Twitter is one of the most popular social media networks globally, with over 450 million users.
Every business should use Twitter to promote its products, reach new customers, and maintain relationships with existing clients.
Here’s what you need to know about Twitter marketing.
What Is a Tweet?
A tweet is a post on Twitter, like a blog post on your blog.
When your Twitter followers log onto Twitter, your tweet will appear in their personalized news feeds.
Each Twitter user has a unique Twitter feed containing posts from people they follow.
Unlike posts on Facebook and other social media platforms, tweets can only have 280 characters.
Why Post a Tweet?
Posting content on Twitter allows you to interact with customers and leads, reach new people, and establish yourself as an authority in your niche.
Here are the top reasons to post a tweet.
Interact With Customers
Social media allows you to connect with customers one-on-one, in real-time.
You can build long-lasting relationships with your followers, provide customer support via DM (direct message), and answer questions about your services on your Twitter account.
Outreach
Twitter allows you to reach new customers and collect new leads.
By building your follower count and publishing quality content, you can build trust and drive sales.
It also helps you connect with other influencers and bloggers in your niche.
Growth
Twitter is great for growing your business and other social media networks.
Posting tweets will help grow your following.
By cross-promoting your content, you can increase brand awareness, build your email list, and drive traffic to your blog.
Advertise
Twitter also allows you to run paid ads.
Promoted tweets will enable you to increase your reach and get results a lot quicker than by sticking to organic traffic.
How To Post a Tweet
To post tweets on Twitter, you’ll first need to sign up for a Twitter account.
Next, choose a Twitter handle that reflects your business, and write a bio that describes what you do.
Upload a business logo or a photo of yourself, depending on the type of business you run.
How To Post on Twitter
Once you’ve created your profile, it’s time to start tweeting.
Follow these steps to write your first tweet on desktop or mobile.
Mobile
First, download the Twitter app from the app store.
Then, log in.
Once on the app, follow these steps to post a tweet:
- Click the blue “+” button at the bottom right of your screen.
- Click on the blue feather icon next to the word “Tweet.”
- Compose your tweet.
- Click on the blue “Tweet” button at the top-right of your screen to publish your tweet.
Desktop
From the Twitter homepage, follow these steps to post a tweet:
- Click on the big blue “Tweet” button on the left side of the screen.
- In the text box that says “What’s Happening,” write your tweet.
- Click on the blue tweet button at the bottom-right side of the box to publish your post.
How To Post Videos on Twitter
Composing a video tweet is no different from writing a regular tweet.
- Start by clicking on the blue tweet button.
- Then, write some accompanying text for the video (optional).
- Click on the media icon at the bottom left side of the text box. Select a video from your files.
- Click on the blue tweet button to publish your tweet.
How To Post Photos and GIFs on Twitter
To post a picture on Twitter, follow these steps:
- Click on the blue tweet button on the left side of your screen.
- Click on the “media” icon.
- Select an image from your computer’s files.
- Write some accompanying text (optional).
- Click on the blue tweet button in the corner of the box to publish.
To post a GIF on Twitter, follow these steps:
- Click on the blue tweet button on the left side of your homepage.
- Tap on the “GIF” icon (next to the media icon).
- Select one of the available categories, and then select a GIF. Alternatively, type a search term into the bar to find relevant GIFs.
- Toggle “Auto-Play GIF” to on if you want the GIF to play automatically.
- Write an accompanying text (optional).
- Publish your tweet.
Rules for Posting a Tweet
There aren’t that many rules for posting on Twitter.
However, Twitter does have community guidelines that you must adhere to. Let’s go over them.
Twitter Rules
Each tweet can only have 280 characters, double the previous limit of 140 characters.
You’re free to write about whatever you want, but some basic rules include:
- No violence or threats
- No extremism
- No hateful conduct and racism
- No illegal goods
- No doxxing
- No spam
Tips for Posting a Tweet
Are your tweets not getting any likes or shares?
Use the following tips to increase engagement and get more likes and shares.
1. Be Conversational
Being conversational instead of promotional will encourage engagement.
People will be more likely to comment.
Try to drive engagement by asking questions and asking your followers to share their thoughts.
2. Be Relatable
Talk about topics that your followers are interested in.
Tell a short story that you experienced yourself to be more relatable.
Share trending memes or GIFs to attract attention.
Above all, try to be friendly instead of just cold and professional.
3. Stick To One Hashtag
Hashtags allow people who aren’t following you to see your tweets.
However, overusing hashtags can seem spammy.
Besides, it will take up precious space—remember, you only have 280 characters.
4. Keep It Short and Sweet
Twitter is for short thoughts and insights.
The idea is that people have short attention spans on social media, and concentrating your thoughts into a few sentences will help get the message across quicker.
Keep the longer messages for Facebook and your blog.
5. Monitor Interactions
Even if you schedule your posts in advance, continuously monitor your interactions.
Respond to questions and like comments; when someone shares your post, “like” their retweet or thank them.
Check your DMs and respond to them promptly.
6. Tweet Regularly
You don’t want to spam your followers with tweets, but remember that your followers won’t see every one of your tweets.
The more people someone is following, the less likely they are to see all the tweets of everyone they’re following.
By tweeting more, you’ll get more exposure.
Besides, it will keep your account active.
Tweeting one to three times a day is ideal.
However, if it seems like a lot of work, you can use a tool like Hootsuite to schedule your posts in advance.
7. Jump on Popular Topics
Jumping on trending topics will increase exposure.
Check the “Trending” section in your country and find relevant topics to tweet about.
However, don’t just post about any random topic that is not relevant to your niche; if you can’t find a way to tie the topic into your niche, skip it.
Avoid talking about politics, as it only serves to alienate parts of your audience.
When Are the Best Times to Post a Tweet?
According to research by Buffer, a social media scheduling app, the best time to tweet is early morning or at night.
Tweets in the early morning drive the most clicks, while tweets in the evening get more likes and shares.
Buffer analyzed 4.8 million tweets from 10,000 accounts to gather this data.
The most popular time to tweet is from noon to 1 PM.
However, that doesn’t mean it’s the best time to tweet.
Since more people are tweeting, there is more competition, and people are less likely to see your tweets.
Twitter provides analytics that helps you measure engagement so that you can test out different times yourself.
Remember that your followers may not be in the same time zone as you.
Final Thoughts
Every business should be on Twitter, even if you’re already active on Facebook and Instagram.
Twitter allows you to collect leads, drive traffic to your website, collaborate with influencers, and establish yourself in your niche.