In a society of innovation and constant information, Twitter has become the go-to venue for fast, real-time updates and consumer-based input. In merely 140 characters, Twitter gives everyone a voice.
Since its launch in 2006, the micro-blogging website has grown to over 200 million active users. With such a large user base, Twitter has become one of the prime social media venues for advertising.
Twitter advertising has been available since December 2011. Since then, advertising on Twitter has evolved into a system that makes advertising, and evaluating its results, easier than ever.
When advertising with Twitter, an account can chose between “promoted accounts”, “promoted tweets” or a combination of both. In any of the above, Twitter advertises to a targeted audience. It can target audiences based on keywords in tweets and search, interests, gender, location, language, device, similarity to existing followers, tailored audiences, TV ads and TV conversations.
A “promoted account” is an ad that invites targeted users to follow your brand. According to a recent research study, 72% of Twitter users claimed they were more inclined to make purchases from brands they follow or interact with on Twitter.
Promoted accounts are great if your brand is trying to reach more followers that are likely to be interested in your brand. It’s also very useful in building a community of advocates.
A “promoted tweet” is a tweet that you pay to promote. Much like an organic tweet, a promoted tweet can be retweeted, replied to and favorited by users. These tweets can also include links, hashtags as well as rich media.
Promote tweets reach a wider audience than organic tweets. You only pay for this tweet when a user engages with the tweet. This tweet can reach any of the targeted and tailored audiences that Twitter has available.
Another great feature of the promoted tweet is that you can create promoted tweets that are not published to all of your followers. You can also set it up so that your promoted tweet doesn’t go on your timeline. This means the users who will see your promoted tweet will be your selected target audience.
Larger brands may also be interested in “Promoted Trends”. These are trends that are promoted to drive mass awareness in target markets. This is helpful for seeding conversations or making announcements. It helps build a buzz for your brand or event– brand mentions rise around 73% on the day of the promoted trend.
These tools can all be utilized to help a brand better reach a select target audience. A great example of this would be if Nuheat, a leading manufacturer of electric radiant floor heating and distributor of freeze protection products, wanted to reach the target audience of contractors. By using the Promoted Account feature, the account would be promoted only to contractors. If Nuheat wanted to promote their signature thermostat to people to those who already have their floor heating systems, it could use the Promoted Tweet feature to reach out to those who have mentioned them in the past. All of these things could be accomplished using the Promoted Trends feature. Twitter provides the tool, but how the tools are used is up to the brand.
Evaluating the success of your advertising is also easy. Twitter gives you real-time updates on your follower growth and your followers’ interests. You also have access to a promoted accounts dashboard, a followers’ dashboard and tweet level analytics for your promoted account in timeline creative.
Twitter also has fundamental metrics for your promoted tweets and account campaigns. This tracks impressions, retweets, clicks, replies and follows in real-time.
When advertising with Twitter, you also have other tools to help you get the most out of your investment. You can review your twitter performance with Twitter view, learn more about your audience with Followers, add domains for your brand’s website and track the mentions and clicks with Websites, and attach rich media experiences and content with Twitter Cards.
Advertising with Twitter is simple and effective. With the growing importance of a thriving online presence for businesses, Twitter advertising can help you grow your online presence in a way that fits your brand.
~ Hilda Queiroz, guest blogger
About Kleber & Associates
Kleber & Associates is an Atlanta-based integrated marketing communications agency serving the home and building products industry for 27 years. Visit the Kleber & Associates website for the latest news and information about marketing for home and building products for consumers, architects, builders, remodelers, designers and manufacturers. Through our marketing, advertising, public relations and digital marketing expertise — we build better brands that build a better home.
