Twitter is one of the best social media avenues if you are after lead generation for your business. This microblogging platform allows you to connect to numerous social media users and potential customers around the world. Twitter posts cleverly lead followers and non-followers to your desired landing pages.

Here are some social media strategies on how a brand can be a success in Twitterverse.

Focus on gaining Twitter followers

With the right type of content, you will be able to target your audience, turn them into highly engaged Twitter followers, and eventually gain them as supportive consumers of your brand.

Content and engagement are two essential ingredients to be successful on Twitter. You need to provide interesting content that will attract many Twitter users to start talking about it until it becomes a trending topic. Engage your audience through posting regularly during peak times. Create exciting polls and contests, which are proven to be major hits on Twitter. Regular tweets frequently result in higher engagement rate and increase in followers. Many customers may also post inquiries and feedback through Twitter. Make it a habit to check mentions or related hashtags about your brand to respond quickly and positively.

It is important that the majority of your Twitter followers should be part of your target market and location so that the clicks to every link you have on each post are all worth it. There are several sketchy social media companies promising up to a million Twitter followers only to discover eventually that most of them are made of fake, dummy profiles with no possibility of clicking your links or converting into sales leads. Sometimes this is the case in a number of popular Twitter accounts. TwitterAudit.com is a clever tool that you can use if you want a quick reality check.

The Secret Is Brevity

With a strict 280 character limit, your tweets should be both clear and concise. Most people open social networking platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, through mobile apps in their smartphones. They usually do this when they get bored at work or during downtime, for instance, when they are waiting in line or during their commute to and from the office.

That being said, it is highly recommended to stick to short but sweet Twitter posts and top it off with a shortened link to landing pages of your product pages, articles, blog, contest, sign-up forms, online store, or website. Use the URL shortener on Google to save on extra characters.

Additionally, people nowadays have a short attention span when using social media, so make sure to keep your Twitter posts short and worth their time. Adding relevant and shareable images and graphics is a proven way to capture your target audience’s attention. Since engagement is very important in Twitter, the images will encourage users to retweet, like, and comment on your post. While high-ranking posts can be re-shared and cross-posted on other social media platforms, it is always best to have a fresh set of content.

Tweet During Peak Hours

There are more than a million tweets on Twitter every single day. This means it is easy for your content to get buried and not be seen by your targeted audience if you don’t time your posting strategically. Make sure to schedule posts during peak hours, which is the timeframe when there’s a high amount of online traffic from users or when most users are online on Twitter. The recommended posting time for Twitter is 10:0 in the morning to 12:00 noon. Friday is also said to be the most popular day for Twitter when most retweets and likes happen. Posting during peak times will result in an impressive level of engagement on your Twitter posts.

Take Advantage Of Hashtags

Twitter hashtags can be the key to gaining followers and maximum exposure in this social media platform. It efficiently leads target your target audience to your account by weeding out irrelevant tweets. A hashtag is the “#” added to words or phrases typed without spaces. They were originally first used in Twitter but are now seen in other popular social networking sites such as Instagram and Facebook. It allows users to jump right into a conversation about a trending topic. Twitter hashtags are also essential for content to go viral on Twitter.

Research about the most trending Twitter hashtags that are connected to your content and use it in your tweets. The best way to nail your social media marketing goals and establish a strong connection with your followers is to implement interesting hashtags that would get hold of their attention and attract new followers as well. The hashtags are a great way for other Twitter users across the globe to discover your brand and business, too. When done right, hashtags have the power to go viral and spread like wildfire all over Twitter and crossover other social networking sites as well, making it an effective marketing tool. Users can use it in their own posts, comments, and retweet your original tweets.

On the flip side, it is also crucial to not abuse and overuse hashtags. Keep your hashtags to a minimum of 1 to 2 per tweet. Latest statistics reveal that there is a 21 percent higher engagement on Twitter posts with 1 to 2 hashtags compared to those with more, which may appear salesy or spammy to your audience.

Join The Conversation

Encouraging engagement on Twitter among followers is not only through posting quality social media content but also through joining conversations. This could be through responding to replies on your own posts or commenting on other trending topics on Twitter. Do not forget to respond to @mentions. A heart feature is a brilliant tool respond if there are so many tweets or mentions about your business. Use the hashtag to check out what the Twitterverse is talking about on any given day.

A little caveat for brands: it is best to stay away from negative and controversial topics. In addition, always remember that messy customer complaints are better dealt with in detail through the direct messaging feature on Twitter rather than through tweets for everyone to see.