Twitter announced on October 31st, 2018, that it is testing a chronological newsfeed for its users once again. Twitter first introduced an algorithm-based newsfeed for its user base in 2016. The algorithm-based newsfeed eventually replaced the chronological feed Twitter previously used. For now, Twitter seems to be giving certain users the option to toggle between chronological and algorithm-based newsfeeds. If you’d like to see if your Twitter account has been selected for this trial, look for the star icon on your Twitter app as shown in the video below. While you are on the Twitter app, try to increase your engagement rate by using the 7 tips below.
Sometimes you want to see the latest Tweets, first. We’re testing a way for you to make it easier to switch your timeline between the latest and top Tweets. Starting today, a small number of you will see this test on iOS. pic.twitter.com/7NHLDUjrIv
— Twitter (@Twitter) October 31, 2018
Tips to increase your engagement on Twitter
- Engage with others’ content.
Your followers and other Twitter users are more likely to engage with your content if you engage with their’s first. That does not mean that you should retweet everyone in your newsfeed, but it does mean that you should retweet, like, and comment on posts that are relevant to your areas of interest. If you are managing a Twitter profile for an organization, you should engage with accounts in the same industry as yours. - Join and start conversations!
You are certain to come across several sales pitches, opinions, and asks on Twitter. In other words, many accounts are trying to persuade you to purchase something, consider certain viewpoints, or act in certain ways. While there is nothing wrong with that, many organizational accounts simply repost the same few talking points over and over. Twitter lends itself to conversations based on brief replies and you should take advantage of that! Comment on the tweets that appear on your newsfeed, tag others in your tweets, and take stands (especially if you can include reliable sources to support your point)! - Use hashtags.
It is very likely that you have learned of developing news or events on Twitter thanks to hashtags. An additional benefit of hashtags is that users interested in a topic can tap on or search for a hashtag in order to see the top and latest tweets for that topic. If you are using the right hashtags, users will see your tweets and potentially follow your account to see the content you post. To put it simply, using hashtags will help you grow your followers. - Be timely.
If Twitter rolls out its chronological timeline worldwide, your users may not be interested in your tweets if you do not post them while they are relevant. While it can be argued that many tweets are not time sensitive, some tweets lose their effectiveness if they are delayed. One example of this might be posting a reaction video to a viral news clip days after the clip was a trending topic. In those instances, time is of the essence! If you wait to post on a trending topic, your followers may lose interest. - Read before you share.
Even though spellchecking is important, this tip refers to the spread of “fake news” on social media. Due to its size, Facebook has received a lot more of the blame for the spreading of fake news than Twitter. However, this does not give Twitter users the freedom to tweet before they read. Take a proactive approach on social media and do not share any content based purely on headlines. - Incorporate visuals.
Whenever possible, include videos, photos, and gifs in your tweets. Visual content tends to receive higher engagement rates than text and is more likely to capture the attention of your followers. Even though Twitter increased the number of characters per tweet from 140 to 280 last year, a visual element can help you get your point across. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand tweets! - Explore different tools.
There are a wide range of social media tools that can help you maximize your productivity and engagement on Twitter. Free tools such as Tweetdeck, Hootsuite, and IFTTT will undeniably change the way you use Twitter. Beyond providing scheduling capabilities, these tools provide analytical insights and automation of tasks that will help you find and connect with your audience. Branch out!
