Twitter Marketing: What Every Marketer Needs to Get Started

Twitter Marketing, , , , ,

author imageSlye Joy Serrano October 7, 2020

Social media has now become an invaluable tool to connect and engage with your brand’s online audience. Brands who have not done so by now are definitely missing out on a lot of opportunities.

A great social media marketing campaign can provide a remarkable success to your business. Most digital marketers would rave about the dominance of FB ads or the popularity of paid IG campaigns.

However, businesses should not disregard the power of Twitter ads. Engagement rates on Twitter campaigns grew by 151% year on year. The platform attributed much of its success and growth to higher clickthrough rates (CTR) towards the popularity of video ads on Twitter.

Why Twitter deserves a marketer’s attention

The Statistics

· Number of Users: 330 Million

Twitter has 330 million monthly active users, as of the first quarter of 2019. In addition, 145 million, or more than 40 percent of its active users use the platform daily. It is also important to note that around 500 million people are accessing Twitter every month without logging into their own account. That’s almost double the amount of its monthly active users.

· Demographics by Age: 63% between 35-65 years old

While Tiktok, Instagram, and Snapchat may appeal to the younger generation nowadays, Twitter still has its own demographics that it appeals to. Around six out of ten or 63% of Twitter users worldwide are between 35 to 65 years old. These numbers clearly show that Twitter’s appeal is more targeted towards a mature audience than Snapchat and Instagram.

· Demographics by Gender: 34% Female, 66% Male

As for the global gender demographics, it was revealed that Twitter is more popular among males than females. Putting the male to female ratio at two to one, 66% of Twitter users are males, while 34% are females.

· Average Time Spent: 3.39 minutes

The average time spent per session on Twitter is around 3.39 minutes. Twitter’s popularity grew as a news outlet. In fact, it’s one of the top reasons why people use the platform. It’s a good avenue for people to share breaking news. Journalists actually make up nearly a quarter of all verified accounts on Twitter.

· App Downloads: 11.7 Million

During the first quarter of 2019, around 11.7 million people have downloaded the Twitter app. Registering a year-over-year increase of 3.6 percent, this is the highest number of app store downloads per quarter since 2015.

· B2B Popularity: 67% of businesses use Twitter as a digital marketing tool

According to Statista, around 67% of B2B are using Twitter as a digital marketing tool. Brand messaging and engagement nowadays are multidirectional. That’s why it shouldn’t come as a surprise that 77% of Twitter users have a better impression on brands when they respond to Tweets.

· Consumption Habits: 40% of users reported purchasing something after seeing in on Twitter

An Oberlo article also revealed that four out of ten or 40% of Twitter users made a purchase after having come across an ad on the platform. Twitter also noted that users’ purchase intent increased five times when they are exposed to tweets from both brands and influencers.

Diving into Twitter campaigns will clearly have tangible benefits for brands. As one of the most popular social media sites today, careful consideration should be made about whether or not it should be part of your brand’s overall digital strategy. Based on a marketer’s perspective, Sprout Social noted several reasons why Twitter is essential for brands:

Twitter’s rationale from a marketing perspective

REASON 1: Twitter ads work because they are subtle.

What’s great about Twitter ads is the subtlety that it comes with. It’s not too obtrusive, in-your-face, or annoying. The video ads are all scrollable and naturally integrated into a user’s feed of relevant followers. Auto-playing video ads will manage to get a user’s attention without screaming that it’s actually an ad. Brands need Twitter video ads that are feed-friendly and eye-catching for serial feed scrollers.

REASON 2: Twitter ads can be highly customizable.

Video ads are essential for Twitter advertising. The platform claims that their video ads are twice as memorable to users on their platform than competing social media platforms. Whether it’s promoted videos, in-stream ads, or sponsored content, brands on Twitter have enough freedom to customize their ads based on how they want it to be.

REASON 3: Twitter ads are cost-effective.

Compared to ads on Facebook, Twitter allows brands to pick and choose their target audience and how much they want to spend on their ads. This means that brands can have a more cost-effective way to budget their video ad spend on the platform.

REASON 4: Twitter is a mobile powerhouse.

What separates Twitter apart from other social media platforms is its mobile audience. Around 80% of Twitter users use the platform from a mobile device. Brands that need to reach their mobile users can leverage on using Twitter to engage with their audience.

Planning Your Twitter Marketing Campaign: Questions to Get You Started

To come up with a good Twitter marketing strategy, the first thing that brands need to do before they layout their campaign on Twitter is to ask these following questions first:

QUESTION 1: What are your goals?

The first question that brands need to figure out is their objectives. Decide why the brand needs to use Twitter and the goals that the marketing campaign needs to achieve. Here are some of the common objectives that businesses use Twitter for:

· To increase brand impressions.

· To increase the brand’s web traffic.

· To engage and answer customer’s questions.

· To boost sales and promote products/services.

QUESTION 2: Who is your target audience?

For brands with an existing customer base, this is where you need to start your research. Try to set up a short survey and get to know your customers. Find out their interests, background, and who they engage with on Twitter. This is a critical aspect that is important to help brands craft their own Twitter campaigns.

If a brand does not have an existing customer base, then it’s time to get a bit more creative. Craft your potential audience’s interests and demographics and build your customer profile. You can start your research with Twitter’s Advanced Search to find your audience and look for people who are asking questions about your industry, product, or services.

QUESTION 3: What are their interests?

Find as many potential customers as you can for your brand and dive in with your research on Twitter. Look for the things that they are into and find out what they are retweeting, liking, and engaging with on the platform. Get inside their heads and find out what makes them tick. Try creating a spreadsheet and make a list of topics and hashtags that excites them the most.

QUESTION 4: Who influences your audience?

Before being the brand that influences your audience, you need to first find out who are the people that your audience look up to on the platform. See the people who currently influence your audience before getting the ball rolling on your own Twitter marketing strategy.

You can get started by looking for the most popular verified accounts that your potential audience is connecting with. Then review their accounts and campaigns to see what content connects with your audience the most.

QUESTION 5: What type of content does your audience engage with?

Take note of the style of tweets that your audience would typically engage with. Look for images, videos, or text that you can emulate. Make sure to create content that your audience will appreciate enough to give the post at least a like or even a retweet.

Twitter Marketing Tips Every Marketer Needs to Know

Twitter may seem like a platform that brands can instantly give a go and start a bunch of Tweets. However, careful consideration and strategy need to happen behind the scenes first. Get started on your brand’s Twitter marketing strategy with these tips:

TIP 1: Audit your Twitter account.

For brands with an existing Twitter profile, the first thing you need to start on is a Twitter audit. Conduct an in-depth review of your brand’s Twitter analytics by analyzing hashtag performance, individual Tweet performance, and individual Twitter audience. Find out what type of Tweets are performing best with your audience. You can use this information to construct and start your Twitter strategy.

TIP 2: Find your brand’s voice on Twitter.

The Twitter audience wants to hear from brands that sound authentic to stay true to the image they represent. It can be very easy to just hop on the latest online trend to appeal to people, but brands should not do that at the expense of losing their identity. While Twitter can come off as more playful and casual, brands need to stay true to their voice and show genuine authenticity to reflect their overall social media strategy.

TIP 3: Use Twitter hashtags and trends wisely.

Jumping in on the trends and hashtags are definitely an excellent way to increase the brand’s engagement. However, not every Tweet from the brand needs to jump in on the bandwagon. Use hashtags wisely and learn how to integrate it well into your campaign. If done right, hashtags are a great opportunity to expose your brand to a new set of audiences who are interested in your content.

TIP 4: Utilize video with Twitter ads.

Using paid ads on Twitter is a great strategy that will help reach your audience directly rather than waiting for them to stumble upon you with organic reach. Promoted Tweets with video can help expand your reach better. It will help people discover you and help your Tweets show up on people’s timelines with the same interest as your audience.

TIP 5: Find the best time to Tweet.

For consistent engagement with your audience, you need to find out the best time they will most likely see your Tweets. Twitter feeds move so fast that something you Twitter 30 minutes ago may be invisible to your followers who have just gone online. Make your posts consistent and at the right time every day. Choose the optimal time for your brand to post and share updates depending on when your audience is most active throughout the day.

TIP 6: Schedule Tweets ahead of time.

Tweets need to happen at the right place and at the right time to generate a momentum that will prompt massive engagement and virality. Depending on external circumstances, there are certain spur of the moment Tweets that can be exceptions. However, the general rule is to intentionally schedule Tweets ahead of time, based on your content calendar. This will make your campaigns more manageable. It’s also a good way to develop your own best practices based on your brand’s Twitter audience.

TIP 7: Set measurable and attainable goals on the platform.

Any strategy is bound to fail if you set up goals that are too lofty and unattainable to achieve. The best thing to do at the onset is to create measurable goals that will keep your campaign on track. Here are some Twitter marketing goals that you can start with:

· Build an engaged following for increased brand awareness.

· Generate new leads for the brand.

· Build brand loyalty with good customer service.

TIP 8: Incorporate Twitter with the overall social media strategy.

Of course, a one-time Twitter campaign is not enough to sustain a good following on Twitter. Brands need to think long-term, and having a robust social media strategy will help them maximize their online presence. Align your Twitter strategy with your overall digital marketing campaign on social media. This will help brands build a solid foundation and consistent following to help them achieve their business goals and objectives.

Twitter Video Ads Best Practices from Brands

Cinnabon’s Breakfast Creations

Cinnabon is adding a twist to the usual morning routine with their all-new Breakfast Creations Collection. The used Twitter and Facebook to post a short video that hypes up one of its largest product releases outside their usual restaurant ventures. Their new line of frozen snacks and breakfast goodies are now readily available at several groceries and retailers, including Walmart.

Cinnabon is a popular brand that is well-known for its presence at the mall and the airport. However, making their goods available at grocery stores can help reach more at-home consumers right now since there was a significant decline in foot traffic at commercial establishments due to COVID-19. The food brand used its signature #LifeNeedsFrosting hashtag to further advertise snacks that can appeal to a wide variety of shoppers for the fall season.

Samuel Adams Beer’s Oktoberfest

Samuel Adams Beer and Auntie Anne’s are teaming up to celebrate this year’s Oktoberfest. With their limited edition DIY Oktoberfest kits, these German-influenced brands are promoting socially-distanced Oktoberfest celebrations at home for 2020. Samuel Adams Beer kicked off the festival on Twitter and Instagram with the debut of its Oktoberfest commercial. Featuring a guy named Your Cousin from Boston on Twitter, the thickly-accented beer lover is the brand’s mascot that promotes their limited-edition Oktoberfest beer.

The brand launched a series of follow up videos on Youtube and Twitter featuring the mascot strutting in lederhosen and fooling around as polka music plays on the background. The lighthearted, fun, and comical video series can boost Samuel Adams’ Twitter engagement rates. It’s a great way to promote their Oktoberfest kit and show how consumers can make the most out of their at-home celebrations.

Corona’s #LaVidaMasFina with Snoop Dogg

Corona’s recent #LaVidaMasFina campaign, which translates to “The Fine Life,” represents the brand’s new outlook that focuses on choosing all the “fine things” that life has to offer. Corona’s Twitter ad shows Snoop Dogg chilling on a beach while telling viewers, “That’s the fine life, baby.”

The campaign is a wordplay from Corona’s “La Cerveza Mas Fina” slogan on their beer bottles. This allows the brand to pay homage to their classic product while still promoting its full beverage line. The campaign addresses the pandemic’s realities while ending the ad on a positive note with a spotlight on its beverages. With Snoop Dogg’s laid-back narration, consumers are encouraged to make the most out of the current situation. The launch of Corona’s multi-channel #LaVidaMasFina campaign can boost the brand’s engagement rates and make it stand out among the other beer brands who are hoping to make a comeback alongside the launch of the NBA and NFL playoffs this September.

Kohl’s Rewards Program

Kohl’s recently launched its new loyalty program named Kohl’s Rewards. Its renowned Kohl’s Cash discounts will be the star of this new initiative where customers get 5% of Kohl’s cash for each purchase, with no minimum payment required. Just in time for the upcoming holiday season, the program works for both online and in-store purchases.

A shopper’s Kohl’s Rewards balance will also sync in real-time across all shopping channels, whether they are shopping through the Kohl’s app or in-store. This is a great strategy that will help the brand recover through its sales decline due to COVID-19. Their new and improved rewards program can help shoppers gain rewards points on any product sold by the department store to help build a loyal customer base.

References:

10 Twitter Statistics Every Marketer Should Know in 2020 [Infographic]. (2020). Retrieved 21 September 2020, from https://www.oberlo.com/blog/twitter-statistics

How to Build a Powerful Twitter Marketing Strategy: A Marketer’s Guide. (2020). Retrieved 21 September 2020, from https://www.socialbakers.com/blog/twitter-marketing-strategy

Login, S., Login, B., Login, S., Scheduling, P., Management, S., & Care, C. et al. (2017). How to Set up a Successful Twitter Advertising Campaign. Retrieved 21 September 2020, from https://sproutsocial.com/insights/twitter-advertising/

Login, S., Login, B., Login, S., Scheduling, P., Management, S., & Care, C. et al. (2020). Twitter Marketing: The Only Guide You Need to Succeed. Retrieved 21 September 2020, from https://sproutsocial.com/twitter-marketing/

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Author: Slye Joy Serrano

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