Is Twitter Still Relevant for Social Media Marketing in 2018?

Since its inception in 2006, Twitter has been one of the most essential platforms to target in every social media marketing strategy. Many of Twitter’s core features have been well-received by millions of users, such as its snappy 140-character limit (which now has been increased to 280), the raw quality of content unlike the edited and more carefully tailored posts on Instagram and Facebook, and a lot more.

However, Twitter has been in treacherous waters for some time now, and there have been speculations going around that Twitter is suffering a slow and agonizing death. This is making many businesses rethink their approach in social media marketing and ask: Is Twitter really dying? If so, is 2018 the year it will finally meet its end? And is it worth the time and money to still include Twitter in your social media marketing strategy?

Here, we’ll talk about why Twitter might be dying and, surprisingly, why it’s still really relevant for social media marketing in 2018.

Is Twitter really dying?

According to Twitter, the status of their user base growth is nothing but sluggish. In fact, their daily active user percentage dipped by 2% mid-year, and 2 million users stopped using Twitter altogether.

Twitter is also struggling financially. For several quarters, they’ve been having a steady decline in stock trend. Twitter’s third-quarter 2017 earnings reported a 4% decrease in year-over-year revenue growth. And with the recent exit of their COO, advertisers may likely decide to reduce advertising budgets on Twitter.

The previous year wasn’t so kind to Twitter either. They’ve been met with a backlash when a huge number of fake Twitter accounts have been unearthed following the investigation of a political interference that allegedly supported a certain political candidate in the 2016 US President Election. This political faux pas has led to some well-established companies to withdraw their bid to acquire Twitter, and the struggle to attract investors is still ongoing.

However, in spite of Twitter’s bleak audience and revenue growth, it’s still one of the leading social networks worldwide, and this is definitely why it’s here to stay.

Why Twitter is still relevant for social media marketing

Twitter is undeniably thriving amidst all the struggles and the issues they’re currently facing. In fact, despite the lack of growth in terms of new users, they have a loyal following of around 330 million daily active users—and that’s saying a lot from a marketing perspective.

The strong user commitment is definitely a good sign for marketers. A dedicated and active user base could mean you can target a niche audience that’s more than willing to hear about your cause and what your brand stands for.

Twitter is also considered the ideal place for people to talk “directly” to businesses. In fact, 85% of small and medium businesses claim that Twitter is an important platform to provide customer service. According to Twitter, their customer service interactions have increased by 250% in the last two years.

And while Twitter ad prices are decreasing according to their latest quarterly report, their overall ad engagement is seeing a brighter future. In fact, ad engagements have increased by 99% year-over-year, thanks to the continuing shift towards video advertisements.

Here are some quick tips on how to effectively use Twitter for your business in 2018:

• Stay in real-time – One of the many appeals of Twitter is the speed of getting your content out to your audiences. Use this to your advantage and be sure to stay updated with the latest hashtags. As content on Twitter has the tendency to get buried within just a few minutes, it’s also essential to post frequently at a reasonable time to stay relevant. That said, it’s ideal to post around 7 to 14 times per day on Twitter.
• Be conversational – Twitter users love the platform because it allows them to be their unedited selves in real-time. Take this as a good opportunity to engage your followers by initiating conversations. Mention new followers, acknowledge users who mention your brand, and ask questions. The key here is to tweet like a real person, so it’s advised to shed some of the formality and talk in a more conversational tone.
• Advertise with videos – Video ad impressions on Twitter have grown tremendously in the past quarter last year, which is why you should consider using Twitter’s video ads for your marketing strategy this year. Video ads can significantly boost engagement and help your brand tell your story in a fun and compelling way. To help you get started, here’s a guide created by Twitter on how to create a video ads campaign.

Bottom Line

With all that’s been said, Twitter may be struggling, but it’s still definitely relevant for social media marketing this year, and perhaps in the years ahead. Their dedicated user base is reason enough to continue having Twitter as part of your business’ social media marketing strategy. As long as people are still tweeting on Twitter, this simply means your brand should be doing so too.

If you want to know more about how to market your business on Twitter, or if you’re interested in having Ilfusion help you with your social media marketing efforts, give us a call at 888-420-5115, or send us an email at [email protected].

Categorized in: Marketing, Social Media