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With more than 4 billion people using social media worldwide, the question is not whether your organization should have a social media presence but, rather, which platforms you should use. The good news is, the average person uses multiple social media platforms, giving organizations several options to connect with their target audiences and increase brand awareness.
In this blog, we’ll discuss Twitter—a platform that some AOE clients have asked if they should continue using.
Concerns about Twitter
The social media platform has come under heavy fire from critics in recent months. Since taking over ownership in October 2022, CEO Elon Musk has instituted several questionable changes, such as paid verification. Instead of users having to prove their authenticity as a notable person or entity of public interest to get that blue checkmark badge, now they only have to pay $8 a month. This has opened doors for copycat accounts that can masquerade as companies, celebrities and public figures.
Musk also reinstated around 60,000 banned accounts that have previously broken the platform’s rules concerning hate speech, spreading misinformation and other infractions. However, Twitter stated in a November 2022 blog that “None of our policies have changed. Our approach to policy enforcement will rely more heavily on de-amplification of violative content: freedom of speech, but not freedom of reach.”
Some new policies have gone away as quickly as they appeared, such as banning links to competing social media platforms. And as of press time, Musk has announced that he will resign as CEO and is seeking a replacement. So rather than discuss changes that may or may not remain in place, let’s focus on the bigger question: Is your audience on Twitter?
With more than 210 million daily active users on Twitter, the answer is most likely yes.
Meet people where they are
For more than a decade, Twitter has been the go-to platform for up-to-the-minute conversations, breaking news and trending content. It is also one of the top platforms consumers use to follow brands. Many companies use Twitter as part of their customer service strategy; people can “tweet” the company with questions and issues as an alternative to calling customer support.
New features released in 2021 designed to keep users active and engaged include Twitter Spaces, which allows users to talk in a group setting, in an audio-based conversation. Topics is an another relatively new feature that allows people to follow specific topics they are interested in.
Are your clients, partners, prospects and competitors active on Twitter? If so, you should be there, too!
User demographics
Who do you want to reach? According to social media management services provider Sprout Social, adults between the ages of 18 and 29 account for the largest segment of users on Twitter. One-third of users are college-educated and make more than $75,000 annually. Sixty-one percent are male. If your target audiences share these demographics, Twitter may be an ideal platform to engage with them.
Best times to post
Twitter peak times for engagement shifted significantly in 2022, says Sprout Social, becoming much more concentrated during midmornings and middays throughout the week. On average, the best time to post on Twitter is 9 am and the best days are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, followed closely by Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. The worst day to post on Twitter is Sunday.
Making the choice
Ultimately, your decision to “tweet” depends on your comfort level with the platform. It can seem like an unmoderated environment rife with trolls, but there are options to block trolling accounts, hide inflammatory replies or restrict who sees your posts to followers and friends of followers. One word of warning: If you hide replies from your thread’s conversation, anybody can see them by tapping the Hidden Reply icon.
As with any social media platform, pay attention to what type of content does well and consider if it could resonate with your audience. If you’re already on Twitter, check your own analytics to measure engagement and how your posts are performing. A deep dive into your analytics also can help determine when your unique audience is most active on the platform.
Don’t be afraid to tweet, and don’t be afraid to take a pause from the platform if you aren’t seeing the results you want. Need assistance with social media strategies and analytics? Contact AOE today!
In this quick five minute webinar Janice Clines, AOE marketing manager sits down with Vikki Sicaras, who is certified in social media marketing and leads our Social Media Practice Group, to answer questions that some of our clients are asking related to Twitter use.