How to Get More Engagement on Twitter [Maximizing Your Tweets Infographic]

There are many different posts that offer tips on how to make the most out of Twitter for organisations and brands. In this “Maximizing Your Tweets” Infographic published by Fusework Studios (based on Buddy Media’s “Strategies for Effective Tweeting: A Statistical Review.”), the following ‘best practice tips’ are shared:

1. Weekends are the best day to Tweet for community engagement. And the best time is between 8AM to 7PM.

The report mentions a 17% increase in Twitter engagement when brands post on Saturdays and Sundays. And, apparently, Wednesdays and Thursdays show the least amount of engagement.

Best Practice Note: While there may be a “best time” / “worst time” to Tweet based on this report, it’s always good to check if this is true for your own organisation or brand. Check when you get the most @replies, ReTweets (RTs), and Tweet Faves.

Also, don’t forget that on Twitter, you can re-post some of your most important updates to increase the chances of getting more views. This works especially if you can change the messaging/wording of your Tweets. And, stagger the posts on different days and times. But, do be careful and make sure that you do not to overdo this.

Photo Courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

2. Short Tweets, with less than 100 Characters, are considered to be more engaging.

According to this report, there is a 17% increase in engagement when Tweets are less than 100 characters. So, try not to push it to the 140 character limit. Best to be short and snappy.

Best Practice Notes: The great thing about shorter Tweets is that they’re a lot easier to ReTweet. However, if you DO need all the 140 characters (or close to that), then make the most out of it. Clarity of messaging is also important, not just conciseness.

3. Hashtags are Key to Engagement. But, try to keep it to two hashtags per Tweet.

It was reported that engagement on Twitter increased by 21% if a Tweet contains one or two hashtags. However, if you use more than two, engagement decreases.

Best Practice Notes: As mentioned in this report, many organisations and brands are missing out on the opportunity of increased engagement because of the lack of effective use of hashtags. They’re either not using them at all, or they’re using them in ways that are not as effective.

Also, it’s important to note that while the report has put a limit of only using up to two hashtags per Tweet, that you can use more than that if your chosen hashtags are used properly. But, an “overly hashtagged” Tweet will definitely put some people off. So, do avoid using more than 4-5, whenever possible, if you’re trying to increase engagement on your Tweets.

4. Ask for a ReTweet (RT) and it shall be given!

The ReTweet rate of any post increased 12x when a brand or organisation asks for a ReTweet from their followers. And, if you spell it out, you increase your chances even more.

Apparently, “Please Retweet” gets 23x more Retweet rates. And, “Please RT” or “Pls RT” only gets 10x more.

Oh, and it’s surprising to note that only 1% of brands practice this.

Best Practice Notes: Some organisations and brands may be hesitating to ask people to ReTweet due to a number of reasons. However, based on this report, it appears that such a practice is not only acceptable, it is encouraged. So, next time you have an important message that you wish to share across the networks of your followers, add “Please Retweet” in your update. Or, if there’s not enough space, “Please RT” or “Pls RT” should still help.

However, do use this ReTweet request sparingly. If you overuse this, it will be harder to distinguish which Tweets are most important to you.

Here’s the infographic if you want to see the data in a visual format:

Maximise Twitter Engagement Infographic by Fusework Studios. Report by Buddy Media.