Twitter has evolved into a cross-media platform designed to offer quick, bite-sized updates through multimedia content, setting the stage as the world's largest discussion platform. For every social media manager, the ability to compose engaging Tweets is an essential skill. Here are 10 tips to get Twitter to work for your business.
Keep it direct and concise
Although Twitter has scrapped the 140-word limit, nobody will still want to read a novel. It is important to consider the attention spans of your audience, especially in this day and age where we are getting more accustomed to consuming information in smaller chunks and shorter form content.
Keep your Tweets short and concise. Don't beat around the bush and dive straight into it to make a impact. Keep your it focused around a central message instead of trying to convey multiple messages in one go. If it has to be a particularly long Tweet, break it up in chunks and number them, which will let your readers know that it is a series of subsequent Tweets.
Use hashtags strategically and economically
Hashtags are the backbone of Twitter. It is what enables users to track messages surrounding certain topics. They are tools that allow you to expand your reach, increase your social media presence and join conversations. Using appropriate hashtags is as critical as the content of your Tweet itself. You wouldn't want your Tweet to end up in a different thread or conversation.
If you are using an existing hashtag, make sure that your Tweet is building the value of to the conversation. It is also important not to overload a post with hashtags which can make a Tweet look messy and decreases engagement.
Use polls to engage your audience
Using Twitter polls is a great way of ramping up engagement. This kind of interaction is especially useful for getting feedback, gaining consensus, and driving interest and awareness to topics. Polls allow users to get real-time results from the public to generate personalized statistics. It can also be a fun way of settling debates by gauging people's preferences on certain subjects.
Twitter polls is a versatile tool that is quick and accessible. So, whether you are using it to get industry feedback and statistics, create awareness on certain issues, or settle a debate on a controversial topic (e.g. "Is a hotdog a sandwich?"), polls are sure to help you expand your reach and visibility.
Integrate images and other forms of media
Using GIFs is an especially fun and useful way of conveying reactions specific to the conversation. Using photos and videos can make your Tweet twice as engaging. A study by Buffer shows that people are more likely to engage with Tweets with images or other media, than those that do not.
Gives calls to action
As a discussion platform, Twitter is great for collective action, like getting signature for petitions, or directing your audience to watch a video. Lose the fear of asking your followers to do something, even if it's just a Re-Tweet or liking a page. The important thing is that you motivate people by making the task simple, easy, and fun.
If you want to your followers to take action, they need to be explicitly told which actions they are going to take. Giving them direction is a powerful tool for engagement.
Be in tune with the conversations
Keeping up to speed with trending topics is about engaging in a discussion and joining an ongoing conversation. In the same way that we listen to people speak, we also want to catch up with what has already been said in the conversation, so that we can make significant contributions and add value to it.
Nobody wants to listen to someone who can't stop talking. So in social media, as in real life, it's about understanding and exchanging perspectives. Understanding context is one of the driving forces behind effective communication to ensure that there is no misunderstanding.
Humanize your tone of voice
We are already surrounded by robots and AI's, and no matter the advancement in technology, there is still nothing that can replace human interaction, so don't be afraid to let your voice come through.
Twitter is a great platform to exercises speaking from your brand's perspective. It will allow you to find your brand's human voice. Imagine your brand as a character in TV show or a movie, how would they respond to feedback and criticism? Or if you met your brand at a party, what they would look like. How would they speak? What subjects would interest them? If your brand was dealing with a difficult boss, how would they respond?
People love interacting with other people. They want to feel understood, and not drown in marketing messages, so use your Tweets as a way to form relationships with your audience.
Be responsive
Responding and Re-Tweeting is key to maintaining a strong presence on the platform. Link to relevant articles, Re-Tweeting messages that align with your brand's voice and core values.
Users will engage directly with your brand, so be responsive to any comments, feedback and suggestions that are sent your way. Going back to rule #1 on Tweet length, to avoid long exchanges, use Direct Messages instead, especially if it's for resolving any complex matters.
Know your audience
Understanding who your audience is and speaking their language are some of the pillars of great communication. Familiarize yourself with their daily struggles, and be sensitive to their concerns so that your brand can create better solutions. Throughout all of this interaction, be mindful of how you are responding and maintain a consistent voice. In the end, what you will have developed is a successful network of followers built on trust.
Shorten your links
This is pretty straightforward. Long links tend to make Tweets look messy, cluttered and take up a lot of space that could be better used for messaging, so when pasting a link, use a URL shortener like Bitly or TinyURL.