Twitter is a powerful marketing channel used by businesses around the world. However, a study from 360i shows that people don’t always use the microblogging site in the same way, and certain patterns suggest Americans are often harsher toward brands when compared to U.K. counterparts.
The data discerned three main takeaways: Americans are most active on the site after the work day is complete, they mention brands when they’ve had a negative experience and they share web content based on their personal opinions. Content marketing can help companies disrupt some of these routines by providing followers with fodder that inspires positive interaction via Twitter.
Plan Tweets accordingly to reach U.S. consumers
The report noted that Americans are most engaged on Twitter after 6 p.m. compared to U.K. consumers who interact with brands often between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Marketers must alter their social media marketing strategies to reach demographics when they’re most involved with Twitter. While no company should save all of its updates for the commute home from the office, there’s value in publishing compelling content geared toward social night owls.
Avoid negative brand mentions with social media content
The report from 360i found that U.S. consumers are most likely to mention a brand if they’ve had a bad customer experience. While negative feedback comes at uncertain times, marketers have an obligation to uncover ways to turn conversations around. By producing an array of online content for social media, marketers are sparking chatter that encourages followers to not only add their two cents, but also to mention the publishing brand in an interactive manner. This could pull in other users, and help a company grow its audience online.
Know your audience – write to their core motivations
Americans only re-tweet and share social media content that mirrors their own opinions about various topics. Therefore, brands should focus in on what content analytics tells them, and use subject matter to guide engagement. Marketers must know their audiences – their core motivations – and then produce media that affirms their customers’ beliefs, but also continues to educate them at the same time.
Nielsen’s Global AdView Pulse report shows that global ad spend increased 1.9 year-over-year. While this uptick is a small margin, it shows that companies are investing more in promotional output, and a higher percentage likely goes toward smarter social media marketing.
