Complete Twitter Ads Guide with Best Practices for 2022

In a world where users are constantly trying to limit their time on social media, people run to Twitter for the most relevant, real-time information on trending topics. The whole concept of “trending” was invented by Twitter through the implementation of the hashtag. A tool originally used exclusively by programmers to help group relevant messages and topics, the hashtag was later reintroduced by Twitter as a new social media search tool where users could see who else was interested in a particular topic. Twitter ads revolutionized how users can group, view, and interact with similar content in the social media and online realm. This is earth-shattering as it allows users to see what the majority of the world is browsing and talking about at any given time.

Every journalist, marketing guru, and enthusiast alike lives on Twitter as it is the ultimate social media platform for user engagement and deep insights. People on Twitter are curious and want to stay informed about the best service offerings, the latest news, and the top findings — this is where brands should leverage Twitter. Adding Twitter to your marketing mix can accelerate brand credibility, customer engagement, and ultimately company growth.  

In this all-inclusive guide to the ultimate Twitter marketing strategy, we will discuss:

1. Twitter for Business

2. How Twitter Ads Work

3. Best Twitter Ads of 2021

4. Keys To Success on Twitter

#TwitterForBusiness

Twitter emphasizes a communication-first, social-media-second model. It provides something that no other social media platform does — a community. Twitter forms communities and thrives off of them. In other words, any brand seeking to establish itself as an industry leader needs to be on Twitter. Twitter users are active users as they are constantly scrolling, liking, replying to, and retweeting strong content. It is the only search engine where brands and consumers work in unison to drive brand awareness and traffic. Users are encouraged to interact and engage with personalities all over the world. Some of Twitter’s most-followed accounts include former president Barack Obama, soccer superstar Lionel Messi, and Twitter themselves (speaking to the extent of loyalty of their user base). 

Twitter’s biggest differentiators include:

• Real-time content. No social media reacts more quickly than Twitter.
• Focus on community-building and engagement.
• Twitter ads are ridiculously targeted.

Twitter is the #1 platform for discovery. Before getting started with advertising on Twitter, it is important to evaluate the needs of your industry. For most brands, Twitter will seem like a crucial piece of the puzzle to any successful brand awareness strategy.

How Twitter Ads Work

Twitter does a great job naturally integrating ads into their organic content. Typically they are targeted so well that users think they are viewing content from an account they already follow. For example, fantasy sports app DraftKings found high-profile success in 2021 by hyper-targeting sports fans through Twitter ads based on interest and search intent. With the return of the NBA and NFL, DraftKings was able to tap directly into the budding sports conversations on Twitter and drive traffic directly to their app.

Twitter’s advertising is performance-based, meaning advertisers only pay when their desired action occurs. Also, there is no minimum spend to advertise on Twitter. In fact, the average CPC to advertise on Twitter is one of the lowest in the paid social ads scene.

Here are the different types of Twitter ads to help grow your business:

1. Promoted Tweets
2. Promoted Accounts
3. Promoted Trends

Promoted Tweets

Highlight essential updates and offer deals through promoted tweets targeted to interested users who may or may not already follow your account. Promoted tweets are viewed as expanded tweets and are a great way to stand out to your target audience. Work with your marketing experts to ensure your brand’s page and presence are aligned with your company goals before launching your first promoted tweet.

Promoted Accounts

Promote your entire brand and boost your Twitter following through promoted accounts. Target specific users based on interest who do not already follow your brand to drive traffic to your page and gain new followers. Promoted accounts help convert potential followers by advertising your brand’s Twitter handle under the “Who To Follow” and “What’s Happening” sections with a direct “Follow” CTA to your target audience. Among other triggers, users are targeted based on other accounts they follow and keywords they search. 

Promoted Trends

Twitter’s real-time nature curates the high-turnover, high-interest collection list of trending topics and hashtags users can browse and interact with on a daily basis. Promoted trends allow brands to infiltrate this list of viral topics by showcasing their ads alongside the hottest, most talked-about topics. Timing is key here, as promoted trend ads are blasted to the Twittersphere for a 24-hour-long period. Think product launches or capitalizing on an important news event.

Best Twitter Ads of 2021

With 500 million tweets published daily, the most successful brands on Twitter are the ones who distinguish themselves and stay ahead of the curve. Here is our list of top brands who did it best and what we can learn from each marketing campaign:

Salesforce

Twitter ads are a great way to advertise dates and information about your company’s next big event. The most successful Twitter ads are timely and present an incentive to engage, and Salesforce’s promoted tweet in the form of a video ad did just that. Creating a hashtag around the company’s event is an effective strategy to drive awareness throughout the entire consumer journey. A best practice here is to be resourceful with your hashtags on Twitter.

Indochino

Twitter boasts an extremely personalized algorithm that is designed to prioritize capturing your target audience. Indochino is seen capitalizing on their location-based data while tying in a special offer, Twitter is the perfect space for this. Implement a URL shortener to stay within Twitter’s character limit while keeping your focus on the right keywords.

RXBAR

It goes without saying that the quality of your visuals on Twitter matters. RXBAR does an impressive job proving you do not need a massive budget to create powerful Twitter content. This Twitter ad is clear, concise and was made using a simple video editor. There is also a high incentive to watch the video and learn more.

Etihad Airways

Marketing copy with keywords such as “Win” or “Giveaway” proves to be an extremely powerful Twitter advertising tool. Twitter works great for brands looking to run campaigns with as maximum reach as possible, especially with promotions. Etihad’s Twitter Ad shown here is a prime example of how brands and users work together to drive brand awareness on Twitter. The custom hashtag with a promotion tied in provides a great incentive for consumer engagement.

Pom’Potes

A healthy snack brand seeks to expand their reach to the teenage customer base in France. With Twitter’s location based and demographic targeting tools, Pom’Potes were able to hit their marketing goals. Twitter is the recognized social media marketing tool used to tap into new markets and start conversations around topics individual brands know best. In other words, advertising on Twitter allows brands to control the narrative with their ideal customer.

Kikkoman USA

Even the most established brands are sure not to ignore Twitter when it comes to teasing a new product offering. Interest based targeting allows brands to target new customers that are likely to convert. For example, target by an interest in food, cooking or recipes. Kikkoman USA can dive a level deeper here and use keyword targeting to capture users who previously showed interest in their Twitter ads. Combine images with videos when possible to see the greatest return on Twitter.

Keys to Success With Twitter Ads

Users scroll through Twitter quickly — here is a curated list of 5 Twitter advertising best practices to stop the scroll:

1. Understand your objective.

What is your brand trying to achieve? Identifying your campaign objective is the first step towards success on Twitter. Determine if your main goal is to raise awareness, increase consideration, or drive conversions. Consider your marketing funnel as a whole in order to identify where Twitter can provide the most value. Keep in mind you will only be charged when a user completes your desired action, so choosing the right goal from the start is vital.

2. Choose the right targeting options.

The next step is to define your target audience. Who are your high-value customers based on your business goals? Once defined, take advantage of Twitter’s arsenal of targeting options to get in front of the right people. Experiment with the different types of targeting options to understand which combination works best for your company. Twitter enables advertisers to use one, some, or all targeting options in their marketing campaigns.

3. Design powerful ad content.

Invest in your visual content to make the most out of your advertising efforts on Twitter.

Skip to the Expert’s Guide to Content Success.

Consider color, clarity, and a strong call to action to create content that stands out. This includes photos, GIFs, and videos. The ability to create winning ad content ultimately determines any brand’s success on Twitter. Be sure to conduct polls and ask questions to boost engagement. Twitter ads that ask questions result in 25% more clicks on average. Sharing user-generated content is another great option to build brand loyalty on Twitter. When it comes to ad copy, keep in mind that Twitter has a 280 character count limit, but the most effective Twitter ads run between 50-100 characters.

4. Pay attention to trends.

Tap into trending topics on Twitter while remaining true to your brand voice. All of the above applies when it comes to creating ad content for opportunities like these, with the most important tip being to understand your audience, and tailor your message to them. It is important to evaluate which trends make sense (or do not make sense) for your brand to follow. This is a great opportunity to showcase your brand’s unique, core values. 

5. Set clear goals and test, test, test!

Set measurable and specific goals for your marketing efforts on Twitter. Like any marketing strategy, the only way to understand the impact of your campaigns is to know what you are trying to achieve. Spend time with your marketing team, leadership, and business consultants to assign metrics behind every goal. As you continue to grow on Twitter, experiment with new formats, and run tests in order to reach your marketing goals. Use Twitter in tandem with the other major players in the paid ads space for the greatest recipe for success.

Conclusion

Twitter has quickly evolved from a popular communication medium to a way for brands to speak directly to their users in real-time. The social media giant makes it easier than ever for brands to identify and capture their ideal audience. The targeting and user relevance that Twitter provides businesses with is unrivaled. Stay ahead of the competition and speak with our twitter experts to understand how to incorporate Twitter into your ultimate marketing strategy.