Out of all the social media networks, Twitter is probably the most user friendly. While Facebook is the most comprehensive and Instagram is the most visually appealing, Twitter is the most convenient simply because of how easy and fast it is for people to tweet their thoughts.

As useful as it is for spreading information quickly, Twitter has also evolved to develop other more complex functions, one of which is the Twitter Card. If you aren’t using them already, it’s time to consider how they can improve your engagement and relevance on this platform.

What is a Twitter Card?

Twitter Cards are simply a different type of tweet. The main difference between a regular tweet and a Twitter Card is the additional information you can provide with the card. Here’s an example of a summary card:

Happy 3rd anniversary #TBT! See how "Throwback Thursday" cemented its status as a weekly Twitter tradition: https://t.co/IhGdmShWH6 — Twitter (@Twitter) April 30, 2015

As everyone knows, a regular tweet is simply a small post that is a maximum of 280 characters, but with Twitter Cards you can also include images, audio, video, and even apps. As a result, your tweets are much more comprehensive and informational. This way, you don’t have to worry about using up the allocated 140 characters because there are videos and images that can convey your message more effectively.

Are you wondering about the best ways to expand your following on Twitter, using Twitter Cards or not? Look into the value you can get from buying Twitter Followers, which will improve your social proof and draw organic users in to check you out. They’re a great way to augment the benefits you’ll get from Twitter Cards.

So far, the social media giant has developed four kinds of Twitter cards. Read on to find out what they are and how you can take advantage of them.

Summary Card

This is the simplest of Twitter Cards, only containing the title, description, and thumbnail of your link. Because it only contains the basics, this card is ideal for basic news updates. Considering newsworthy content is usually time sensitive, it’s better to tweet about it through summary cards because they are faster and easier to comprehend. This example works well:

The 17 Things No One Ever Told Me About Creativity: http://t.co/mBrLv2wY9l — Buffer (@buffer) January 14, 2015

This card type is also useful for promoting existing blog posts. For example, if there are articles that you think need more views, you can promote them through this type of card. Make sure the topic sounds extra attractive with a catchy description or slogan in order to grab the attention of readers. This card can serve as a stepping stone to increase traffic to your website.

Summary Card with Large Image

This card is exactly as its name describes. It has all the components of a regular summary card, the only difference being the added large image. An additional image may not seem like much, but considering there are loads of competitors online, a simple image — especially a high quality one — could give you the edge you need. The example tweet above is actually a Summary Card with Large Image.

There’s also the fact that people retain information much better when it’s presented visually. Other than that, images, as it turns out, also boost engagement with other users. Posts with images stand out and activate more parts of your viewer’s brains than simple text because they are visual messages, making for a better chance of being shared and liked or commented on.

App Card

As its name implies, this kind of card allows users to download a mobile app by simply tapping a button right there on the tweet itself. It also supplies other useful information, such as the price and rating of the app. This way, users are well-informed and they get a better idea of whether to download or not, making it very easy for them if they want to. Here’s an example for the ESPN chat app:

Got a trade question, or any other kind of baseball question? I'll be chatting at http://t.co/KhMF7VYaSS in a minute! http://t.co/m3VOWnzaMJ — Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) June 20, 2014

This is especially useful if your company just developed a new application. The App Card serves as another avenue for potential users to download your app. It saves them the hassle of opening Google Play or Apple iTunes and searching for it, and when something is more convenient, people are more likely to do it.

Player Card

Videos, in particular, are predicted to contribute to at least 74% of all online traffic in 2017. In that case, it’s no wonder social media giants, like Facebook and Twitter, are encouraging their users to post more video content on their feeds. Hence, the Player Card. This card allows users to play files from media links, like YouTube and SoundCloud, directly. So if you have any ads and jingles on your YouTube or SoundCloud accounts, this is the card to use.

This is a great card if your business relies on a lot of audio and video content. With the Player Card, users can watch or listen directly from their feeds, without needing to leave Twitter. People will flock towards what’s convenient, so make it easy for them to consume your content.

A lot of media outlets, like CNN and National Geographic, have taken advantage of this card so users can watch snippets of their shows.

GOP Rep. Carlos Curbelo: Bipartisan legislation to ban bump fire stocks is a small but very important step https://t.co/QwnlOfNOcL — CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) October 6, 2017

Twitter Cards for the Win

Given all their diverse applications, you’ll find a wide variety of benefits coming from the use of Twitter Cards, including:

Make your tweets look more attractive: Paired with attractive graphics and images, these Twitter Cards make your profile look catchy and inviting.

Paired with attractive graphics and images, these Twitter Cards make your profile look catchy and inviting. Increase your profile’s visibility and user engagement: Not only will your tweets look more attractive, more users will be inclined to share them with their connections.

Not only will your tweets look more attractive, more users will be inclined to share them with their connections. Drive more traffic to your website: Twitter Cards will encourage people to click through to your products and services.

Twitter Cards will encourage people to click through to your products and services. Cultivate a better image for your brand online: If you consistently share high-quality posts, they will make your brand appear more credible through the respect you gain from being a reliable source.

If you consistently share high-quality posts, they will make your brand appear more credible through the respect you gain from being a reliable source. Gain more followers: All of these factors will make your account more interesting and attractive to potential customers and users, encouraging them to follow your account for more cool updates.

Cards are useful for any account wish seeks to increase engagement in a variety of ways. From blogs that want to better feature their posts, to app developers looking ot push people to download their apps.

Deal Yourself A Hand Of Twitter Cards

Now that you know about Twitter Cards, the next step is to do some experimenting to figure out how to use them effectively. Naturally that would depend on the nature of your business, but there are some generic strategies you can use that will always be effective.

Make your Title Tag bold and clickable. Doing so makes your posts much more visible.

Learn how to make the best use of your hashtags. Just like your titles and descriptions, your hashtags have to be catchy and memorable.

Remember, a great tactic is to pair Twitter Cards with bought Twitter Followers and other social signals. This will improve your authority online, drawing in authentic users who want to see what’s so popular. If they like what they see on your account, they’ll become followers too.

Twitter Cards can be used to augment pretty much any marketing strategy you’re using on Twitter. Take the time to learn what they can do, and you’ll wonder how you ever got by without them.