Take Over Twitter - Here’s How

Even though there are new social media platforms popping up all the time, Twitter has remained a tried and true mainstay for many years now. While many people use the microblogging site personally, it can also be very effective for businesses in gaining awareness, connecting with customers and promoting their products or services. But, what are Twitter best practices? How can you make sure your social media marketing fits in with your larger digital marketing strategy? Here are some tips.

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Give The People What They Want

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All too often, brands try to get cutesy with their social media, thinking that their buyers will interact with them more if they’re funnier and funnier every day. But, it turns out that half of Twitter users think it feels outdated when a brand relies on too much humor too often. So, what do Twitter users actually come to the site for?

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Few Research found that adults primarily use the social media platform to stay in touch with news, sports, politics, and celebrity gossip, with nearly half saying their Twitter feed has improved their knowledge about current events. When asked directly why they use the site, 42% said "for pure entertainment." While 20% said, "It provides a way for me to stay informed on current events and affairs in our culture."

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If you want to connect with your buyers and get more attention for your brand on Twitter, remember this. Aim to entertain (while not overdoing the humor) and inform, with only the most occasional self-promotion sprinkled in. That’s what the people want on Twitter, so that’s what you’ve got to give them.

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Have A Plan

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Sometimes, social media posting takes a backseat in digital marketing because it can feel like the least important of all your tactics. But if you’re spending time using such platforms, you must create a plan in order to get anything from them. Here are the bases to cover:

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• Set goals - Most people want to “go viral” on social media, but this is a rarity and not something that can really be orchestrated. Instead, set SMART goals that are actually attainable (hence the “A” in SMART). For example, you might want to get 50% more signups to a course you’re offering than last time. That’s specific (S), can be measured (M), is attainable (A), is relevant to your overarching strategic goals (R) and is time-bound (T) because it needs to happen between now and when registration for your course closes.

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• Assign owners - If everybody on your team thinks somebody else is handling social media, nobody will. Don’t leave content creation and posting to chance; assign owners and hold them accountable.

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• Define guidelines - Every brand should at least have some basic branding guidelines for their team to follow on social media. Maybe you provide direction for the tone of your copy, how you talk about your products or services, the color schemes you use or a bank of approved images and videos that are fair game for posting. This doesn’t have to be exhaustive (unless you want it to be), but you do need to have something nailed down and shared with your team so your profile looks consistent and your company remains on brand.

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Learn From Twitter

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Finally, the best place to find Twitter best practices is on Twitter itself. Here are the rules of thumb that the social media giant provides, to help you get a handle of the “do's and “don'ts when creating organic content:

• Keep your message concise

• Limit hashtags to 1-2 per Tweet

• Include a clear call-to-action where applicable (e.g. "Read the full story")

• Avoid writing copy in all-caps

• Keep a conversational tone

• Consider using emojis to add emotion

• Avoid images with heavy text

• Keep videos to 15 seconds or less

• When driving to a link, consider using a Website Button to make your image or video clickable.

• Use captions or another "sound-off strategy" for videos with dialogue

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If you focus on creating the types of posts that people actually come to Twitter for, set goals, remain mindful of your brand (and consistent in posting) and follow Twitter’s own advice about what to do and not to do, you’re bound to have success on this platform. Contact us anytime if you’d like help with your Twitter strategy, social media marketing, digital marketing or all of the above!