12 Easy Twitter Tactics to Skyrocket Your Engagement

When it comes to social media, you want to make sure you’re seeing real results for all the time and effort you’re putting in. Otherwise, what’s the point?

However, the algorithms that each platform has in place might leave you feeling pretty frustrated if you feel like your posts are invisible to the world. It might feel like your perfectly crafted content is going unliked, unshared, and with links never to be clicked. The good news is, you don’t have to feel that way about Twitter because I’m sharing 12 easy Twitter tactics that will help you start seeing more engagement.

12 Easy Twitter Tactics to Skyrocket Your Engagement

But wait… What exactly is “engagement” on social media? Well, engagement can mean a few different things are happening with the tweets you’re sharing:

• likes
• retweets
• replying to your tweet
• and clicking your links.

Each one involves a person interacting with your tweet in some way, which is what engagement is all about. So, if you want to see more of the above, let’s dive into the tips!

1. Get to Know Your Target Audience

The first step to increase ROI on Twitter is to understand who your target audience is. And if you’ve been building your brand for quite some time already, then you probably have a clear vision of who you’re trying to reach. The reason this step is so important is that if you want your desired audience to discover you and engage with you, you need to speak about what they’re interested in.

Ask yourself which topics they’d want to learn more about. What would get them talking? These are the discussions they’re likely searching for on Twitter. You’ll even want to consider how they prefer consuming content. Would your target audience enjoy a tweet with a video attached? Try experimenting with different formats to see what resonates. And don’t be afraid to survey your audience to find out what they like.

All of this is just the basis for crafting a content strategy for your Twitter presence. Just remember to create with your audience in mind and consider what they’d find appealing.

2. Try Tweeting at Optimal Times for More Exposure

Tweets have a rather short lifespan. In fact, Moz has previously reported that your tweet has about 18 minutes of fame. That’s how much time it took for half of a tweet’s retweets to occur. However, your tweets do have the potential to get a little extra attention if they wind up as one of Twitter’s featured tweets on the timelines of your followers.

To increase your chances at getting more eyeballs on your posts, tweet at optimal times throughout the day. By doing this, you’ll be posting during the times your audience is most active on the platform, making them more likely to see what you share.

A glimpse at the best times to post on Twitter, according to CoSchedule.

CoSchedule has a fantastic article sharing all of the best times to post on social media. They’ve even broken it down based on the type of audience you’re targeting. For instance, if you want to reach B2C businesses, try 8 AM to 10 AM, 12 PM, and 7 PM to 9 PM. It’s also smart to hit multiple time zones because your audience is likely located all over the world.

3. Add an Image to Get Noticed & Boost Retweets

Did you know that attaching an image to your tweet can increase retweets by 150%? That’s pretty impressive! I think the primary reason for this is that images are eye-catching. If someone is quickly scrolling through their Twitter feed, they can easily bypass something you’ve posted. However, if you’ve added an image, it could grab their attention and stop the scroll. Then, they’ll be more likely to read your post and share it with their friends.

Consider this the next time you’re scheduling tweets. You can easily whip up a few graphics in Canva without needing to have graphic design skills. Their built-in Twitter templates will help you create something that stands out. Have fun with it by sharing photos, custom graphics, infographics, or anything else that might be relevant to your post.

4. Upload a Video to Make Them Stop & Watch

It’s no secret that I love video content, especially on Twitter. I mean, one of my best Twitter tactics to strengthen my connection with my community was the #VideoReplyDay initiative that I started a few years ago. It’s a platform where many users aren’t taking advantage of video content, so it’s ideal to get in on the game now. I actually have a post on why Twitter video is beneficial, which also shares eight ideas to help you get started. Definitely check that out if you want to start sharing video content.

But the reason video is great is because it’s another helpful way to grab attention. Create short and sweet videos that provide value to your audience so they’ll want to tune in and watch all the way through. And don’t be afraid to ask them what they’d want to see from you if you aren’t sure!

5. Don’t Forget to Add a Hashtag

Buffer’s tips on how to use hashtags on Twitter.

Hashtags are great for boosting your visibility, but don’t go overboard. Twitter suggests using no more than two hashtags per tweet. Buffer says tweets with one or two hashtags have 21% higher engagement than those with three or more. In fact, tweets that contain two hashtags actually see a 17% drop in engagement, so you’re better sticking to just one. The key is to make sure it’s relevant to the topic of your post!

6. Do Some A/B Testing to See What Performs Best

When it comes to Twitter tactics, one thing you might not see often is encouragement to do some A/B testing. You’ve possibly done this before when testing subject lines for sending out email newsletters. But on Twitter? Probably not!

Conducting A/B testing allows you to see what’s resonating with your audience. And the way you can take advantage of this is by testing out different copy for your tweets. For example, if you have a brand new blog post, schedule a few tweets with two different pieces of copy for each tweet. Schedule them about an hour apart and come back later to see which one performed the best in terms of replies, retweets, and link clicks. See if there’s anything that stands out about the winning copy that you can replicate in the future.

7. Add a Call to Action to Drive the Results You Want

Sometimes you have to hold their hand and tell them what you want them to do. Whether you’re sharing a link to a blog post or promoting a freebie, give them the extra push to take action through your copy. Use CTAs like:

• Read It Here
• Visit Our Site
• Download Your Copy
• Shop Our Store
• Retweet to Share

Get creative with your copy here! You can even do some A/B testing to see what works best for your audience. Then, you’ll really be putting these Twitter tactics to good use!

8. Make Your Best Content Your Pinned Tweet

When someone new stumbles upon your Twitter profile, what will they see? Do you think you’re giving off a great first impression? If not, one way you can showcase what you’re all about is through your pinned tweet. This is prime real estate on your Twitter profile to show off your best work, so make sure you’re taking advantage of it.

An example of a pinned tweet from my profile.

You can pin a piece of evergreen content that you know your target audience would enjoy or update it regularly with your latest content, whether it’s a blog post, YouTube video, or podcast episode. Then, when people see it, they’ll resonate with it and want to share it with their own followers, which increases likes, retweets, link clicks, and even conversations.

9. Have Fun & Show Personality With GIFs

It’s pretty safe to say that everyone loves a good GIF! They add flair and emotion to your tweets, while showcasing your personality. Add them when appropriate to grab attention, but also to put a smile on the face of your community. They’re sure to love it and if you’re lucky, they might send you a GIF in return!

10. Regularly Participate in Twitter Chats

As a Twitter chat host myself, it’s safe to say participating in chats is one of my top Twitter tactics. I won’t go on about them too much, but they’re a fantastic way to make new connections, share your expertise, and to learn from others. To get started, all you have to do is find some chats for your industry (here’s my list of social media & marketing chats). And by becoming a regular participant, you’re sure to see your clicks, retweets, and engagement skyrocket.

P.S. Read my complete guide to Twitter chats for all the tips!

11. Review Your Analytics

Please make sure you aren’t neglecting your analytics. You can use the built-in analytics on Twitter or anything that your social media scheduling tool may provide. Either way, it’s important to monitor your ROI. You can implement all the Twitter tactics in all the articles across the web, but if you aren’t listening to your audience… You’re missing out. Through your analytics, you’ll see exactly what they enjoy in terms of content topics and formats so you can create more of what they want.

12. Make Sure You’re Also Doing Some Engaging

And finally… You can’t expect people to engage with you if you aren’t engaging with others. Put some good social media vibes out into the world by prioritizing engagement. Scroll through your feed and find tweets to reply to, retweet interesting posts you find, and jump in on conversations you feel you can contribute to. It’s the best way to get the ball rolling!

Call to Action:

• Get to know your audience on a deeper level. Figure out the topics they want to learn more about, which content formats they enjoy, and more. This way, you can craft tweets that will be irresistible.
• Experiment with the tweets you’re posting. Add images or video. Use A/B testing to determine which copy resonates the best. And use CTAs to drive results. Just don’t forget to check your analytics afterwards to see if it all worked out!
• Have fun with Twitter! Show off your personality and allow your audience to get to know the person behind the account. It’s all about building the Know, Like, & Trust Factor.