Twitter… a blogging platform?

Considering that Twitter has the fewest number of users compared to the other social networks they compete with—a relatively scant 330 million as compared to Facebook’s 2.8 billion—it’s fair to question if it is worthwhile to invest much time into using it for your marketing. Rest assured, it certainly can be. It all depends on how you utilize it. One effective way to communicate a lengthier message on the platform infamous for short messages is by using a tweet-thread.

Let’s go over some of the reasons that Twitter can pay off in terms of your business’ marketing and promotion, and then dive into how to put a thread into use.

How Twitter Can Be Used to Boost Your Business

Twitter, like many other social media platforms, can be used very effectively as a means of running a marketing campaign in support of many different goals. Whether you’re trying to drum up interest in a new service, share a new piece of marketing content, or simply engaging with your audience, Twitter is the place to be. After all, unless you invest in Twitter Ads, the platform is free to use. It can potentially serve as a place to offer basic customer support, collect actionable data for your marketing to draw from, or identify criticisms that you can then resolve. On top of all that, it’s also another way to broadcast your content (and a link back to your website) to your following.

That being said, with its increased character limit of 280 (although many would still advise you to keep them at 140 characters maximum) it might seem like a poor place for anything more than a brief marketing pitch: identify problem, offer solution. However, one method of using Twitter offers an effective means of using it as an outlet for an extended conversation with your audience, or even a place to tell a story.

Using a Twitter Thread

To use its other name, a “tweetstorm” is simply a series of tweets that one person all shares that connect back to one another. By using a thread, you can combine several tweets into one cohesive and collected train of thought. Each of the tweets included in the thread offer a link to see the thread as a whole. Using them, you can share insights, boost your content by discussing it in detail and linking back to it.

How to Create an Effective Twitter Thread

There are two parts that go into creating a tweetstorm: the actual process that allows you to make one, and the act of writing one that grips the attention of your reader. We’ll go over both topics now, starting with the actual creation of a thread.

Writing Your Thread

1. Begin by composing your first tweet.
2. Once you are satisfied, press the small plus sign next to the Tweet button.
3. Another space to compose a tweet will appear, allowing you to continue your message.
4. Repeat these steps until you have completed your thread, pressing Tweet all once you’re satisfied.

Of course, you can add all of the different elements Twitter allows its users to feature alongside their tweets by pressing the buttons on the opposite side from the Tweet/Tweet all button. To any of the tweets in your threat, you can add an image, a GIF, or even a time-restricted poll option.

If you later realize you had more to say on your subject, you can also return to your thread and use the Add another Tweet button to, well, add another Tweet to your chain of thoughts.

Writing Your Thread So It Catches the Attention

Let’s talk about how you can gussy up your tweets so that your audience cares to read the entire thread. Don’t be afraid to (as we referenced before) tell a story, as it’s an effective but relatively easy way to catch your audience’s attention.

The first tweet should be considered as one would the subject line in an email, or the headline of a news story: it’s the thesis statement, the hook that motivates people—at least initially—to follow you down your trail of tweets.

• Try to preserve some mystery and suspense by not revealing everything in the first tweet. If you give away the benefit too soon, the rest of your tweets will be rendered unnecessary.
• Inform your audience that they’re reading a thread. Number your tweets as you go, or simply reference that what they’re reading is a thread so they know to keep going.
• Don’t resort to clickbait to try and get people to read more. Instead, share what the benefit of reading your thread will be without spoiling the lessons within.

It often helps to devote the next tweet to giving your reader some context. Explain the situation or develop the backstory to what your thread will discuss. What happened in the “story” to kick off the action, or to raise the question that the thread will address?

• Many people who read a Twitter thread do so as they would a story, so it helps to write it like one. Most stories start off by introducing the audience to the setting.
• In order to set the scene, providing the right context is important. Let’s say you were tweeting about business continuity. Starting a story with an account of a business that stored its 413,945 records in a bay of file cabinets works well. Describing the company’s workspace doesn’t… unless it is important to the story you’re telling about business continuity.
• If need be, don’t be afraid to use two tweets to set the scene. Presenting the important details will pay off later, as well as help coax your audience deeper into the story.

Once you’ve set the scene, don’t waste any time getting into the details regarding the important plot points.

• Don’t feel that you need to fill each tweet to capacity. Pacing the story properly will only help to make it more engrossing… and thereby, more engaging.
• If possible, incorporate graphics if you have them for added impact.
• Unless your brand dictates otherwise, don’t be afraid to be conversational in your tweets. This can make them feel more personal to your audience.

Finally, when you reach the end of your story, make sure you wrap up the ending with a bow.

• If your story allows for it, a happy ending tends to resonate better. Regardless, make sure that your lesson (or whatever you wrote your thread to amplify) is clear.
• Try to engage your audience at the end with a call-to-action, even if it’s just a request for their thoughts or their input. This helps the story resonate on an even more personal level. Of course, if applicable, you could also share a link a related page on your website.
• Make your story shareable by ensuring it resonates with your audience. According to a New York Times study, there are five reasons people will share content:
  1. To amplify entertaining and valuable content.
  2. To help define themselves.
  3. To grow a relationship.
  4. To encourage their own self-fulfillment.
  5. To amplify a cause or a brand.

Sprinkling in details that allow your audience to do this with your tweet thread will encourage them to continue its spread.

Finally, make sure you practice. Writing an engaging tweet thread will come easier the more you do it, and experimenting with the different functions that Twitter also offers could show you an even more effective way to communicate with your audience.

If you decide to give Twitter threads a shot, make sure you let us know how it went! Of course, we’re also here to answer any questions you may have about using social media to promote your business. Give us a call at 888-546-4384 to find out more about how we can help with your MSP’s marketing.