Social Media Breakdown: Twitter

Back in April, we launched a new blog series focused on breaking down some of the most prevalent social media platforms. As we said in our first blog, each social media platform has its advantages and disadvantages, but when used well, businesses can use these networks to their benefit. Social media can help businesses improve their customer service, generate leads, or even establish themselves as authorities in their chosen fields. We began this series with some of the largest platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and today we continue on with the character-limited site that is Twitter. 

THE BACKGROUND:

Twitter originally started as a side project from the San Francisco-based podcasting company, Odeo. Odeo was launched by Evan Williams and Noah Glass, but the company came into difficulty after Apple launched iTunes with its built-in podcasting capabilities. The need for new ideas brought about the concept of a service allowing users to share personal status updates via SMS to groups of people, which was pitched by one of the company’s engineers, Jack Dorsey.

By March 2006, there was a working prototype for the site, and Jack shared his first tweet on March 21st. The micro-blogging platform (which was known as Twttr at that point) officially launched on July 15, 2006. A 140-character limit was placed on tweets, and the platform found massive success after the South by Southwest convention in Austin the following March, where it was averaging 60,000 tweets per day. 

Since then, Twitter has continued to expand and gain momentum. The character limit was increased to 280, and throughout time, features such as retweeting and threads have been added. Today it finds itself as a source of breaking news and information, especially for younger audiences. 

THE STATS: 

Today Twitter boasts around 436 million monthly active users and has become a hub for current events from entertainment to politics. We recently created an infographic on the percentages of people per age group using the different social media platforms, so you can note Twitter’s numbers in the graphic to your right.

Here are a few other prevalent facts that businesses might find useful when forming marketing strategies that come to us via HootSuite:

• Twitter.com is the 9th most visited website globally

• Twitter is the world’s 7th most favorite social media platform 

• Twitter is expected to grow upwards of 329 million users in 2022 (2% increase)

• 25% of U.S. adults use Twitter

• 30% of Twitter’s audience are women 

• 42% of Twitter users have a college education

• Only 0.2% of Twitter’s audience are exclusive to the platform

• The average user spends 5.1 hours a month on Twitter

• One-fifth of Twitter users under 30 visits the site too frequently to keep track

• 16% of internet users aged 16-64 use Twitter for brand research

• 54% of Twitter’s audience are more likely to purchase new products

• 38 million of the mDAUs came from the U.S.

• Twitter is more popular with millennials than Gen-Z

• Twitter ads reach 5.8% of the world population over age 13

THE FEATURES: 

Unlike the other social media platforms that we’ve highlighted through this series, Twitter doesn’t have an abundance of different features to highlight. 

The concept is still a simple one: to share thoughts, news, product/service information, etc. within 280 characters. They call their posts “tweets,” and within these tweets, you can attach photos, short-form videos, or gifs along with your text.  

The main thing to highlight is how you can interact with those tweets:

• You can click the heart icon and “like” a tweet much like you can a Facebook or Instagram post 

• You can “retweet” someone’s tweet, which means that you share it on your own timeline. You can retweet something as it is, or you can add text of your own in response to it 

• You can respond to others’ tweets

• You can create a “thread” - which allows you to essentially post multiple tweets that are all connected to share something that goes beyond the 280-character cap

For businesses, it is worth noting that Twitter has some useful features. You can switch over to “Twitter for Professionals'' where you can establish your account as a business or creator. Through this platform, you can create ads and view analytics. In 2021, Twitter also first debuted a Shop Module, which basically allows brands to create a dedicated product showcase toward the top of their profile. Another newer feature is the ability to include newsletters through Revue on your profile, which can make it easier for you to gain subscribers and grow your email list.  

PROS: 

• Customer Insights

  One of the greatest benefits of Twitter is the real-time connection with your customers and intended audience. Most businesses I’ve seen have noticed how useful Twitter can be in the world of customer service and have embraced it. It’s an easy way to address and resolve issues quickly and also personally respond to both positive and negative customer experiences. This can inform businesses where there are gaps in their services or issues with their products and allow for some course correction.  

• Brand Awareness/Potential Reach

  A lot of businesses are also seeing how Twitter is a chance to further establish their brand and its voice. Some have taken a more playful tone while others have established themselves as ultimate authorities in their fields. It gives a chance for companies to also further share causes that align with their company’s values. The types of conversations you engage in and the tone of your tweets can help you attract an audience whose views align with yours; plus, the more you respond to comments, the more likely your page is going to appear on non-followers’ feeds.   

• Business Tools & Costs

  Twitter may not have all the business tools of some of the other social media platforms, but they have made great strides in that area over the past couple of years. Twitter has embraced professional profiles, analytics, and the services we mentioned earlier like the Shop Module, newsletter capabilities, and Twitter communities. Through Twitter, companies have the ability to grow their page organically, but even if they choose to embrace some paid advertising options, the costs are fairly low. 

CONS: 

• Audience Size 

  While Twitter has 436 million active monthly users, you cannot deny that its reach is decidedly less than a platform like Facebook or Instagram. It all boils down to your intended audience and whether your demographics align with those of the platform. 

• Character Limitations

  While you can use threads to maneuver around the 280-character limit, the character limitations are something to consider. With Twitter, your words and hashtags must be chosen carefully and strategically to make the most of every post. This also means that you might need to consider using an URL shortener when linking to articles or other pages outside of Twitter.  

• Requires Consistent Work

  I consider this to be the universal negative aspect of every social media platform: consistency and the time it requires. If you want to build a foothold, engage your audience, and continue to reach potential customers, consistency is the magic word. Twitter is no exception. Use your analytics feature to figure out the best times to post and then consistently create your content with the appropriate hashtags. Also, engage with followers and other accounts as much as possible. These approaches are the best chance you have of reaching a wider audience. 

At the end of the day, whether Twitter is a good idea for your business boils down to your field and your intended audience. Twitter is a hub of news and current events, so if you happen to fall in the entertainment, sports, or news arenas, then Twitter is an especially useful tool. Even outside of those worlds, though, Twitter is a great tool for customer service and establishing a more personal connection with your audience. The data for promoting products on Twitter is also a promising premise for businesses, plus it is a relatively low cost option, even when choosing paid promotions. We wouldn’t recommend using Twitter solely as your social media platform but recommend it as a vital addition to connect and promote.  

If you’re interested in expanding your social media presence on Twitter or other social media platforms, we are more than happy to help you navigate that world. You can find out more information here or contact us here.