Three Insights to Transform Your Twitter Game
August 17, 2015
Today we’re going to look at Twitter from a Bird’s-eye view.
The evolution of social media has changed the way most of us communicate on the web. Whether inspiring a generation of users to #hashtag #every #little #thing #they #do or empowering an Arab Spring, Twitter often finds itself at the center of some pretty big changes.
And how about those changes? One doesn’t have to Google very far to find comprehensive takes on social media analytics and what they mean for businesses. Don’t be overwhelmed! With the help of a piece by Fast Company, we’ve rounded up three big insights to help raise your Twitter game to the next level.
1. THERE ARE SIX DISTINCT COMMUNICATION NETWORKS ON TWITTER
This one’s a doozy. The Pew Research Center and the Social Media Research Foundation worked together to analyze thousands of conversations on Twitter and boiled the wide range of data down to six basic network archetypes. Polarized crowds are great at supporting one another but are a lot less likely to engage with users with different viewpoints as their own. So, for example, conservative Republican Twitter users tend to follow, tweet at, retweet, and favorite amongst themselves more often than with liberals. On the other end, tightly-knit community clusters are a highly responsive group of Twitter users, usually grouped according to a specific interest. They engage with each other to share, for example, baking tips, opinions on a TV show, funny links, or other tweets pertaining to their hobby or interest. Understanding where your brand fits among these types can help you tweak your strategy to reach new groups.
Image courtesy of the Pew Research Center.
2. YOU HAVE LESS THAN AN HOUR TO RESPOND ON TWITTER
A big part of Twitter’s allure is how posts are handled in real-time. You can communicate with your followers immediately, creating a higher, more interactive level of customer service. Still, the effect of this is double-edged. Research conducted by Lithium Technologies suggests that patience is not much of a virtue on Twitter. The study found that consumers using the platform to connect with businesses or brands don’t like to wait long to receive a response to a tweet or direct message sent to the brand. A good rule of thumb is to make a conscious effort to respond within an hour of the original post. Keeping tabs on email alerts can make things much easier. If you need something more comprehensive, there are tools (like Must Be Present) that alert social media managers when they’ve been engaged on Twitter.
3. LATE NIGHT IS THE BEST TIME FOR RETWEETS
While most people tend to follow their own Tweeting schedule, like during the latest episode of Game of Thrones, there is hard data available that shows that late night tweeting leads to more retweets from followers. Over 1.7 million tweets were analyzed by the folks at TrackMaven and the results are not wholly surprising: after 10 PM and before 11 PM (ET) is the ideal time to post. Fast Company suggests you follow the “Late-Night Infomercial Effect” when posting. What does that mean exactly? It means posting when the noise level is lowest for a greater chance of being heard. Be the voice that disrupts the silence. But please, keep the GoT spoilers to a minimum.
If you have any of your own social media stats that fuel your social strategy, feel free to share them in the comments!