How to Win the Twitter Algorithm in 2020
Twitter has historically been pretty straightforward on their features: character-limited mini-blogs (Tweets) and where content is presented in a reverse-chronological timeline.
It’s the simplicity of the platform that has drawn users in, but it’s also the increasing amount of Tweets and its growing userbase that has led Twitter to introduce new updates to its algorithm.
These updates to Twitter’s social algorithm is a cause for concern for marketers. However, true to its brand, Twitter has kept its algorithm quite simple regardless.
Key Factors in Twitter’s Algorithm
Twitter has also been quite transparent in how their deep learning algorithm works. Basically, they consider three factors in ranking content on a user’s timeline:
- The Tweet — The number of engagement it has (replies and retweets), the recency of the post, and the presence of media (images or videos).
- The Tweet’s author — Your relationship and past interactions with the author.
- Your past activity — Which users and what types of Tweets you’ve engaged in and how often you use the platform.
Winning the Twitter Algorithm in 2020
Here are tips on how to make the best of Twitter’s algorithm this year:
1. Tweet frequently and regularly
Volume and frequency matter a lot on Twitter, so it’s essential to post frequently and regularly. Make it a point to Tweet at least twice a day, but don’t bombard your audiences with too many Tweets — a good range is between 2 to 8 Tweets per day.
It should be noted, however, that it’s best to commit to a number of daily Tweets that fits with your brand’s bandwidth and resource availability. This is to ensure that you don’t go on days without a Tweet, and then come back with a barrage of content once you’re available.
Consistency is key.
2. Engage and respond to your audience in a timely manner
One of Twitter’s virtues is that because of the simplicity of the platform, users have come to view it as one of the best social media outlets to reach a brand directly.
The essential thing to note when engaging on Twitter is that you have to be swift in responding to queries and brand mentions — within 2 to 3 hours, is best. Twitter has, in fact, become one of the top choices by consumers as a more reliable customer service platform over traditional channels.
Here’s a good guide to help you with your Twitter engagement: How to Provide Stellar Customer Service on Twitter
3. Post at the “best” times
Engagement is a key metric in the Twitter algorithm, and this highly depends on the “best” times when users are active on the platform.
According to Sprout Social, Twitter users are generally most active from 9 AM to 11 AM, Monday to Saturday. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday are also seen to have the most engagement than all other days.
However, these are merely considered as “ideal” times to post. In reality, it all falls on when your target audience is most available to see and interact with your content; thus, the “best” time for another brand may not ring true to you.
4. Optimize your content for Twitter
Unlike platforms like Facebook and Instagram, Twitter is mostly text-centric. As such, marketers need a different approach when creating content for Twitter.
One main thing is to adjust your text in order to maximize the 280-character limit. This is especially true when you’re sharing informative content. With all the noise and bustle on Twitter, it’s all the more crucial to use hashtags for better discoverability. Emojis also draw in the attention of audiences, as well as boosting sentiment towards your content.
In Summary
When it comes right down to it, Twitter’s algorithm isn’t as complex as that of other social media platforms. In a nutshell, Twitter’s timeline is a combination of real-time (reverse-chronological) and algorithmic content.
To read more about social media marketing, head on to our blog at https://www.ilfusion.com.
