Using the Limitations of Twitter Marketing to Your Advantage

What Makes Twitter Special?

Each social media platform has its own nuances that set it apart from all of the others, and Twitter is no different. The platform made big waves in 2006, hopping onto the scene in the middle of MySpace’s heyday. What it offered was unlike any social media platform before it, and it made the site stand out from the very beginning.

Twitter’s 140 character limit created a unique challenge for users. It was basically saying, “You’re welcome to express yourself… but you’d better do it quickly.” In a time when young’ins like myself were learning to code HTML so that we could have glittery stickers on our “wall,” Twitter pared down all of the complications to give us (basically) a way to text each other online.

These humble beginnings have blossomed into the political power-housing, meme-inspiring, celebrity pseudo-stalking platform we know and love. While the character limit hasn’t changed, the fundamentals of the site have.

Brands can cash in on these unique Twitter marketing opportunities with a little creativity.

Live Event Play-by-Play

If there’s one thing Twitter is synonymous with, it’s the rise of the hashtag. A smart Twitter marketing move is to hop onto hashtag trends like no one’s business. It’s the best way to connect with your fans during timely, relevant events.

Whether it’s the Super Bowl or a local conference, you can find ways to make just about any happening into a chance to live tweet.

Your first step to Twitter marketing stardom is hyping up the event before it ever happens. Post promos, create a catchy hashtag, and retweet others who are talking about the same topic. While the main benefit is to key in preexisting followers to sharing your posts, it can also bring in new ones as people start searching for the particular tag.

During the event, be ready to give authentic, human reactions while still treading the line of propriety. Avoid the f-bombs and innuendos unless your brand is built on that behavior. Use your brand’s voice to give a unique perspective to those who are following along, using humor, photos, and quotes to spice things up.

While you’re planning your live tweet strategy, keep an eye on trending tags to help you choose upcoming events that best fit your marketing style.

Twitter Chat

If you’ve ever used Reddit, you’ve probably heard of AMAs (ask me anything). Typically, it consists of an individual with a talent, situation, career, or experience that is uncommon hosting a thread where people can ask them questions. Recent examples include ex-gang members, the world record holder for the largest kidney ever removed, and even some guy stuck in an elevator.

Twitter Chats fill this same role, with the focus more on a particular hashtag instead of a particular person. For example, if you sell vacation packages to Europe, you might host a chat where #DreamVacation is the topic. For craft bloggers, it might be #SewBad for people who are terrible with a needle and thread. Be creative!

You’ll want to promote your chat with your followers and encourage them to invite others who might also be interested in the event. It wouldn’t hurt to set up a landing page with FAQs about the concept of a chat, as well as any specific guidelines for participating in yours.

Take Customer Service to a Whole New Level

One thing that I, personally, love about Twitter is the ability to connect with customer service very quickly. You send out one questionably negative tweet to a brand, and BOOM, there are 15 reps just dying to fix your problem.

A few of the benefits this method of providing service include:

• The ability to share screenshots, videos, or photos of the issue
• Brands can share links to specific help articles or resources on their website
• There’s no waiting on hold. You can go about your day, then message back when you get the chance
• You can think about how you’re going to articulate the issue, and allow the brand to review the information, without having to repeat yourself several times

The phenomenon of customers turning to Twitter for customer service is so profound that the “willingness to pay” lift has been quantified through research and data studies.

Last year, Twitter conducted a study on airline, pizza delivery, and telecom accounts who replied to customer complaints versus those who did not. The results were that customers who received replies to their tweets increased 1 point on CSAT surveys, were 44% more likely to share their experience, and were 30% more likely to recommend the brand in question.

As a brand, Twitter marketing offers you the opportunity to reach demographics, individuals, and peer companies in ways that were not possible before the advent of the hashtag. Take advantage of the chance to reach new customers by reflecting your business’s authenticity and personality with humor, insight, and a constant willingness to solve problems. Not sure where to start? Give us a call to learn more about Twitter marketing strategies or check out our blog to see what we have to say about marketing on Facebook and Instagram.