Tweaking Your Twitter Strategy for Improved Engagement

While Facebook is undoubtedly the biggest and most popular social media platform, the power of Twitter from a business perspective is largely unparalleled. The reason being that no social media platform provides brands and customers alike with the same opportunity to interact and engage in real-time. The only problem being that comparatively few businesses and marketers alike actually know how to get the very most out of their Twitter accounts. The power and importance of Twitter can be summed up in just three simple facts:

1. There are somewhere in the region of 1.3 billion Twitter users globally
2. At least 100 million of these users are active every single day
3. More than 50% of Twitter users earn in excess of $50k per year

So it’s clear that Twitter is important, but what can you do to increase engagement with your own target audience?1 – Time Your PostsWell, first of all it’s worth noting that statistically speaking, interaction tends to be approximately 30% higher between 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Ensuring that your posts are well timed in accordance with your target audience is of the utmost importance, though experts generally recommend posting within this 12-hour window.2 – Request Retweets Don’t fall into the habit of thinking there is anything wrong or shameful about actually asking your audience for retweets. The simple fact of the matter is that every Twitter user knows and understands how retweets work and why they are of value. Which in turn means that if you are posting content of genuine value and relevance, they should have no problem complying with your request.3 – Keep It SimpleWhile instinct may tell you to use every character Twitter allows, research suggests that shorter, punchier tweets tend to be more engaging and more successful than longer posts. Longer tweets have a habit of going overlooked entirely, whereas short tweets are more likely to be both read and shared.4 – Pick Your Words CarefullyExtensive research has shown that there are certain words that for one reason or another drive engagement much more successfully and effectively than others. The most effective words shift and change on a relatively regular basis, which is why it’s worth checking out studies like this one from Short Stack to see what’s hot right now.5 – Be Careful With AutomationTry to remember that while automation can be helpful, it can also be something of a dangerous approach to take when it comes to engagement. The problem being that the moment it is picked up on that you are in any way automating your social media duties, you risk losing your audience’s interest.6 – Get InteractiveOne of the most effective ways of driving engagement is to use interactive polls to generate discussion. It’s not something you can get away with doing every day, but from time to time really can stimulate engagement while at the same time assisting with your audience research and analysis.7 – Respond To All ComplaintsLast but not least, it’s perfectly possible to transform almost any complaints or criticism you receive via Twitter into a positive for your business. Being sure to respond as promptly and professionally as possible is of critical importance – as is tailoring your response to ensure that it is your brand’s approach to customer service that comes out smelling of roses.