On an average day, Twitter’s 271 million active users will tweet upwards of 500 million times. Every second, 5,700 thoughts, ideas, advertisements etc. will be shared. With so much noise constantly buzzing in the Twittersphere, it can be difficult for consumers to sift through the never-ending stream to find relevant content.
Twitter’s mission is, “To give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers.” However, one major drawback to the rapid and constant rate tweets are produced is that great content can fall by the wayside due to the numerous other distractions.
It is imperative to not only find creative and unique ways to surpass competitors, but also the millions of other publishers clamoring for the attention of your consumers. One way to now stand out on Twitter is by incorporating photos into tweets.
“A picture is worth a thousand words,” so says the old cliché and now Twitter as well. In Twitter’s recent updates, a concerted effort has been made to increase the number of photos that appear on the average user’s timeline. According to a recent blog post by Buffer, tweets with images will receive 18% more clicks, 89% more favorites, and 150% more retweets. Although Twitter limits its users to 140 characters per tweet, as Twitter becomes more photo-centric it is important to limit text and find creative ways to incorporate images in order to maximize click-through rate (CTR).
Twitter has dramatically increased the rate at which ideas are exchanged. This has caused things to become popular -- and conversely unpopular -- at an unprecedented rate. In Twitter, it’s called “trending.” In order to help users stay on the cutting edge, Twitter’s advanced search allows users to search specific words and phrases, where they are being used and by whom they are being used.
Additionally, trending topics can be sorted by city, country, or tailored to show topics being discussed by people you follow. Although, trending topics can be exciting and fun to partake in, it is always important to fully understand the topic being discussed. The latest trending topic faux pas was committed by Digornio, when the company attempted to promote its pizza using a hashtag about domestic violence. The backlash was swift and strong, with Digornio attempting to salvage its reputation with repeated apologies. Although Twitter enables users to stay up on current trends, it is equally the responsibility of the user to stay educated on those trends.
Thanks to Twitter, it has never been easier to share ideas quickly and freely with millions of other around the world. As Twitter continues to update and expand its features, it is important for all users, but especially business owners and brands, to stay up to date and utilize those features to make the most of their time in the Twittersphere.