This easy-to-follow guide will help navigate Twitter’s* features and use them to the company’s advantage. With practical tips and advice, the business will become a Twitter expert in no time and see its online presence grow.
From crafting attention-grabbing tweets to building a loyal following, we’ve got your business covered with practical tips and real-world insights.
Whether you’re an experienced marketer or new to the social media game, strategies to engage the audience and amplify the brand’s voice will be discovered.
*As of May 2024, Twitter’s name was officially changed to X. For the sake of name recognition, we will refer to X as Twitter throughout this post.
How To Set Up Twitter For Business In 4 Steps
Establish a presence on Twitter to amplify your business’s voice and connect it with a global audience. Follow these four steps to get the business tweeting in no time.
Step 1: Create A Twitter Account
To start, navigate to the Twitter homepage. Click on “Sign up” and fill in your business details, including name, email, and password. Choosing a username that mirrors the brand is crucial for recognition.
Step 2: Optimize Your Profile
A compelling profile is a chance to make a great first impression. Upload the business logo (recommended size 400×400 pixels) as your profile picture. Craft a detailed bio, up to 160 characters, that captures the business and incorporates relevant keywords.
Include a website link for direct traffic and a header image (1500×500 pixels) that aligns with the brand or promotions. Read below to get a better understanding of Yeti’s Twitter profile.
Step 3: Set Up Twitter Business Features
To start with Twitter Ads, navigate to the Twitter Ads dashboard. Here, you’ll need to enter billing information to enable campaign launches. With Twitter Ads, you can target the audience with precision and track the performance of ads in real-time.
Understanding the Twitter account’s performance is crucial. Enable Twitter Analytics to gain insights into tweet engagement and audience demographics. Use this data to refine the strategy and make informed marketing decisions.
Keep the most important content at the top of the Twitter profile by pinning a tweet. Whether it’s breaking news, a special offer, or a standout piece of content, a pinned tweet ensures it won’t be missed. To pin a tweet, simply click the ‘More’ option on the tweet you wish to pin and select ‘Pin to the profile page’.
With over 3 million followers, McDonald’s has mastered the art of engaging a large audience on Twitter. By posting a variety of content and using their Twitter cover photo strategically, they keep their brand top-of-mind for consumers. Their #AllDayBreakfast campaign, for example, was a hit, demonstrating the power of a well-crafted hashtag.
Step 4: Follow Relevant Accounts
Begin by identifying and following key industry leaders, influencers, and competitors. These accounts are often at the forefront of sharing innovative ideas, trends, and valuable content. By engaging with these leaders, you can:
- Stay up-to-date on industry developments
- Find inspiration for content
- Establish connections that may lead to amazing opportunities
Follow existing customers, partners, and relevant businesses to understand their needs and preferences better. This insight allows a company to tailor its content and interactions to create more meaningful connections. It also demonstrates the company’s commitment to these relationships, fostering loyalty and trust.
Engagement is more than just following accounts; it’s about actively participating in the conversation. Start by liking, retweeting, and replying to relevant tweets. This not only increases visibility but also shows that you are an active and engaged member of the community. Remember, social media is a two-way street, and your engagement can lead to others engaging with your content in return.
JetBlue Airways stands out on Twitter for its exceptional customer service and clever use of the platform. With a strategy that emphasizes responsiveness and helpfulness, JetBlue goes beyond expectations to provide timely and often witty replies to their customers. Their approach to Twitter engagement has set them apart in the airline industry and has been a big factor in building their brand loyalty.
5 Strategies To Use Twitter For Business
Strategy 1: Create Shareable Content
Engage the intended audience with a mix of blog posts, infographics, videos, and customer testimonials. Use infographics to simplify and visualize complex data, making it more accessible to the audience. Share videos to provide hands-on product demonstrations or behind-the-scenes looks into your company, adding a layer of transparency and trust. Amplify the voices of satisfied customers through testimonials, which serve as powerful trust signals to clients.
Twitter Posting Tips:
- Tweet Once A Day: To maintain a consistent brand presence, commit to tweeting at least once a day. Regular interaction with your audience is key to building a community around the brand.
- Use Hashtags: Expand your reach by adding relevant hashtags like #Business and #Marketing. Hashtags help categorize your content, making it easier for interested users to discover it. Dive into Coschedule’s comprehensive guide on Business Tweets for a masterclass in hashtag usage and craft a winning Twitter strategy.
- Use A Social Scheduling Tool: Use a Social Media Calendar, like CoSchedule’s Social Calendar, to plan, schedule, and publish your Twitter messages.
Discover the full range of CoSchedule’s marketing tools designed to optimize content and social media strategy. With CoSchedule’s Social Calendar, you can organize all your social messages in one place. This calendar allows you to plan and schedule your content efficiently, so you can focus on creating engaging posts that resonate with your audience.
- Unified Scheduling: Schedule posts for all your social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, from a single dashboard.
- Best Time Scheduling: Take the guesswork out of posting times. CoSchedule’s algorithm suggests optimal times for posting to maximize engagement.
- Analytics at Your Fingertips: Track the performance of your social messages with built-in analytics tools to understand what works best for your audience.
Strategy 2: Engage With Your Audience
Here are some ways to engage with your audience:
- Monitor and respond to mentions and direct messages promptly: Timely responses show that you value the audience and are attentive to their interactions. This can lead to increased trust and a stronger community around your brand.
- Create Polls & Ask Questions: Try these interactive methods to encourage an audience to engage with the content. Polls can provide valuable insights into your audience’s preferences, while questions can spark conversations and deepen the relationship with followers.
- Share Content Created By Your Followers: This is a powerful way to acknowledge and appreciate their contributions. Retweeting and sharing user-generated content not only promotes a sense of community but also provides authentic material that resonates with other users.
For example, Spotify excels in engaging with its audience by leveraging the power of music and shared experiences. Their social media strategy includes highlighting user-generated playlists, sharing stories behind the music, and creating a community of music lovers. By focusing on the emotional connection people have with music, Spotify creates a shared social experience that resonates with its audience worldwide.
Strategy 3: Utilize Twitter Ads
Twitter’s ad formats are designed to cater to different marketing goals. Promoted Tweets are ordinary tweets that businesses pay to display to individuals who are not already following them on Twitter. Promoted Accounts boost your Twitter account to users who might be interested in following you, enhancing your follower base. Promoted Trends allow you to put your story at the top of the trending topics list on Twitter, gaining you instant visibility and engagement.
Twitter offers targeted advertising options such as location-based targeting for reaching customers in specific geographic areas and interest targeting to connect with users based on their interests and hobbies. Demographic targeting further allows advertisers to appeal to users within specific age ranges, genders, or income levels. To understand how to set up and use these targeting options, visit Twitter’s Business page.
With Twitter Ads Manager, marketers can set a budget for their campaigns and monitor performance in real-time. This tool allows for complete control over how much you spend on ads and when they are displayed, ensuring that you get the most out of every dollar invested. Learn how to optimize your Twitter ads with the help of Sprout Social’s Complete Guide.
One standout example of Twitter Ads done right comes from Oreo during Superbowl XLVII. When an unexpected blackout occurred, Oreo’s marketing team acted swiftly, tweeting a simple yet effective ad that read, “Power out? No problem.” accompanied by an image of an Oreo cookie with the caption, “You can still dunk in the dark.” This tweet not only showcased their product but also demonstrated the brand’s quick wit and relevance to current events.
The result was a viral sensation, earning Oreo widespread praise and a lot of brand exposure. It’s a prime example of how brands can leverage Twitter Ads to engage with their audience in real-time, turning even unforeseen circumstances into marketing opportunities.
Strategy 4: Monitor With Analytics
Regularly checking Twitter Analytics provides valuable insights into tweet performance and audience behavior. By focusing on key metrics such as engagement rate, impressions, and follower growth, you can gauge the success of content and identify areas for improvement.
Engagement rate offers a measure of how actively an audience interacts with your tweets, while impressions reflect the total number of times tweets have been seen. Tracking follower growth can indicate the expanding reach of a brand. To optimize your Twitter presence, it’s essential to adjust your content and engagement strategies based on this analytics data.
For more in-depth guidance on optimizing posting times for maximum impact, be sure to explore our comprehensive guide on the Best Times to Post on Twitter.
Strategy 5: Build Relationships With Influencers
Partner with influencers to amplify your brand’s reach and credibility.
Begin by discovering key influencers within the industry. Use tools like BuzzSumo to analyze and identify individuals who align with your brand’s values and audience. Look for influencers who engage with their followers and possess a genuine connection with their community.
Engagement is important before initiating direct outreach. Interact with influencers’ content by liking, commenting, and sharing their posts. This interaction helps build a bond and lays the groundwork for a collaborative relationship.
Once a solid relationship is established, explore partnership opportunities. Collaborations can range from sponsored content and tweets to product reviews and giveaways. Ensure each collaboration provides mutual value and resonates with both your audience and the influencer’s followers.
Canva, a user-friendly graphic design tool, has partnered with macro-influencers to reach a broader audience and create authentic connections within the community.
The influencer partnerships have contributed to Canva’s explosive growth, turning it into a household name within the design community. The brand’s ability to maintain authentic relationships with influencers has not only increased its reach but also solidified its reputation as a leader in the industry. To learn more about how Canva leverages influencer marketing for brand success, visit Canva’s YouTube channel for insightful case studies and success stories.
FAQs About Using Twitter For Business
How Do I Increase My Followers On Twitter?
To enhance Twitter’s presence and attract more followers, it’s important to align with the platform’s algorithm, which favors engaging, relevant, and timely content. Spark conversations by making tweets that prompt replies and retweets, and analyze interaction patterns to refine your engagement strategies.
Embrace the power of hashtags and trending topics for greater visibility, and don’t shy away from networking with influencers to broaden your reach. Remember, incorporating compelling visuals can significantly boost a tweet’s performance. Consistency is key—schedule tweets to maintain a steady presence.
Lastly, building a community through direct engagement with an audience can foster a loyal following. Dive deeper into each strategy with CoSchedule’s comprehensive guide on gaining Twitter followers.
What Type Of Content Should I Post On Twitter?
On Twitter, maintaining a diverse content strategy is key to engaging an audience and building a robust online presence. Start by sharing promotional content about your products or services, but balance it with valuable industry news and insights that showcase your expertise and keep followers informed. Customer stories and testimonials add authenticity and humanize the brand, helping to build trust and credibility.
Additionally, interactive content such as polls, questions, or even quizzes encourages active participation from an audience, spark conversations and increasing engagement. By mixing these elements, you create a dynamic feed that not only promotes your business but also educates, entertains, and connects with followers on a deeper level.
How Can I Measure The Success Of My Twitter Strategy?
Understanding the performance of Twitter’s strategy is crucial for refining your social media efforts and achieving better engagement. Twitter Analytics provides a wealth of data that can help measure the success of tweets, campaigns, and overall Twitter presence. Here are the key things to track:
Engagement Rate: Monitor how often your tweets are liked, retweeted, and replied to. This metric helps gauge the quality of your content.
Follower Growth: Keep an eye on your follower count over time. Steady growth indicates that the content is resonating with a wider audience.
Impressions: Check how many times your tweets have been seen. This can help understand the reach of your Twitter activity.
Dive into CoSchedule’s social media marketing tools to learn more.
Is It Necessary To Use Twitter Ads?
One of the advantages of Twitter Ads is the platform’s vast and diverse user base, which allows for targeting and the opportunity to connect with a wide audience. Additionally, Twitter’s real-time nature means that ads can be timely and relevant, engaging users when they are most receptive. The analytics provided by Twitter also enable marketers to track performance and optimize campaigns for better results.
How Often Should I Tweet?
Tweeting at least once a day is a good baseline to maintain your presence on Twitter. However, if you’re looking to increase visibility and engagement, you may want to tweet more frequently. Consider 3-5 times a day, spread out to reach different audiences at different times. Keep in mind the importance of content quality and relevance; it’s not just about the quantity of tweets but also the value they bring to followers.
