{"id":850,"date":"2020-06-16T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-16T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clicktotweet.com\/blog\/?p=850"},"modified":"2020-06-16T14:31:01","modified_gmt":"2020-06-16T19:31:01","slug":"business-marketing-hacks-utilizing-twitter-in-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clicktotweet.com\/blog\/business-marketing-hacks-utilizing-twitter-in-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Business Marketing Hacks Utilizing Twitter in 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Everyone knows they need to market on social media.<\/p>\n

And while a lot of people know that Twitter is one of the important social networks for marketing, not as many know the best tricks and tactics for the site.<\/p>\n

So in this article, I\u2019ll give you a run-down of the 9 best hacks for marketing on Twitter.<\/p>\n

These run from the more fundamental hacks, to some more unique ones. But all of them are great additions to your marketing arsenal.<\/p>\n

What are we waiting for? Let\u2019s get started with the first one:<\/p>\n


\nHack 1: Get down the basics of your profile as best you can<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The basics: a good profile picture, description, username and account name, site link, and header image.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll use my blog\u2019s Twitter profile<\/a> as an example:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

We have a description that clearly states what the account is for, and the gist of our blog. There\u2019s a link to our blog.<\/p>\n

Our name and username (meaning the name that comes after the @ symbol) are the same. Our picture includes the name and has the blog logo. It\u2019s the same on all other social media accounts.<\/p>\n

And then we have our header\/banner image at the top of our profile, using our design and color scheme, plus our site tagline.<\/p>\n

Basically, the identity of the account is as clear as possible.<\/p>\n

If someone on Twitter sees one of our tweets, and they move their cursor to our icon, they\u2019ll immediately understand the identity of the account, let alone if they visit the profile.<\/p>\n

If your blog or site is based on your personhood, image, etc, then most of the basics are the same. For example, see how the Twitter profiles of one of the most famous marketers looks like:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Neil Patel gets in all the key points, links to the consulting page of his site, but features his face in his profile picture and banner image\u2014since it\u2019s a major part of his brand.<\/p>\n

True, not everyone can get their username to perfectly line up with their regular name. Sometimes you get unlucky, and someone else has already registered a username.<\/p>\n

However, you can always try to keep your username as close, logically speaking, as possible. The key word there is \u201clogically.\u201d You can\u2019t just delete a letter.<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

Your name is Great Blog Name. But the handle @greatblogname is already taken.<\/p>\n

Instead of taking @greatblognam, take @greatblog or @nameofagreatblog, etc.<\/p>\n

Plus, you can always consider asking the owner of a given handle, and even offering to purchase the name from them.<\/p>\n

Anyway, you get the idea. Keep your Twitter profile as clear as possible, meaning not just what you are, but the identity and personality of your business.<\/p>\n

Hack 2: Master hashtags<\/strong><\/h4>\n

That\u2019s admittedly a generic piece of advice, so let me tell you what I mean specifically:<\/p>\n

First, the basics. Use hashtags that are very relevant. This may mean getting creative, but it\u2019s not hard to see how widely used a hashtag is.<\/p>\n

Second, don\u2019t use too many hashtags. For one thing, it\u2019s annoying to users. It makes the account come across as overzealous and more focused on getting retweets than providing something valuable to followers.<\/p>\n

Twitter itself recommends<\/a> one or two relevant hashtags per tweet as the sweet spot.<\/p>\n

Third, it may be useful to create a branded hashtag, meaning one unique to your business. While it\u2019s good for those that already have some following, it\u2019s useful for a variety of reasons:<\/p>\n

Branded hashtags help you organize content about your brand, but they\u2019re also good for promotional campaigns.<\/p>\n

For example, you can offer challenges with prize offerings for people who use your hashtag in a certain way.<\/p>\n

Hack 3: Add images, GIFs, and video<\/strong><\/h4>\n

You might already know intuitively that adding media to your social media content helps it get noticed and shared more. You may have already seen some stats.<\/p>\n

But let me give you a couple stats that come directly from Twitter itself<\/a>:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Now, admittedly, this is from a 2014 blog post. So the exact numbers may not be true anymore.<\/p>\n

But I see no reason why the numbers would go down, as everyone has gotten even more glued to their devices since 2014.<\/p>\n

So this is a pretty simple hack. Despite being simple, it\u2019s versatile: you can add media to your tweets in a bunch of different ways.<\/p>\n

In this example, I used an image as part of a thread of tweets:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

By doing this, I get people to focus more on the specific parts of the thread. Additionally, the images are custom-made, and add personality.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that there are a million things you can do just within the realm of images.<\/p>\n

For example, you can use stock photos to add visuals to tweets without spending too much time or money (though you should probably be careful to pick good stock photos).<\/p>\n

You can create original images, especially infographics. It\u2019s also a good idea to create image templates, to save you time while keeping your images original.<\/p>\n

You can read more image tips directly from Twitter here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To say nothing of what you can do with GIFs and video\u2014though those are also a little harder to tweak as needed.<\/p>\n

Hack 4: Interact with followers, especially with polls<\/strong><\/h4>\n

This hack is pretty common, but for good reason: it\u2019s tried and true.<\/p>\n

When you interact with your followers, you show them that they\u2019re important to your business. It signals that they matter and that their following you is meaningful. It helps social media feel more genuine.<\/p>\n

To give you an example, here\u2019s how Windscribe, a popular VPN service, used a poll:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In this instance, the poll isn\u2019t directly tied to Windscribe\u2019s business. For example, they didn\u2019t ask their followers to choose which features they\u2019d like to see in the next app update. Or what servers they liked the most.<\/p>\n

But, it\u2019s not a completely random question either. People using VPNs are using the internet a lot, and many want a VPN so they can game or stream shows. Heck, some people even use VPNs to work remotely, as it\u2019s more secure for sensitive information.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Windscribe heavily markets itself as a \u201cfun\u201d company with a lot of personality. It\u2019s all over their social media and website. So this friendly poll is in line with their branding.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not saying your Twitter polls can\u2019t be explicitly related to your business. Of course they can! It\u2019s a great way of gauging how your audience and customers feel.<\/p>\n

But they can also vary to more fun and relaxed questions. And many businesses, like the one above, find they\u2019re useful in adding personality to the brand.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another hack, that may be relevant to some of your businesses:<\/p>\n

You can always take customer support questions on Twitter. A lot of businesses do it, especially ones providing online services of some sort.<\/p>\n

Sometimes this is done through Twitter direct messages (DMs), sometimes through public tweets. But either way, it\u2019s useful for some businesses both as a marketing tool and a support method.<\/p>\n

Hack 5: Use Twitter ads<\/strong><\/h4>\n

There are good reasons why people use Twitter ads. One of them is that they apparently work even better on Twitter than other social media platforms:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Though to be fair, that\u2019s what Twitter says<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Even so, it makes sense. Twitter is a bit unique among social media anyway.<\/p>\n

Twitter Ads are pretty easy to use, and are often noted for their helpfulness in the early stages of building an audience.<\/p>\n

Many people use Twitter ads more at the beginning of their marketing than later. While you can of course use it whenever is best for you, it\u2019s good for gaining that legitimacy of a decent follower count, from which other followers come.<\/p>\n

Hack 6: Some times are better for posting than others<\/strong><\/h4>\n

It shouldn\u2019t be surprising that some times of the day\u2014heck, that some days of the week\u2014are better for Tweeting than others.<\/p>\n

At some parts of the day, a large chunk of users in a certain area will be taking a lunch break. Or at work. Or having dinner, or about to go to sleep, or\u2026you get the idea.<\/p>\n

Now with that being said, there\u2019s no single perfect time that\u2019s great for posting. There\u2019s a limit to how much of this stuff we actually understand, and there are bound to be differences where you\u2019re living and what industry you\u2019re in.<\/p>\n

Hubspot finds that good times are<\/a> 8-10am, and 6-9pm, when people are commuting to and from work.<\/p>\n

It also notes that B2B companies (business to business) are better off tweeting during weekdays, while B2C companies (business to consumer) are better off tweeting on weekends. This is because people are typically looking for business solutions while at work, and consuming for themselves more on their downtime.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, TrackMaven found that the best time to tweet<\/a> is around 5pm, and the best day of the week is Thursday.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

So in conclusion? Optimal posting time is real, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s clear-cut. So continue to do not just your own research, but your own experimentation in particular.<\/p>\n

Pro-tip: the best way of experimenting with this stuff is to use social media monitoring tools<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hack 7: Plan your content<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Twitter is famous for its hot takes. If you go on other social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, or Reddit, you\u2019ll find tons of Twitter screenshots.<\/p>\n

They range from funny to serious, but one of the most common elements is that they encapsulate an idea in a short amount of text, about a current event.<\/p>\n

So it often seems like the best way to market on Twitter is to be perpetually at the keyboard, waiting for a moment to craft a hit tweet.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s certainly good to be ready to respond to current events, the bulk of your Twitter content won\u2019t be like that. It\u2019s unrealistic for all but a handful of what you actually put out there, frankly.<\/p>\n

(If the purpose of your blog or business is to respond to current events, you may be an exception).<\/p>\n

Planning your tweets ahead of time requires a bit of energy up-front. But once you sit yourself down and do it, you\u2019ll find it\u2019s much easier to put out tweets later.<\/p>\n

One great tactic is to use a weekly or monthly calendar, where you can simply mark down your tweet drafts or even note important days.<\/p>\n

Plus, having a monthly or weekly calendar is NOT mutually exclusive of being timely. There are certain events you can indeed plan for.<\/p>\n

For example\u2014holidays, significant dates in your field (if applicable), entertainment or sports events, etc.<\/p>\n

And one of the hidden benefits is the ability to see your tweets as a collective. You might find, once you take a step back, that too many of your tweets are memes. Or too many are dramatic, etc.<\/p>\n

Hack 8: Use Twitter lists<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A Twitter list is a list of accounts you don\u2019t necessarily have to follow, usually about a certain subject. Twitter lists let you curate your feed.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an instructional article from Twitter<\/a> on how to make lists\u2014it\u2019s incredibly easy.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

One of the great things about Twitter Lists is that they\u2019re very versatile.<\/p>\n

You can view tweets from accounts in your list as you scroll on your timeline. You don\u2019t even need to follow all the accounts in your Lists\u2014relevant tweets will just appear on the timeline once their authors are in a List.<\/p>\n

You can also just look at a feed solely of material from sources in your Lists.<\/p>\n

You can even follow other people\u2019s Lists, if they\u2019ve been made public.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

So how does that help marketing?<\/p>\n

Using Twitter Lists are a great way of keeping track of what\u2019s going on in your Twitter universe, and it can be as specific and far reaching as you want.<\/p>\n

For example, you could make Lists like so:<\/p>\n