The right social media strategy can make or break a brand looking to jumpstart an earned media campaign. And for many brands, Twitter is one of the best ways to get in front of target audiences and encourage users to share their messages.
With its Promoted Tweets program, Twitter provides brands with a way to use paid media to broaden their viewer base by appearing on the timelines of millions of Twitter users.
But do Promoted Tweets actually work? Do users respond favorably to them? And if Promoted Tweets are so successful, what can brands launch earned media campaigns learn from the practice?
Data shows that Twitter and its participating brands have found success with Promoted Tweets. Companies like Virgin America, HubSpot, and Rackspace are seeing incredible results from their campaigns. Marketing software company HubSpot saw a 150 percent increase in sales through Twitter, along with 46 percent lower cost-per-lead and 32 percent ROI.
What Twitter and these brands prove is that paid media works. Promoted Tweets give brands the advantage of targeting users by everything from geography to keywords, and take the guesswork out of social outreach.
But paid media works well only when a brand does its research to discover and identify the best target audiences—and has the resources to invest. What if you don’t have the budget to pay for tweets? Or, what if you’re looking to invest in a long-term strategy that builds a community organically, through interaction with the brand and with other community members? Paid media can only get a brand so far.
The secret to success for companies using Promoted Tweets isn’t all that difficult to replicate: brands use the program to reach out to new potential customers, offer exclusive content, share news and facilitate engagement.
And in less than a decade, Twitter has created a critical place for itself in the digital marketing landscape. As social media platforms like Twitter become the first step in engaging audiences online, a media strategy that depends on social media is essential. But paying for social media exposure isn't. Try these tactics instead:
Rely on fans to carry your message to a larger audience. Offering exclusive content or offers to your followers on Twitter can encourage them to share that content with people in their own personal circles, which can make them feel like they're sharing something cool.
Talkback to the people in your timeline, even when the tweets are negative—it’s just one way to engage, and it’s a great way to keep customers loyal to your brand. You'll still need to invest resources and the returns won't be immediate, but they'll last longer and help build an online community. It works for brands like T-Mobile and Zappos, whose CEO tweets on a regular basis.
Seek partnerships with other brands online and leverage them on social media. Last year’s Twitter tête-à-tête between AMC and Oreo is an excellent example of how two brands without a clear connection can give each other a boost on social media.
Paid media like Promoted Tweets can offer brands a reliable way to find and engage audiences, but not every company will have the financial resources to give its Twitter account a boost. But with the right earned media approach to Twitter, your social media strategy can enjoy promotion on a budget.
Image credit: Brood_wich
