Why is Twitter an ideal platform for marketers to connect with their audience?
There are over a billion Tweets sent every two days, all about what people care for most. The savviest marketers recognize that these conversations are powerful signals of intent that they can leverage to connect with potential customers.
The live, public and conversational nature of Twitter also makes it a unique platform for brands. It’s a place that fuels discovery. Unlike other platforms (which are more suited for communicating with a closed network), users come to Twitter to discover new things, such as brands and products.
Are there companies or individuals finding truly inspiring or creative ways to use Twitter in their marketing efforts?
Absolutely. I’m constantly blown away by the ways individuals and brands use Twitter to create meaningful, impactful connections.
When it comes to individuals, John Legere of T-Mobile epitomizes what it means to be a CEO in the social media era. He uses Twitter to humanize both himself and his brand, and to connect directly with his customers. His unfiltered style and refreshing accessibility is something we don’t see often from high-level executives, and this has really created great momentum for T-Mobile.
A great brand example is Unilever, who has proven to be one of the most innovative teams I’ve worked with. Earlier this year, Unilever launched the ‘Recitweet’ campaign in Brazil that encouraged users to Tweet the contents of their fridge with the hashtag #PreparaPraMin (“Prepare for me” in Portuguese). Unilever then responded with a recipe that included those very ingredients, paired with Hellman’s mayonnaise (a Unilever brand).
Unilever is constantly pushing creative boundaries, but in ways that are strategic and add value and utility to the consumer.
Which tools work best for marketers using Twitter for content marketing?
One of my favorite tools is Twitter Cards, which allow you to attach rich media to Tweets. These provide brands with a visually appealing canvas that can be tailored toward specific actions, such as driving a qualified lead, showcasing a new product or distributing video content.
The Tweet Activity Dashboard is another incredibly useful tool that gives brands insight into how their content is performing on Twitter, all the way down to an individual Tweet. By identifying what type of content gets the most engagement, brands can Tweet more of what resonates with their audience and eliminate what doesn’t.
How can marketers and brands leverage Twitter to make sure their message reaches the right people during big events?
Brands can play for spontaneity during live moments. Just know that this type of planning includes aligning on objectives, establishing brand voice and creating pre-produced creative assets. It also involves anticipating which moments will be most strategic and impactful for their business, since it’s impossible to plan for all of them.
From a paid perspective, a smart targeting strategy can help brands get the right content in front of the right audience at precisely the right time. On Twitter, you can target by location, interests, keywords and more to make sure your message hits at moments of receptivity.
Are there long-term steps that marketers can take when using Twitter as a marketing tool?
First, establish a marketing mission. What are your campaign goals, and how will you measure success?
Once you’ve established your goals, do a comprehensive content audit and map the moments that matter to consumers. Think about both personal and cultural moments. This will ensure that your content starts with audience insights.
Then use data to measure performance. On Twitter, advertisers have access to valuable analytics that allow for real-time optimization. Dive deep into your insights to understand which tactics are working well (and which aren’t) so you can course-correct if you need to.
Just remember: While data can inform a creative strategy, it will rarely generate a creative idea. You need to take a step away from data to be imaginative and make your campaigns fun. At the core, people want to be informed, inspired and entertained in ways that are unexpected. If you have fun with your campaign, your audience will, too.
How does Twitter itself utilize content marketing?
Although there are multiple teams at Twitter that contribute to our content marketing efforts, the underlying goal across teams remains the same: Create content that provides value to our users, partners and advertisers.
For example, we have an amazing data communications team that creates powerful visualizations of news and cultural events like #Ferguson and the #SuperBowl to show how conversations grow and evolve on Twitter. You can follow that team at @TwitterData.
We also have a global business marketing team that works tirelessly to create educational content that helps advertisers of all sizes and industries succeed on Twitter. You’ll see this team Tweet industry articles, marketing tips and product updates from @TwitterAds.
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: Content Marketing Spotlight: Twitter’s Stacy Minero Talks Content Marketing
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