Twitter has changed a lot in the last 6 months or so. There’s been so much reshuffling and a whole lot more speculation about its future and relevance. For the moment, Twitter is still as powerful as ever. Will this last, though? How do we approach Twitter in 2023? We asked content strategist and author, Kim Scaravelli, for her insights. Here’s a summary of our chat.
Guest: Kim Scaravelli
Topic: Building a Twitter strategy for 2023
Format: eight questions directed at the guest. Everyone’s welcome to share.
Having a strategy is important because it helps you align your content and activities with your goals. Particularly now, as Twitter undergoes drastic changes, having a strategy will help you stay in focus and not get distracted by every trending hashtag.
A1: Strategy is always important because it aligns your activities with your goals. Twitter is a very chaotic space right now, so strategy is especially valuable. It will help you stay logical instead of getting wrapped up in the drama. #TwitterSmarter
— Kim Scaravelli (@KimScaravelli) January 5, 2023
As our friends from Social Media Pulse pointed out, Twitter’s advertising options have taken a hit over the last few months, and organic reach is becoming more relevant. Having a strategy will help you plan in advance and stay ahead of the curve.
A1.
To stay ahead of the curve on changes, especially as organic becomes more important on the platform (since their advertising tools have been losing advertiser confidence).
🚀#TwitterSmarter— Social Media Pulse (@SMP_Community) January 5, 2023
Try and branch out, as our guest suggested. If you’ve historically only been on one platform, this is a good time to try a few others that you know your audience is on.
A2.1: If you’ve put all your eggs in one basket, so to speak, I think you should explore other platforms where you can connect with your ideal audience. And set up an account on at least one. #TwitterSmarter
— Kim Scaravelli (@KimScaravelli) January 5, 2023
That doesn’t mean Twitter, as we know it, is over. Instead, tread lightly—keep an eye on upcoming changes, but at the same time, explore other options as well.
A2.2: No need to abandon ship. But I wouldn’t dive deeper into Twitter right now. Just tread water. #TwitterSmarter pic.twitter.com/rh34mY2SBs
— Kim Scaravelli (@KimScaravelli) January 5, 2023
While you’re at it, focus on building your authority—on Twitter and other social platforms. The more credibility you have on any social channel, the stronger your community will be.
A2.3: And focus on building authority on site. That’s a BIG strategy shift but it’s going to apply to all social platforms in 2023. #TwitterSmarter
— Kim Scaravelli (@KimScaravelli) January 5, 2023
Despite all the disruptions in the back end, Twitter’s popularity and usage are only growing. This means there’s a lot more noise than ever out there. As Christine suggested, this is the best time to use Twitter’s built-in features like Lists and Communities to filter out distractions from your feed.
A2.
I always say, “Do as I say, not as I do,” when it comes to using Lists and curating your experience a little more…but yeah, that. More spam means putting those blinders up to protect your experience.
♥️#TwitterSmarter https://t.co/oUAF7w5876— Christine Gritmon ❤️ #ChatAboutBrand (@cgritmon) January 5, 2023
Social channels generally prefer posts that keep the user on the platform, rather than posts that make them click away. That’s what it means to be “on site”. On Twitter, for example, a thread might perform better than a tweet with a link to a page or blog. To build credibility on site, try and convert the ideas on your page or blog into a Twitter thread.
A3.1: Social platforms favour content that keeps folks “on site” instead of taking them away to a blog or landing page. For example, a Twitter thread where you share insights may do better than a post with a link to an article where you share the same insights. #TwitterSmarter
— Kim Scaravelli (@KimScaravelli) January 5, 2023
By doing this, you be giving your audience what they want in a format that they don’t expect. So make it so good and worthwhile that they automatically go looking for your website and blog.
A3.2: To some extent this is playing to algorithms instead of followers. But I love the creative challenge of trying to build so much interest ON SITE that folks go looking for you OFF SITE. #TwitterSmarter
— Kim Scaravelli (@KimScaravelli) January 5, 2023
Building authority is essentially getting people to trust you and your words, as Adriana pointed out. To do this, you need to have a personality—a little confidence goes a long way, but too much confidence may seem arrogant. Being genuine and confident at the same time is crucial to building authority.
A3: To me, building authority = building trust. Share your thoughts, your expertise, anything you want. But make it with as little arrogance as possible and with 0 sleazy salesman vibe. Yes, you can self-promote without being obnoxious. #TwitterSmarter
— Adriana Tica (@adriana_tica) January 5, 2023
Twitter threads can be great link-free tweets. So can polls, questions, surveys, one-liners, and testimonials. Once you start thinking about being creative with your tweets, there’s so much you can do.
A4: Here are a few link-free tweets that can get high engagement:
-Threads
-Questions
-Surveys
-Short videos
-Bite-size wisdom (single sentence with a bit of humour)
-Testimonials formatted as images#TwitterSmarter— Kim Scaravelli (@KimScaravelli) January 5, 2023
It depends on how much you use Twitter, as Madalyn pointed out. For her, its exclusive features are a great investment. She even has an article that explains Twitter Blue and whether it’s worth considering. Check it out:
A5b: And to be clear, I'm not a fan of Elon. But I am a Twitter power user and as a Blue subscriber, I get some really invaluable features. So me, it's worth it. #TwitterSmarter
— Madalyn Sklar Digital Marketing since 1996 (@MadalynSklar) January 5, 2023
Our guest thought differently. From her perspective, the idea of paying for verification wasn’t a great move from Twitter.
A5: I know there are benefits to Twitter Blue. But honestly, the moment Elon added the idea of buying verification, he lost me. Yuck. #TwitterSmarter
— Kim Scaravelli (@KimScaravelli) January 5, 2023
Focus on your audience. If they’re moving away, then it makes sense for you to do the same. If you’re using social media to build professional relationships, it’s important that you’re on a platform that your audience is on. Remember, though, move only if your audience moves. Don’t leave just because you’re frustrated with Twitter management.
A6: If you’re using Twitter professionally your primary purpose is to connect with your audience. If they move away, you need to figure out where they’re going and set up shop there.
🔥That said, be strategic. Don’t leave just because Elon annoys you. #TwitterSmarter
— Kim Scaravelli (@KimScaravelli) January 5, 2023
As Benjamin pointed out, if you notice your audience moving, it might be good to try and understand what’s driving them away. People do all kinds of things for all kinds of reasons. Do you see a pattern? And is that pattern aligned with your professional goals? If so, it might be worth following your audience.
A6: listen and find out why they are leaving and where they are going
If your audience is no longer present on a platform you have a good presence on, it may be time to make changes so you can reach those likely consumers of your brand #TwitterSmarter
— Benjamin Katz (@BKatz301) January 5, 2023
Our guest doesn’t think so. As she said, having a big character allowance opens up the platform for people who like to rant a lot. It’s too easy to get lost in large chunks of text and miss the point of a tweet.
A7: I think 4000-character tweets are silliness. Can’t imagine why I would spend that amount of time and effort on a single post on Twitter. And who on earth would read it? It’s an appealing option for folks who like to rant but who wants to be a RANTER? #TwitterSmarter
— Kim Scaravelli (@KimScaravelli) January 5, 2023
Most people in our #TwitterSmarter chat agreed with our guest. 4000 is a bit too much for Twitter, and it’ll ruin the charm of Twitter for many. Besides, as our friends from VirtuDesk said, the 240-character limit ensures that tweets are short and to the point.
A7: We love the 240 max character limit. It makes our tweets on point and direct. #TwitterSmarter
— VirtuDesk (@virtudeskcom) January 5, 2023
For our guest, it’s the people she’s met on the platform, as well as the concision it demands from users. It takes constant creativity to keep up with what’s going on and share meaningful content.
A8: Top 3 things I love about Twitter:
❤️The AMAZING people I’ve met
❤️My Twitter lists filled with so much wit and wisdom
❤️The conciseness of the platform, that challenges my creativity daily#TwitterSmarter— Kim Scaravelli (@KimScaravelli) January 5, 2023
For Kathy, it’s the ability to engage and share insights with industry leaders, popular icons, peers, and people she looks up to.
A8: Two things: 1) I love that I can connect with actual icons and often converse with them in real time. 2) share insights with car industry peeps that I would not be able to do anywhere else. #cartwitter #twittersmarter
— Kathi Kruse (@kathikruse) January 5, 2023
Well folks, that’s all from me this week. Thanks for reading through and for more great insights from our chat with Kim, have a look at this Twitter thread. If you like this summary, you’ll love the real-time chat. Join us next Thursday at 1 pm ET for #TwitterSmarter. We also have an after-chat on Twitter Spaces at 5 pm ET. See you there!
About me, Narmadhaa:
I write all the things—marketing stuff to pay the bills; haiku and short stories so I feel wholesome. A social media enthusiast, I hang out with the #TwitterSmarter chat crew, and am always happy to take on writing gigs.
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