Spring has arrived and the twittering of the birds isn’t just happening in the trees.
Tweeting is getting louder online too.
As a social media, Twitter hits its peak of conversation at this time of year. There were more than 33 million Tweets about #spring during this season in 2016, according to Twitter internal data.
And Google Trends shows how there is a peak time for searches of the term “spring” each year.
People are uplifted by the brighter weather and lighter nights. And it makes them talkative.
So now is the time to get in on the conversation – and put the #spring back into your social step.
The past 12 months have been a virtual festival of innovation online, with new and improved features and functions – all ready for brands to capitalise on.
So venture out into the social sunshine with our top tips for Twitter.
Get organised and seasonal
Share organisational tips with your audience. After all, this is the time of year when #springclean is likely to trend more than a few times.
Be it’s connected to work, home, or even finances, your audience is likely to be tidying up and making a fresh start. Tweet out relevant content to help them on their way.
Likewise, consider the season and what they will be up to. Planning holidays, entertaining the kids on school breaks, planning Easter treats. Consider how you can make their lives a little easier with some tips and tricks.
Make hashtags relevant
Leap into the season with strong, relevant hashtags. We’ve already mentioned #springclean
Tie these in with a product promotion or competition to boost your visibility.
Keep an eye on the trends section of Twitter, to find out what’s popular. But we predict the following will be successful #springtime #aprilshowers #springtrends #blooms #springcleaning #taxreturn #springbreak
Save the date
In April 2016 there were more than 10.3 million tweets related to Easter, so obviously content around #easter and #easterbunny will always win through.
But also watch out for key events and festivals happening through the months. For example #coachella is likely to come up in April, as will #chelseaflowershow in May.
Plot out dates of interest which your brand can capitalise upon, and start building content around them.
Stick it to ‘em
Stickers are a fun way to brighten up pictures and add a little creativity. It’s possible to use multiple stickers, resize them and rotate them to place anywhere you want.
So don’t miss out on the chance to enhance your images in this way.
Stickers also work as visual hashtags on Twitter. You can click on one and see how users around the Twittersphere are using them. So chances are your picture may be seen by Tweeters around the world.
You probably didn’t realise, but 82% of Twitter users watch video on that network.
Vlogging is nothing new, but brands are signing up and even launching channels which are gaining highly engaged brand advocates. If you’ve never done it before, now’s the time to start.
Or leap into live, and tweet out your newest or most popular products or services on video. They play automatically on Twitter, so it’s an impactful way to grab your audience’s attention.
Instagram and Twitter launched their versions of live video streaming in November and December 2016 respectively. The good news is that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
Consider using Live to show behind the scenes, a Q&A or an event you’re planning.
Tweet a poll
Twitter polls are a great way to engage with and understand your audience. Ask for product feedback, or just get the conversation going by discussing favourite spring activities.
A push notification goes out at the end of a poll, driving participants back to your content.
Theme ‘in the moment’
Around 80% of Twitter users access the social media via their mobile device. And 1 in 3 mobile users go on Twitter during their commute to work. So time your message to hit your audience, anticipating when they might be taking notice.
Half of mobile users will Tweet at bedtime and 66% use Twitter at home while watching TV.
Bear in mind patterns change over holidays like the Easter break, and distributing content throughout the day will be better.
Utilise scheduling through a tool such as Hootsuite, so Tweets go out at the optimum times without you having to remember them all.
Promote relevant products
Think how the seasonal shift affects your products and services, and push out those most relevant to this time of year.
Join in ‘live’ conversations
busiPlan brand deals, competitions and content to align to people getting ready for the Easter holidays, or planning egg hunts with the #EasterBunny. Get creative, and add your voice to the online conversation. Listen to the Twittersphere and be ready to add value to any discussion you can.
Partner up
Working with relevant influencers can help you reach a new audience at this optimum time of year. Bloggers and personalities relevant to your brand will help you gather content to share. But if you’ve never done influencer marketing before, be sure to do your homework.
For help with all elements of digital and social media marketing, contact us on 0800 612 9890.