3 tips on how to extend your Twitter reach
The Twittersphere remains one of the most-used social media platforms, particularly when it comes to professionals and organisations. That’s even despite the comparatively small growth figures of Twitter compared to the likes of rivals Facebook and Instagram.
One of the main advantages of Twitter is that you can very quickly achieve wide reach a global audience. But how can you maximise that reach and ensure that your Tweets are received not only widely in the right places? This week we have some top tips for making your tweets travel further.
1) Understand the difference between reach and impressions
Reach and impressions are often conflated. There are, however, a number of differences between the two that are important when deciding the focus of your strategy.
A recent article by Sprout Social defines reach as ‘the number of people who see your content’ whereas impressions are best understood as ‘the number of times your content is displayed.’ The article continues, ‘you can think of [reach] as the number of unique people who see your content’ and although in a perfect world every follower would see every post, this is of course not always possible and so ‘reach is a measurement of your effective audience.’
Importantly, Sprout Social points out that it is impressions that are measured by Twitter analytics, not reach. In order to find reach data when tracking a campaign, it is often helpful to use a social media analytics tool. Many of which provide ‘sent message reports’ which will show you information on reach, clicks and response rates. You can analyse which tweets receive the highest levels of reach and engagement. This helps you better decide which types of content produce the best results for increasing awareness of your brand.
2) Pick the right Tweet style at the right time
Timing a tweet is so important, particularly when Twitter feeds turn over with such ferocious speed. In order to make sure your content doesn’t get missed, choosing the right tweet at the right time can help maximise reach and shareability.
Head of Editorial at Twitter Gordon MacMillan has put together a list of ‘12 Styles of Successful Tweets’ for Campaign Live. They seek to help brands ‘be better on Twitter.’ MacMillan told Campaign Live ‘we found that successful accounts have a good grip on four or five styles which fit with an account’s personality and tone of voice.’
Some of our favourites included the ‘quick take’ Tweet. This is popular with brands whose opinion carries weight and need to respond quickly to an event or discussion. Using conversational language and snappy sentences, the ‘quick take’ Tweet can cut through the social media noise and ensure that your content is spread widely. Another less serious favourite is the ‘so wrong it’s right’ tweet. These use tongue-in-cheek humour and short, pithy language to make an overly serious topic a little more light-hearted and shareable.
3) Get in on the conversation
It is easy to fall into the trap of simply using Twitter to promote your own content. But, the rise of influencer marketing shows no sign of slowing. Brands can benefit significantly from getting in on the conversation taking place in the Twittersphere.
This is exactly what was argued by Influencive contributor and US entrepreneur Richard Lorenzen. He suggested that ‘if you post Tweets without any interaction you’re severely limiting your reach.’ Lorenzen suggested a number of simple ways to increase your brand’s interaction on Twitter. This included retweeting content from your followers, replying to those who reply to you quickly and asking people direct questions.
By engaging in conversation and interaction, it is possible to position your brand as an influencer. Consumers and followers can feel they have a real relationship with your organisation through social media. This can work wonders in encouraging them to share your content in return. This thereby widens your reach organically, as if through traditional word of mouth.
Is extending your Twitter reach is your aim? Then these three simple tricks can help keep your strategy on track and ensure awareness of your brand. You are also welcome to get in touch with our team to discuss your marketing ideas.
