Social media dominates our world today. Sites like LinkedIn drive tons of traffic all over the Internet.
But what about Twitter? Is there more to it than celebrity feuds and White House rants?
Yes. Twitter has an estimated 336 million monthly active users. It’s an excellent place to find an audience and build a brand.
Without the right plan, though, you may struggle to find footing. Fortunately, a Twitter strategy is easy to implement. Just follow these steps.
You won’t become a star overnight, but you’ll grow an audience from scratch, a much more satisfying endeavor.
Use Hashtags
You’ve seen them before: #love, #relationshipgoals, #worldcup. What do they mean? Hashtags enable users to find your content. Once they find it, they can retweet it, like it, click on it.
They’re Twitter’s bread and butter, and you need them. Hashtagged tweets get 33% more retweets than those that aren’t. Check out Twitter to see what’s trending or make a custom hashtag for your latest blog post.
Just don’t go overboard. Too many hashtags can be as bad as none at all.
Get Visual
Twitter doesn’t stop at text. You can use dynamic images to help your Tweets stand out.
Choose ones with a strong focal point. You’ll want to draw the user’s eye to something specific.
To create these images, you can use photo editing software or buy a subscription to a stock photo site, like Flickr. Once you’ve found your perfect pic, attach it to your tweet by pressing the camera button.
Then, watch the engagement soar.
Don’t Be Afraid to Steal
All the greats do it. Yes, you need to establish authority but isn’t it easier to take it from someone who already has it?
I’m not saying plagiarize. But if an influencer in your niche puts out a pithy quote, why not use it?
Twitter loves quotes. They’re shareable, they’re clickable, and they’ll help associate you with your industry.
If you have statistics from other sites, then even better. People believe numbers. They stand out among crowded fields of text.
Hack Your Bio
The bio section is the most critical part of your profile. Here, users can get to know you at a glance.
Most people list their information and their website. Not a bad idea. But you can hack your bio, putting your latest post in the website section.
You can even utilize a call-to-action and link to your most popular content. It limits the information you can display, but it opens another door to your content.
Update your bio regularly to keep your blog and Twitter in sync.
Be a Tease
If you figured out the content of a post from a tweet, would you read it? Probably not. Your followers won’t either.
Instead, tease out the content. Make users want more.
Short, provocative tweets accomplish this task well. They promote intrigue and interest and motivate the user to action.
You can also ask a question that demands an answer, an answer users can only find by clicking on your blog post.
Go With the Flow
So you’re stuck on what to blog. What do you do? Ask the audience.
Your Twitter community will tell you what they want to see. All you have to do is go with it.
Create a Twitter poll to see what faces your audience. You can even incentivize them if participation slows.
Once you find some trends, design a blog post around them. Then, tweet it and @mention the followers who helped you make it.
Tweet and Repeat
Repetition may get old on Facebook, but on Twitter, it’s a necessity. Updates can get missed if users don’t log in in time.
To keep them informed, but not annoyed, change up the text and images used in your tweet.
For instance, use the original headline and photo first. Then, use a quote from the article. Then, write a provocative question and use a different image. Each tweet should use the same link, but the content will differ.
Post at different times of day to maximize visibility. Make sure the content’s relevant to your audience and avoid posting more than three or four times per week. Mix it in with your other tweets, and, voila, you’ve done it.
As long as the blog’s content’s valuable, your audience will love it.
Be Human
Sorry for all the vampires out there. People make Twitter go. It’s a social place not the classifieds of a newspaper.
People like humor, drama, intrigue. People like stories. Share yourself along with your professional content.
Take a funny angle on your industry. Tweet about something that interests you, even it’s irrelevant to your blog. Your personality should resonate in everything you post.
We’ve talked a lot about marketing tricks, but you can’t fake humanity. That’s what will attract more followers.
Your Twitter Strategy is Ready
Mmm, smell that? That’s the smell of success, and maybe cookies, if your site has them. Your Twitter strategy doesn’t have to be complicated.
It takes practice and patience. Follow these techniques, and you’ll have an established audience in no time. It won’t happen overnight, but you’ll have built it yourself.
And if you need more marketing advice, check us out. At Northlake Digital, we’re online marketing experts. Our blog has tips on everything from web design to SEO.
Check it out today or contact us with your questions. We can’t wait to help you succeed.
