Twitter, on the face of it, is a simple enough concept – 140 characters to let your friends know what you’re doing.
But power users – including those who are currently using Twitter for eCommerce – know there is more to it than that.
Each tweet is an attempt to break free from the gravity of your own profile and spiral off into the deep space of viral marketing – and there are plenty of functions you can use to help give you a boost.
Knowing which deliver a more targeted message and which offer a broader-reaching but less specific route to your audience could be the key to success or failure.
The infographic above gives an idea of how the different methods of tweeting vary in terms of reach and relevance – and where the compromise can be struck.
But what do the captions above mean?
The Modes of Tweeting
We begin with the most direct forms of tweeting.
DMs are direct messages, sent to another user and impossible for anyone else to see. They are fundamentally well targeted, but with inherently limited reach.
@s represent mentions – publicly visible tweets that are directed at another individual on Twitter. Their potential reach is slightly higher, but often they will go unnoticed by all but their intended recipient.
From these one-to-one modes of tweeting, we move on to the more mass-audience options.
#e relates to existing hashtags – not necessarily trends, but hashtags that are commonly used on Twitter. Add one to your tweet and there’s a good chance that a small but specific audience will see what you have to say.
Tw is a general tweet to your own follower base. It might be retweeted to increase its reach, or you might include a hyperlink to drive traffic elsewhere - the two satellite options illustrated. This is about knowing your followers and making sure your tweets are relevant to their interests.
#n is the option of starting your own hashtag. This has the potential to achieve a good level of reach but, even if not, also allows you to mark out groups of your own tweets as relating to a particular topic.
Twt refers to a general tweet about a popular topic – not a trending topic, but something that’s making headlines elsewhere. There’s a good chance people will be searching for tweets relating to any big story.
Tt is for trending topics – interests, news stories or simply distractions that are popular on Twitter right now. Tweet about one of these and you’re reaching a large audience, but remember yours will be one voice among many.
RTc is gold dust in some topic areas – we’re talking here about being retweeted by a celebrity. It’s the Twitter equivalent of a big-name endorsement and could help you to reach thousands of their followers, many of whom will do anything to live the celeb lifestyle.
Finally, we’re back to your own tweets. This time, though, your tweet goes viral – retweet after retweet helps spread the word, while your follower count rises exponentially.
It only takes good planning or good fortune to tap into a truly viral-worthy topic – and create a follower base who will see every subsequent message you tweet.
The take-home message: Tweets can be wide-ranging or highly targeted. Find the right topic and you can reach thousands of people in one go.