Social media platforms have dominated the advertising landscape in recent years and is not something business owners or brand managers should ignore.
But there are differentiating factors that separate the platforms. Meaning that a strategy that works for TikTok or Facebook may not work for a platform like Twitter. If you haven’t put a strategy together for each, then the brand could be missing out on potential audience members.
It’s time to let the brand standout rather than simply tweeting for the sake of tweeting.
Audit the Brand’s Twitter Account
Assuming the brand already has a Twitter account, the first step to creating a Twitter advertising strategy is to audit the account. If there isn’t a business account in place, it’s time to create one.
One way to audit the Twitter profile is to review the analytics manually. If the company uses a tool like Sprout Social, some of this data can easily be made available within the tool.
During the audit, take note of what is working and what needs to be revamped. This audit should include:
- Hashtag performance
- Tweet performance
- Audience(s)
Discovering which tweets are performing better than others will begin to create a story for you. And this story will tell you what type of content the audience cares about and is likely to interact with. This information can then be used to create a strategy that is designed to boost the reach and engagement of the account.
Determine the Brand Voice
Establishing a well-defined brand voice can help set the tone for the account and thus help to determine a thoughtful strategy. Working with a talented social media marketer who understand what it takes to form a brand voice — and write thoughtful copy, can help to ensure the tone is consistent throughout each post.
The brand voice should:
- Reflect the core values of the company
- Resonate with the audience
- Stay on-brand with messaging and tone
Following trends and what’s popular may work for some brands, but it doesn’t always work if it means changing the tone of the brand as it can create the appearance of inauthenticity. This leads us to the next item to take into consideration when it comes to Twitter advertising.
Hashtags
Hashtags are a metadata tag that has the hash symbol (#) in front of it. This symbol is also known to some of as the pound or number sign (hello, landline users). A hashtag can be used as part of a brand element, trend, or as a way for potential audience members to find your content.
Platforms like Twitter make it easy for people to find content if the brand is utilizing resources to the fullest potential. Individuals using Twitter can use the search function to find a variety of items, like trending news and hashtags.
By searching #contentmarketing I was able to find posts from brands I may have otherwise missed. I now have the opportunity to explore these brands and become familiar with what each has to offer. And who knows, maybe I’ll decide to follow the brands.
There will be times when hashtags trend, giving the brand the opportunity to decide if it would be beneficial to use or not. It’s important to keep in mind that just because something is trending does not mean it would benefit the brand or gain the right audience.Each hashtag used should also make sense with the tweet itself. Simply because June is Pride Month, does not mean that all of a brand’s tweets should include #PrideMonth — unless it makes sense for the account.Misusing a hashtag can give the impression that a brand is tone-deaf or trying to capitalize in a way that is inauthentic.Editorial CalendarCalendars were designed to help keep our lives organized, which translates quite well into creating an advertising strategy for Twitter. An editorial calendar allows the social and copywriting teams to see the full picture of what’s to come for the month, make any changes that are needed, and ensure that there isn’t repetitive content. It can also help to keep track of what is planned for the month, upcoming events, what worked, and ensures there is a flow of posts ready to implement.Engage in ConversationCreating a tweet is only part of the battle. It’s important to check back and ensure that the brand is also engaging in the conversation. Failing to check back on the tweet and the conversation can be a huge, missed opportunity.But as important as that is, it’s also equally as important to join other conversations. Is another brand or individual talking about the same topic? Is there a newsworthy event happening in the community? These opportunities can be used to the advantage of marketers and brand managers.Becoming an active participant on Twitter helps to shine a light on the brand, thus creating curiosity for the readers. And if it’s a positive light, you may have earned a new, loyal customer.With proper planning, carefully crafted content, and a group of talented marketers at your fingertips, a Twitter marketing strategy could prove to be quite fruitful for the brand.
