While it’s essential to post regularly on Instagram and Facebook, on Twitter, tweeting consistently is even more critical. 

Make sure you’re active on Twitter daily. You’ll want to tweet out original content, retweet posts that you find interesting and related to your brand, and make sure you respond to replies to your tweets. Engaging in other conversations doesn’t hurt either. It all helps you build connections with other users and brands. 

The importance of tweeting frequently can’t be understated. Want to know why? Well, the average lifespan of a tweet is roughly 15-20 minutes, so once you’ve tweeted, within just a few moments, it’s virtually gone from the viewer’s feed – buried by a flood of new tweets. In order to be effective, you must be consistent!

Fact: 92% of all U.S. based companies on Twitter post more than once a day.

The masses take to Twitter in waves. So for your tweets to ride that wave, you’ll need to be active on certain days and at peak times.

Research proves tweets posted on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday always have a higher click-thru rate (CTR), meaning people who click into or engage with your tweet with a heart or comment. On weekdays, tweeting between the hours of 12 pm and 3 pm is always a safe bet. But if you’d like to drill down even further, try tweeting weekdays between the hours of 5 pm and 6 pm, when users are commuting home from work. You may experience a high retweet rate during these peak hours with great content!

Outside of the weekend, it’s been proven that Wednesday is the best day to tweet. Most experts suggest that tweeting between the hours of 8 pm and 9 am is mostly ineffective. So unless you’re just tweeting for fun, replying to messages or DMs, steer clear of tweeting strategy or product posts during these hours. 

PLANOLY Pro Tip: Test out these proven times and see which slots work best for your specific audience!

While you don’t want to overdue hashtags on Twitter the same way you wouldn’t on Instagram, when used correctly, they can have a substantial impact on your Twitter marketing strategy. 

Tweets with hashtags are 33% more likely to be retweeted than those without hashtags. Twitter itself also suggests that tweets with hashtags can increase engagement by almost 100% for individuals and 50% for brands.

Be thoughtful about how you use hashtags. For example, you might see journalists use a #BreakingNews hashtag on Twitter as a way to alert those searching the platform for news to their tweets. Another example would be #PLANOLYPresents, which is our new weekly fireside chat series with industry thought leaders. When those events are taking place, PLANOLY tweets out quotes from speakers using that hashtag to alert users that an event is taking place and what they can expect from that event. 

Establish a consistent and clear brand hashtag to use for frequent tweets or announcements. Hashtags should provide context to your tweets. The two go hand-in-hand as one supports the other. 

PLANOLY Pro Tip: Emojis. Use emojis that are fun, thoughtful, or even sarcastic to add personality to your tweets. 

Another thing that sets Twitter apart from its contemporaries is that it’s a place people primarily go to have fun. Sure, Twitter users want to shop and engage with brands, but only if your voice is humorous and authentic. 

So, by all means, add some humor into your tweets. Be yourself and let your personality fly. On Twitter, it’s a selling point.

If you’re tweeting for your brand, allow that humor to be apart of the brand language. Work it into product rollouts, call to actions (CTAs), and quote tweets where you comment on what someone else has tweeted.

No one is interested in edited, press-release friendly tweets. Twitter is off-the-cuff and fun. Users know that, which means they’ll see when you’re trying too hard or just looking to sell them something. Bring your own brand of funny and authenticity to Twitter and watch how fast it helps you grow your following.

PLANOLY Pro Tip: Surprisingly, fast-food chains like Wendy’s and Popeyes, do well on Twitter. They’re hilarious and don’t take themselves too seriously – and it works. 

Want to find out exactly who’s talking about you or your business or searching keywords in your industry? Twitter’s advanced search feature is a great resource to do just that. 

You can (and should) use the Twitter Advanced Search tool to your advantage. All you need to do is search your name, your brand’s name, or industry-specific terms to see what your customers or potential customers in your area have to say about your or your industry. 

This search is a window into your customer’s thoughts. You can see exactly what they’re tweeting about based on your search parameters. For example, if you’re a fashion designer, you’ll want to use search terms like “fashion design,” “designer,” “fashion,” or even get more specific and use your brand name. Then, any tweets with those terms will populate, showing you precisely what is on your customer’s mind.

Fact: Twitter’s Advanced Search is one of the best ways to generate new leads for your brand.

Twitter is a place where you not only get to see your customers, but you can speak directly to them as well. So you don’t want to just talk at them or market to them. You’ll also gain some footing by providing support. 

If your customers have questions or problems, use Twitter as a forum to address those issues. Show them that you’re available and accessible should any issues arise. Twitter can help you build trust between you and your customers/followers. 

If someone has a bad experience with you or your brand and @ mentions you in a tweet, use that opportunity to resolve that issue. You can reply to their tweet and ask them to address the issue further in a direct message (DM). Or, if it’s a simple request, do it publicly on your Twitter feed.

Fact: Over the last two years, Twitter has seen a 2.5x increase in customer service conversations on its platform.

PLANOLY’s share to Twitter feature is here to help you save time when sharing Instagram content to Twitter by enabling you to share to Twitter directly from your PLANOLY account! It essentially works just like our ‘share to Facebook’ feature, but now you’re also able to share your Instagram content to Twitter. Maximize your time on PLANOLY’s mobile and desktop app by creating content that you can easily share on your favorite social platforms all in one place. 

A Few Things To Note: 

1. The Twitter Toggle is a premium, paid PLANOLY feature, and available to authenticated Instagram Business accounts only. 
2. To use this feature, you must enable auto-post to Instagram and authenticate your Twitter account on PLANOLY.
3. Any GIFS will be converted to video before they are posted to Twitter.
4. After you authenticate your Twitter account on PLANOLY, your future Instagram content will automatically qualify to post on Twitter as well, but previously scheduled content that has not yet posted will need to be rescheduled in able to enable this feature. For more information on specific media requirements for Twitter, go here.
5. The character limit to share a post on Twitter is 280. If an Instagram post’s caption has more than 280 characters, it will be reduced to fit Twitter requirements. 
6. You can link/unlink your Twitter account from the schedule screen on your PLANOLY account. 
7. If any post fails to publish to Instagram, it will also fail to post to Twitter. If a post is successfully published to Instagram but not to Twitter, you will receive a push notification letting you know.

How to Access the  Twitter Toggle Feature on the PLANOLY mobile and desktop:

Although Twitter isn’t technically an image-driven platform, over the years, pictures have become far more central to the text-heavy social network. 

Tweets with images get nearly 90% more engagement. You can also expect the potential or retweets, shares, and favorites to increase when your tweets feature images. 

Images – much like hashtags – should add context to your tweet. For example, if you’re a hotelier, you should post beauty shots of your hotels’ rooms, pool, and common areas. If you’re a chef, a large percentage of your tweets should have food pics attached. Lean into your industry but make the images specific to you and your business.

Make sure the images are very high-quality. Also, if your image requires a photo credit, make sure you add that before posting your tweet. Simply @ tag to mention the photographer or brand. If they’re not on Twitter, write out the name with a camera emoji. 

PLANOLY Pro Tip: Be sure to optimize your images for mobile viewing as approximately 80% of active Twitter users access the app on their phones.

Nowadays, every social media app is big on video output. It’s one of the best marketing tools of the moment. When done right, video is a massive driving force for engagement and sales.

Video advertising is Twitter’s fastest-growing vertical. The company recently reported that there are over 2 billion video views on Twitter each day. Twitter also stated that videos are proven to get people to take action. 

That same report from Twitter stated that tweets with video generated 10x more engagements than Tweets without video. The numbers support the importance of video and it should undeniably be part of your Twitter strategy. 

If videos are already part of your larger marketing push, make sure you place them on Twitter so that your brand language is cohesive across all social media platforms.

PLANOLY Pro Tip: Twitter reports that 93% of all videos on their platform are viewed on a mobile device. Make sure your videos are mobile-friendly with subtitles so that viewers watching with the sound off can still enjoy your content. Test your videos first before they go live to make sure they look and sound good!

Like most social networks, getting people involved is huge on Twitter. Contests and takeovers are an easy way to keep users engaged and excited about your brand.

Not only will organizing contests and takeovers keep your followers engaged, but it can also help you gain new followers. Gameplan what any contests or takeovers are meant to achieve, and create actionable items that give participants real value. 

For instance, if you’re organizing a contest where you’re giving away a product, create call-to-actions (CTAs) for the participants. To enter, they should be required to follow you on Twitter, retweet the giveaway Tweet, and tag a few friends. This helps you build brand loyalty while also introducing you to a new audience. 

Takeovers can also be very successful. Working with brand partners or collaborators again opens your brand up to a growing audience. It also shows that people love you and your product outside of your community. Be sure to find the right collaborative partner for takeovers and strategize exactly what you hope to accomplish for that partnership. 

Over the past few years, Twitter has emerged as one of the best places in the social landscape to grow brand awareness. Having a Twitter strategy is a critical touchpoint to your brand’s social media DNA. So don’t wait! Get going ASAP with your new strategy and have fun!

Just as important as implementing these Twitter marketing strategies above is testing out what works and stripping away what doesn’t. Not every Tweet is going to go viral. Not every Twitter campaign is going to yield maximum results. Some will simply be teachable moments. Learn from them and adjust your strategy for better results.

Start your Twitter marketing strategy today! Take advantage of new PLANOLY’s Twitter Toggle and download our free Twitter Marketing Guide Checklist!