Whether you’re a fledgling social media manager or an experienced one, you may want to brush up on your Twitter best practices. Here are some tips to help you get more out of the popular social media platform.
With more than 145 million daily active users, Twitter is an increasingly important social network for your company or clients.
But just because Twitter is a popular social channel doesn’t mean it’s easy for social media managers to master.
Curious about how your brand or agency can get more out of this social media platform? Shape your strategy with these Twitter best practices for beginners and experienced social media managers.
Table of Contents
Content creation
Content curation
Conciseness
CTAs
Hashtags
Emojis
Images
GIFs/video
Connections
Best times
For advanced social media managers
How to Tweet: Twitter Best Practices for Beginners
Just getting started with Twitter or need to go back to square one?
These beginner tips will help you build a strategy from the ground up.
1. Create original content
Take time to brainstorm ideas. Your brand can share so much original content on Twitter.
Ideas include content for:
Product launches
Company updates
Blog posts links
Think pieces
Industry news
Seasonal events
No matter what you have to say, keep interactions conversational. Try out an informal version of your brand voice, and ask your followers questions to start discussions and keep them going.
If you get stuck on what to write about, check out the following presentation about what to write about when you feel like there’s nothing to say … It relates to blog content, but it works well for any social media channel.
2. Curate relevant content
Not every tweet you post has to be completely original. In fact, some of the most successful brands on Twitter regularly share great content from other pages.
To curate content, browse the profiles of your partners, influencers in your industry, or other figures that resonate with your target audience.
Rather than simply retweeting relevant content, add your own spin. If you quote tweet rather than retweet, you can have your say and invite your audience to engage at the same time.
3. Keep your message concise
On Twitter, it’s crucial to use every character wisely. In 2017, Twitter expanded its 140-character limit to 280 characters—but that doesn’t mean you have to use every character.
Studies have shown that tweets with between 71 and 100 characters perform better than longer tweets.
On average, these shorter tweets receive more retweets, more impressions, and more links and profile clicks.
3. Add calls-to-action
No matter what type of content you share, adding calls-to-action (CTAs) to your tweets can help you drive engagement.
You can use CTAs to invite followers to click the links you share, retweet important messages, or reply with their opinions.
Mix up your CTAs to keep followers interested, but don’t force them into every tweet.
As you track your Twitter metrics, you can start to identify which tweets need a CTA and which sound more natural without.
4. Include hashtags
Twitter is the birthplace of hashtags, and those keywords still drive engagement across the platform. When you compose tweets, save enough space in your 280-character limit for hashtags.
Studies show that using four hashtags is optimal for Twitter and can increase impressions and clicks.
In addition to your brand hashtags, consider adding the most popular terms for your industry or for the season.
Use a hashtag search tool to identify the right keywords and avoid devoting valuable space to poor performers.
5. Use emojis sparingly
If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then each tweet gives your brand a chance to say much more within the 280-character limit.
Emojis can help your tweets stand out and show your brand’s creativity. Yet Twitter studies show that including emojis can actually decrease impressions and engagement.
Be selective about your emojis. There’s no need to include them in every tweet.
Instead, consider using emojis in replies or adding them to tweets only when they can add a unique spin to your message.
6. Follow image guidelines
You can post images with just about any dimensions on Twitter. But when you post graphics and photos that meet the platform’s image guidelines, they’re more likely to look good on your followers’ timelines.
Start by checking the Twitter image guidelines before you post.
Then recheck them regularly so your images don’t lose impact due to Twitter’s automated cropping.
7. Post GIFs and videos
Adding more visual appeal to your tweets is always a smart idea.
Sharing GIFs and videos can help you gain even more traction than still images alone. In fact, tweets with video generate 10 times more engagement and help you grow your audience.
For best results, Twitter recommends sharing videos that are between 6 and 15 seconds long.
Make your message clear from the beginning, even if that means adding a text overlay to part of the video.
8. Make valuable connections
When you take the time to connect with other users, Twitter becomes a much more valuable asset to your social media strategy.
In addition to engaging with followers, strive to create a community.
Use influencer marketing tools to find the most important voices in your niche. Then build genuine, mutually supportive relationships that help your brand and your influencers grow.
9. Find the best times to tweet
When you want to make a bigger impact, it’s important to tweet when your customers are online.
To find the optimal times for your audience, check Twitter Analytics or a social media dashboard.
Then publish your tweets at the most popular times.
By scheduling your Twitter content in advance, you can plan your workflow in advance. You can also save your team from having to do everything in real-time.
How to Tweet: Twitter Best Practices for Advanced Users
Already have the basics covered or want to take your approach to the next level? Get better results with these advanced Twitter tips.
1. Develop Twitter lists
When you don’t have time to follow all the tweets on your timeline, Twitter Lists can help filter out the clutter.
You can create Twitter Lists for influencers you’d like to partner with, important figures in your industry, and even competitors.
You can set your Twitter Lists to private or make them public to get the attention of the brands or people you’ve added. Either way, remember to check your lists regularly to stay on top of important news and conversations.
2. Monitor your brand
Maybe you never miss a mention. Yet you may never see all the tweets that talk about your brand, your products, or your services—without tagging you directly.
To make sure you never miss an important tweet about your brand, set up social monitoring using a third-party tool. Add alerts for your brand name, your website, and your offerings.
Then you can read and respond to the results more efficiently.
3. Join Twitter events
One of the best ways to find and participate in meaningful conversations is to join trends and events.
You can take your social listening strategy further by adding trending topics, event hashtags, and industry keywords to your dashboard.
Check your social listening inbox regularly to keep up with the conversation. Respond, quote tweet, and join in as much as possible to increase visibility and grow your following.
4. Automate engagement
Engaging with your audience on Twitter is best done in real-time.
But if your team doesn’t have the capacity to monitor social inboxes at all hours, automation can help.
With a social media dashboard, you can write saved replies that answer common questions. You can also automate certain actions in your social inbox.
For example, you can send sales inquiries to the right team member for more efficient responses.
5. Experiment and optimize
The more time you spend on Twitter, the more you’ll realize that what works best changes frequently.
The Twitter algorithm continually evolves, and so does your audience. That’s why you should avoid sticking with the same formula forever.
Instead, review your metrics regularly and find your top-performing posts. Then adapt your approach based on what works.
Experiment with new ideas from time to time to stay relevant and improve results over time.
In Conclusion
Building a strong strategy requires a balance between following Twitter best practices and being creative. With these Twitter tips in hand, you gain a framework to structure your strategy while showcasing your brand’s unique voice.
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