Twitter is a powerful tool when it comes to marketing your blog and getting more traffic for your content. There is still confusion about Twitter – why be limited to 140 characters, on a web that allows thousands of words and extensive multi-media? Misunderstood or not, Twitter has become a bite size multi-media stream and ecosystem, recognised as a brand facilitator, traffic driver and viral powerhouse.
With so much already on Twitter, covering every subject known to man, you might find the prospect of using Twitter quite daunting, but it’s not as difficult as it seems. There are a number of tactics and tools to use to bring your tweets up to speed and getting the attention they deserve. Try a few of these and see if it makes a tangible difference to your volumes of followers.
- Use more visual content
Studies show that tweets with image links get two times the engagement rate of those without. Vibrant images help your tweets stand out in text-dominated streams.
- Use your tweets as teasers, not explanations
Don’t give too much away about the content in your tweet, or your readers won’t click on the link to read more. One way to tease an audience is to pose a question, which of course, you answer in the content.
- Repeat your tweets
Often tweets are missed by your followers, so sharing the same content more than once is a good idea. Use different headlines, images or quotes that link to the same article.
- Pimp your bio
Use your Twitter profile bio to link to your latest blog or article, rather than your website or blog home page.
- Use your Twitter community for ideas for new blogs
Poll your followers by asking for issues; show an interest in other people’s challenges. When you get enough answers to identify a trend, you can use that as basis for your next blog.
- Write great headlines
You have to grab the attention of your readers at the first glance. Use a promise (How to…), curiosity, controversy, intrigue. There’s an art to getting that all into 140 characters, but one worth practising.
- Use hashtags
Tweets with hashtags receive twice the amount of engagement than ones without. Use hashtags that relate to the subject of your blog posts, so you’ll show up in searches. Don’t use more than three per tweet.
- Use quotes or stats from industry leaders
People love thought-provoking quotes, so use ones from thought leaders, experts or recognised voices in your niche. Interesting statistics and figures are also eye-catching in the text heavy stream.
- Buy the right audience
If your following is not yet large, you might want to consider paying to increase the visibility of your tweets. Promoting your tweets allows you to target the right demographic.
- Tweet often
Unlike Facebook or email, posting regular tweets is advisable – one study revealed that tweeting every 15 minutes instead of 30 led to increased traffic by 31% and engagement up by 89%!
For more on social media sharing, contact us – we’d love to hear your thoughts on the trends of digital communication.