The 4 Most Effective Twitter Calls to Action

What should I tweet?

This is one of the most common questions that brands ask. Data from a recent report conducted by Optimal indicates that Twitter delivers a smaller — but more active — audience than Facebook. But Twitter is less understood as a marketing channel, and many social media marketers are unsure about what to do when it comes to executing well-planned promotional strategies on the platform. So what can you do to jumpstart a Twitter initiative using 140 characters or less?

Social media marketing must include calls to action

Calls to action (CTAs) are an essential part of inbound marketing. Their goal is to convert a user into a lead, and, later, into a customer. They are a way for you to entice your social media audience to focus on the action your want them to take.

Twitter recently analyzed more than 20,000 Promoted Tweets that were randomly sampled over a 3-month period. They examined how various types of Promoted Tweet engagements differed depending on which types of calls to action were included, and compared them to a baseline of Promoted Tweets that did not include any calls to action. Here are the results:

4 best Twitter calls to action

1. Ask for a download

Have a new product to promote that’s available for download? Tweets in timelines that explicitly ask people to download from an included link increase URL clicks by an average of 13%. Tweets in search that feature this call to action increase clicks by an average of 11%.

Tips from Twitter:

• Give people clear direction
• Offer an incentive to click
• Use hashtags and @ mentions sparingly to keep users focused on one action
• You can also set a deadline to increase the sense of urgency

 2. Ask for a retweet

Want to turn followers into advocates and generate earned media? Offer a clear, compelling reason to retweet your messages. This increases retweets by an average of 311%.

Twitter recommends:

• Spell out the word ‘retweet’ instead of using ‘RT’
• Tell your audience why your Tweet is worth sharing by giving them something valuable in return
• Keep formatting clear and simple so people know exactly what you want them to do

3. Ask for a follow

Want to reach new audiences on Twitter? It could be as simple as asking for a follow. Twitter’s data shows that tweets  that asked for a follow increased responses by 258%.

Twitter’s suggestions for improving effectiveness:

• Highlight the exclusive content you’re offering, e.g. “Get a sneak peek at exclusive new products” or “See what goes on behind the scenes”.
• Provide an incentive to follow you by promoting contests and prizes

4. Ask for a reply

Want a response from Twitter users? Ask for it. Tweets that ask for a reply increase replies by an average of 334%. Replies increase 307% when this call to action appears in search results.

Twitter tips to improve response rates:

• Get personal in your Tweets
• Use a conversational tone
• Combine the question with a contest or other exclusive incentive
  

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