Earlier this year, Twitter announced it would update its algorithm to incorporate a timeline feature so users can see tweets they may have missed since their last visit. And just this week, Twitter released that it will be changing its adherence to 140 characters for certain circumstances.
Both these developments will affect how consumers and businesses utilize the social media tool. It allows users who may be unfamiliar with the platform to more intuitively understand how to navigate it. “One of the biggest priorities for this year is to refine our product and make it simpler,” said Jack Dorsey, Twitter CEO and co-founder, in a statement. “We’re focused on making Twitter a whole lot easier and faster.”
How can companies leverage these changes to their advantage and reach their maximum audiences? Let’s discuss a few basic tips that will help you stay visible to your followers.
Timeline
Twitter chooses the stories that appear in your “You may have missed…” section based on your interactions with Twitter users. This means, the more you engage with a Twitter user, the more they will show up in this section. This can be a positive tool for many brands who focus on content over quantity. If your followers engage with your tweets, your content can appear at the top of their Twitter feed regardless of when they log in.
It’s important to continue to post tweets throughout the day, according to the schedule you’ve found works best for engaging users with your brand. This can help you retain current customers and find more Twitter followers. However, instead of posting the same tweet multiple times in a day, make sure your message varies – regardless of whether you point to the same link or not — so users have an opportunity to engage with more than one of your tweets in their “You may have missed…” section. High quality tweets paired with appropriate timing can spur the most Twitter engagement for your business.
Images and videos are still important to post, as tweets that include multimedia are proven to create more engagement. Make sure to incorporate these elements into as many Twitter messages as you can.
Character Count
It will now be even easier to include multimedia elements such as images and videos into your Twitter content because the social media platform has announced that it will no longer count media attachments toward the allotted 140 characters (previously, a photo or video took away 24 characters). These adjustments allow Twitter to compete with apps such as Instagram and Snapchat that are more visual. Be aware, links will still cost you 23 characters.
Additionally, select @names will not count toward character counts in replies to tweets. Twitter has changed this feature to make it easier for groups of users to have conversations with each other over the platform, competing with services such as WhatsApp. This is great news for companies, as it allows a brand to engage with its followers by asking questions, soliciting feedback and creating conversations over Twitter.
At Oster and Associates, we look at social media as another opportunity to convey your core messages and lead your customers into a deeper relationship with your brand. Need help navigating the waters of social media? Contact us to learn more about how we can manage your social media streams.
