How To Optimize Twitter For Your Brand

I’m back with a brand new social media optimization how-to! So far we’ve chatted about how to optimize Snapchat for your business (and how to optimize Snapchat for your boredom, too!), how to be strategic with your Instagram, and how to make the most of Pinterest—and today, we’re turning to Twitter. Although my own Twitter account has been active since 2009, I feel the need to put the word “active” in quotes. Like a lot of business owners these days, I’ve gotten distracted by shiny new apps (here’s looking at you, Instagram!) and my time on Twitter has been sparse in the last couple of years. Yet, there’s something major to be said about Twitter and its community building and networking opportunities. Below, I share five ways to optimize Twitter for your brand.

Write a value-packed profile

As with all of your social media profiles, it’s important to start by explaining yourself (and your goals) well. I tend to keep my profiles worded exactly the same between social apps for consistency’s sake, and you may want to follow the same practice—but, of course, it’s all personal preference. Some key things to note in your own profile:

• Your name (doesn’t have to be both first and last if you aren’t comfortable with that)
• Your website URL
• Your various job titles
• Your email
• Your location (again, if you’re comfortable with it! I include it to encourage in-person networking opportunities with other creatives, and to catch the attention of local brands who may be looking to collaborate)
• Other social media call outs (right now, I include my Snapchat handle for promotion, but you could call out anything from Instagram to Tumblr)

Incorporate photos into your Tweets

Studies prove that including photos in your Tweets increases the likelihood of engagement and being noticed. Of course, this is easier said than done since including a photo takes a big chunk out of that 140-character limit, but try to be strategic about it. You don’t need to include a photo every single time, but try working it in every few Tweets for maximum eye candy and to encourage more Retweets and new followers.

Consider hosting a Twitter Chat

Admittedly, I have not had time myself to dive into the realm of Twitter Chats, but my friend Lauren Hooker, of Elle & Company, does a great job with this. Her #ellechat is hugely successful, and has allowed her to grow her Twitter following by 700%! Essentially, the idea is to set a specific time to engage with your followers utilizing a singular hashtag as your means of keeping up with the interactions. You would need to come up with a list of questions, and then ask your followers to weigh in on the conversation. It’s a great way to get valuable insight from your followers and to widen the scope of your reach by tapping into their followers, too.

Again, I’m no expert on this. Yet, I do see the major benefits in the strategy. So, I’m going to pass you right along to Lauren’s blog. Click here to learn more about how to utilize Twitter Chats to grow your following and business.

Respond personally to tagged Tweets

Interact, interact, interact! Even if you aren’t wildly present on the Twitter feed as a whole, you should be wildly present when it comes to personal mentions, Retweets, and replies. As I mentioned before, I have definitely fallen prey to social media overload, and tend to focus mostly on my Instagram in the interest of time. So, Twitter has fallen to the periphery in the past year. That said, I make it a point to check in with my notifications daily, and to Favorite and/or Retweet the brands and people that mention me, and to respond when I can to comments and questions. If you’re like me, you rarely browse your Twitter feed, but responding to those who make it a point to tag you is key to keeping your presence on the platform active.

Don’t forget about messages and mentions!

Finally, Twitter is a great way to connect with fellow creatives and even brands. You may have forgotten, but there’s a message function within Twitter! Although your character count is limited in this space, too, it’s a wonderful way to interact on a private level with those you’re looking to connect with. And if messaging fails to get the attention of the brand you’re dying to work with, try Tweeting right to them! A simple tagged mention (ex. “Hey @Cuisinart! Have I got a crafty idea for you! Who can I get in touch with to chat details?”) may just do the trick.

The point is, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there on this lightening fast app! Twitter has been around for a long time, and has come a long way. Put the functionality to good use when it comes to your business, and you could be reaping some major rewards. Got any Twitter tips of your own? Shout them out below!