SocialCode: Marketers win through an always-on mix of organic and Promoted Tweets

As a Twitter Ads API partner, New York-based SocialCode (@SocialCodeInc) builds marketing technology solutions for clients that include Nestlé, Macy’s, Budweiser and Capital One. We spoke with Chris Poirier (@ccpoirier), Principal Researcher at @SocialCodeInc, to learn how brands can find success on Twitter.

@TwitterAds: What’s unique about Twitter as a platform?

@ccpoirier: Twitter epitomizes real-time engagement. It creates connections and fosters dialogue in moments where they wouldn’t otherwise occur. That’s an incredibly powerful opportunity to engage, influence and learn about your customers.

@TwitterAds: What do the most successful campaigns on Twitter have in common?

@ccpoirier: Campaign success ultimately comes down to knowing your audience and planning and testing against your objectives. Every brand wants to have their Tweets go viral during a big tent-pole event like the Super Bowl. But we’re seeing clients place a greater focus on expanding campaigns in a more always-on fashion. This includes the use of ‘planned real-time’ strategies to reach and engage consumers at anticipated moments throughout the year.

New research from SocialCode Labs based on analysis of 69 Fortune 500 brands over 30 weeks shows that marketers are winning through an increasingly sustained mix of organic and Promoted Tweets. 

Content quality and timing certainly play a major role in audience engagement and campaign success. But whether your objective is brand awareness, engagement or direct response, we’ve found that Promoted Tweets are a critical component to achieving predictable scale over the long haul. In our 30-week study, Promoted Tweets gained 670% more retweets and favorites than non-Promoted Tweets.

@TwitterAds: How can advertisers plan for and take advantage of the real-time nature of Twitter?

@ccpoirier: You may not be able to predict everything that’s going to happen, but you can storyboard how an event might unfold and be prepared to pivot to relevant content when key moments happen. As much as we’d all like to have an Oreo moment, smart creative and perfect timing aren’t always enough to break through. Marketers should be prepared to inject their message to the forefront and sustain reach with Promoted Tweets.

It should also be noted that advertisers don’t necessarily have to attach themselves to an existing real-time event or trend to be successful. You can identify your own real-time, ownable moments by understanding what times matter most to your customers.

In our analysis of Fortune 500 brand Tweets, we saw a clear disconnect between when brands Tweet and when consumers engage.The brands we analyzed Tweeted and Promoted Tweets most extensively during the week despite the fact the consumer engagement (Retweets and favorites) was highest on the weekends, when brands’ Tweet activity is relatively low. Brands should continue taking a data-driven approach to identify optimization opportunities like this when determining how to best reach their target audiences.

@TwitterAds: How can brands measure the value of Twitter?

@ccpoirier: Objectives first need to be defined before you can measure value. This includes developing clear and mutually understood definitions for what success looks like for each of the objectives your Twitter strategy intends to support.

Many brands are using Twitter to support numerous business interests, from sales and customer service to to branding and awareness. The point being that ‘value’ won’t always appear on a balance sheet.

That said, we’re excited about the tools Twitter is rolling out to help marketers measure their sales goals. In addition to conversion tracking, which helps advertisers measure the impact of their campaigns, the platform is testing the Buy button for e-commerce, which enables consumers to purchase products directly from their Twitter feed. And Twitter Offers are poised to bridge the gap between digital ads and in-store sales attribution.

@TwitterAds: What are your top tips for success on Twitter?

@ccpoirier: Know your objectives. Have a plan, test it and adjust. Be authentic and responsive. And don’t forget to have a little fun.

For more insights, check out their success stories and follow @SocialCodeInc on Twitter.