6 Insights to Help Brands Use Twitter More Effectively
Twitter is an incredible platform for getting your brand in front of your target audience. Whether you’re sharing tweets or videos to your feed or going live on Twitter Spaces, it’s a powerful way to create connections. But if you’re not seeing results, you might be wondering how you can better use Twitter so you can stand out from competitors.
In this post, I’m recapping some of the insights Twitter shared in a special edition of the Twitter Conversation Report. This #RealTalk report has some great tips to help brands use Twitter more effectively so they can grow their following, boost engagement, and more.
6 Insights to Help Brands Use Twitter More Effectively
With so many brands on Twitter, it’s important that you’re smart about how you use the platform. These tips, straight from Twitter themselves, will help you generate major ROI.
1. Brand Engagement Has Been Increasing Each Year
According to research, engagement with brands on Twitter has been increasing in recent years. In 2020, brands saw an average of 44% more replies, 20% more retweets, 35% more quote tweets, and 23% more tweets in general when compared to 2019.
This data is a reminder that Twitter is still a powerful platform for brands looking to connect with their online community. The key is to show up consistently and provide your followers with the quality content they’re interested in. Keep that in mind when you question whether or not it should continue to be part of your content marketing strategy.
Related: 5 Things to Post on Twitter Right Now
2. Users Prefer Brand Content That’s Authentic and Engaging
Let’s be honest, all branded content isn’t the same. Some brands get straight to the point with their pitches, without ever building a relationship with their community beforehand. And sometimes this can feel rather cold. In fact, 80% of those surveyed agreed with the following statement:
“I don’t mind being sold to on social media, as long as it’s fun, useful, entertaining, informative, or moves me in some way.”
Now, the question is… How can brands use Twitter in this way? Well, it helps to give people a behind-the-scenes look into your life and business. It’s great for building the Know, Like, and Trust Factor, ultimately cultivating strong, long-term relationships with your community.
3. Embrace What Makes You Unique
Are you familiar with the phrase, “unique value proposition”? If not, you should be. Your brand’s UVP is how your offerings benefit customers. It describes the value you add to the world, as well as what makes you unique when compared to your competition.
These days, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of social media posts, which means you need to take extra steps to stand out. You don’t want to blend in with what everyone else is doing. So, let that be encouragement for you to experiment with new ideas. Try different things to see what works for you and your audience. When brands use Twitter in unique ways, they have a better chance at getting noticed.
4. Don’t Rely on Humor Alone
Everyone loves a good laugh, which is why users appreciate accounts like @Wendys so much. Their infamous roasts get a lot of engagement on Twitter. However, some users feel like brands can’t strictly rely on humor to get by these days. In fact, one in two people surveyed felt that brands need to evolve their voice with the times and that humor doesn’t always cut it.
While there’s nothing wrong with cracking a joke from time to time, try mixing in some other content types to keep things fresh and different. See how your audience responds.
5. Be Willing to Discuss Important Topics
When brands use Twitter, they can often shy away from talking about important topics that are impacting the world. For many, they worry about taking a stance and alienating a segment of their audience. Although, it’s worth noting that research shows users welcome brands into a variety of conversations, as long as it’s done authentically. In the graphic below, you can see how those surveyed felt about brands weighing in on certain topics.
The best advice to offer here is to always do your research before posting about things like cultural holidays, social issues, and current affairs. You don’t want to post incorrect information. And if you’re planning to take a stance on an issue, be prepared for people to disagree. You need to determine what you’re cool with addressing as a brand.
6. Be Unapologetically Yourself
And finally, the last piece of advice from Twitter’s #RealTalk report: BE YOURSELF! It may seem like basic advice, but it’s something that we often forget about when focused on brand building. If you’re the face of your brand, it’s crucial that your audience gets to know you on a personal level. Of course, that doesn’t mean you need to share everything with them. Set boundaries you’re comfortable with. But don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through.
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