At this point, content marketers don’t need to be convinced of the importance of Twitter, but what might be less clear is how to get the most out of it.
We talked to Stacy Minero, Twitter’s Head of Content Planning, about how content marketers can maximize their impact on Twitter, which brands do the most impressive work with Twitter and how to stand out during events like the Super Bowl.
Why is Twitter an ideal platform for marketers to connect with their audience?
There are over a billion Tweets sent every two days about what people care about most — and 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 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 of friends and family — users come to Twitter to discover new things, including brands and products.
Are there companies or individuals who are 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. A couple of examples:
John Legere of T-Mobile epitomizes what it means to be a CEO in the social media era. We see him using Twitter to humanize 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 helped to create 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, which is ‘Prepare for me’ in Portuguese.
Unilever then responded with a recipe that included those very ingredients, paired with Hellman’s mayonnaise. Unilever is constantly pushing creative boundaries, but in ways that are strategic and that always add value and utility to the consumer.
What tools work best for marketers when they are using Twitter for content marketing?
One of my favorite tools is Twitter Cards, which allows you to attach rich media to their Tweets. Twitter Cards provide brands with a visually appealing canvas that can be tailored toward specific actions, like 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 the individual Tweet level. 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.
Given the sheer amount of competition during the Super Bowl, how can marketers and brands leverage Twitter to make sure their message reaches the right people?
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 take time to map the moments that matter to consumers, which will ensure that your content starts with audience insights. Think about both personal and cultural moments.
Then, use data to measure performance. On Twitter, advertisers have access to valuable analytics that allows for real-time optimization. Dive deep into your insights to understand which tactics are working well aren’t so you can course-correct if you need to.
While data can inform a creative strategy, it will rarely generate a creative idea. Remember to take a step away from data to be imaginative, and think about how to make your campaign 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.
Given the staggering number of people who use Twitter in content marketing efforts, how does the company 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: to 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 to help 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 post originally appeared on ScribbleLive’s Engage Magazine.
