“10 Twitter Features You Probably Aren’t Using”
I’m well aware that typing that title will probably raise a few eyebrows.
Working with a lot of businesses, I’m know that a number of businesses have jumped from Twitter either to LinkedIn (if B2B) or Facebook / Instagram / TikTok (if B2C).
In many cases the move wasn’t because of lack of actual business results – it was the impact of Brexit / Trump / Covid / Online Hate which drove people away and many of these businesses were sacrificing business results to negotiate the impact on their mental health.
Twitter has moved on from just being a place to write 140 or 280 characters.
So, for those that left a few years back here are a few Twitter Features you might not be aware of.
Twitter Lists
Twitter lists are the oldest feature on this list, as it’s been there from virtually day dot of Twitter.
And it’s the feature that all businesses reading this could use.
The big problem with Twitter is the sheer volume of updates. The prime lifespan of a Tweet is only 18 minutes long, so that means if you’re following more than a few hundred people you’re going to miss the updates from people you care about.
The solution is Twitter Lists.
Twitter Lists allow you to customize, organize and prioritize the Tweets you see in your timeline.
I’ve got Twitter Lists for Networking Attendees, Social Media Training Clients, Social Media Management Clients, Social Media News and a few more.
It really helps.
In a world where social media platforms steal features from other platforms – Lists are the one feature that Instagram and LinkedIn should have.
Bookmarks
I’ll be honest I don’t use Twitter Bookmarks as often as I should.
Twitter claims you can use bookmarks when you don’t want to lose a Tweet.
When I’m out and about on the go I tend to like the tweet to remind myself to come back to it.
The issue with that naturally, is not all the tweets you want to comeback to you will want to use the like button on (which is generally seen as a supportive acknowledgement).
Do let us know on email alex@altrinchamhq.co.uk – what you have used bookmarks for
Twitter Circles
Twitter’s newest feature is Twitter Circles – literally released in August 2022 after Beta Testing.
Twitter Circle is a way to send Tweets to select people, and share your thoughts with a smaller crowd. You choose who’s in your Twitter Circle, and only the individuals you’ve added can reply to and interact with the Tweets you share in the circle.
If that sounds familiar it’s because Google+ (RIP) used to have Circles.
The difference in Twitter’s version is you only have one Circle rather than many.
Twitter Circles can feature up to 150 people.
Newsletters
Twitter bought Revue, which means you can use a newsletter feature on Twitter.
You can start a newsletter for free and earn money from paid subscribers.
Looking for other ways to reach your audience? Ready to get paid for your work? It’s time to try out @Revue – Twitter’s newsletter tool for writers and publishers.
On Newsletters you can …
- Compose and schedule newsletters
- Embed Tweets
- Import email lists
- Analyse engagement
- Earn money from paid subscribers
The latter part here is key for many content creators who are looking to monetize their mailing lists.
Is this a feature you could use instead of / alongside Mailchimp or LinkedIn Newsletters.
Twitter Spaces
Remember Clubhouse?
Well Twitter Spaces is Twitter’s version of it.
Spaces is a way to have live audio conversations on Twitter.
The main benefit is you don’t have to start from zero followers and you start by reaching the people who already follow you and have an interest in what you post.
While a very small percentage of people have stuck with Clubhouse, many leading marketers and podcasters jumped over to Spaces.
Spaces is perhaps limited in it’s appeal, but for those who already produce podcasts and speak in public this is another feature of Twitter.
Twitter Audio Clips
Do you want to know one person who uses Twitter Audio Clips really well?
Liam Gallagher
It’s authentically Liam – which means a little random and the odd swear word.
I suspect many people that follow us, have never heard how I speak.
And that is powerful – a voice draws people in.
Listen to our Twitter audio clip here.
Direct Messages
Not everything has to be out in the public domain.
You can have private conversations.
And they can be really simple.
They certainly don’t need to be sales based.
They can be a thank you message for a Tweet / Blog / Tip the person gave.
Likes and comments can get lost in notifications, but a private message goes a long way.
Explore / Trends
Twitter’s own tagline is “What’s happening?!” or “It’s what’s happening”.
The Explore / trends on Twitter is the fastest way to find out what is happening in the world right now.
And if you look at what big brands are doing, they’re trendjacking – aka tapping into what the world is talking about and making their content relatable.
Whilst as a social media business I don’t jump onto Love Island, I will look at key trends in relation to the world of business, economy, marketing and Manchester.
It makes sure our content is topical at all times.
Tweetdeck
TweetDeck is a social media dashboard application for management of Twitter accounts. Originally an independent app, TweetDeck was subsequently acquired by Twitter and integrated into Twitter’s interface.
You can access it by going to https://tweetdeck.twitter.com/
I use it to search for key word or phrases within 50km of Manchester.
Although I work internationally, the vast majority of our clients are from Manchester, Northwest and surround areas.
I use Tweetdeck to have conversations with people talking about their pain points on social media and marketing.
Twitter Analytics
75% of people who attend our social media training session say they have never or rarely look at Twitter analytics.
If you don’t measure it – how can you improve it!
Twitter analytics allows you to measure engagement and learn how to make your Tweets more successful.
And that’s what everyone wants to do, right?
Take time out each month to look at your Top 5 Tweets.
Take note of the
- Subject
- Copywriting
- Media (Photo / Video)
Analyse why the Tweets performed well and do more of it.
Which of these Twitter Features will use now?
The 10 Twitter Features above show you the range of what you can use Twitter for.
Which of these Twitter features were you not aware of?
And which of these Twitter features will you use now?
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Please call Alex on 07806774279 or email alex@altrinchamhq.co.uk
