, it’s always best to post more. By its very nature, Twitter tends to be a fast-paced platform with hundreds of thousands of tweets being posted each minute. Therefore, your best bet is to post as often as you can in the hopes of getting as many views as possible.
This is why it’s important to plan ahead. As a busy small business owner, you may not have time to create seven tweets in a day. The more you can plan ahead, the better your content. And the more time you will save in the long run.
4. Pay Attention to Twitter Analytics
The number of likes, follows, and engagements you get each day will dictate the type of content you produce and when. This is when active listening comes into play.
Besides directly telling you what they want through direct messages and comments, your followers communicate their thoughts about what you’re posting by liking, sharing, clicking on links, and following your account. If you post something one day and your engagements soar, you know you should post that type of content more often. On the flip side, if you are continuously posting a certain way or at a certain time with few returns, it might be time to mix things up.
Always know where your Twitter analytics stand and be ready to pivot if necessary. It will help keep your brand fresh and your followers engaged.
Case in Point
Netflix
The video streaming service is a bit different because it creates and shares content for its business model. Still, there is something to be learned from Netflix’s Twitter feed. They use a combination of pop culture references, user generated content, and outright promotion to tell people about their services, new shows coming to the platform, as well as garner attention. A big advantage of this is the use of video, which 32% of people say they use the platform for.
Innocent Drinks
A lovable brand that creates health smoothies and juices, what works so well for Innocent Drinks is their lack of over-the-top promotion. They win the hearts of their followers through clever copy and short quips. Plus, the overall simplicity of their strategy is something to be admired. There aren’t a ton of flashy photos or videos, showing that truly anyone with or without a production budget can do Twitter marketing well.
Gymshark
Besides clever commentary and a strong inclination toward meme culture, Gymshark has an ambassador program that allows fitness influencers across the internet to show off their workout clothes. This allows their messages to spread beyond their own reach, bringing in more user-generated content and giving them incredible visibility.
Twitter can be a fickle social media platform, but it’s definitely one worth sticking with. It can be an incredible gateway for conversation and promotion. If you need some suggestions for your particular Twitter marketing strategy, Vervology is here to help. Reach out to schedule a free consultation.