• Connecting advertisers to Twitter users around the world

    Tuesday, January 22, 2013

    Every month, 200 million users worldwide turn to Twitter to connect to their interests. Last summer, the world came together on Twitter and sent over 150 million Tweets during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Last month, the world watched as Pope Benedict XVI sent his first Tweets in eight languages. Throughout the last year, it’s been humbling to see how Twitter has transformed into the global town square – the place where people around the globe go to find out what’s happening right now.

    Today, 70% of Twitter accounts are outside the U.S., and Twitter is now available in 33 languages. A platform for all conversations – global and local – Twitter is increasingly the pulse of the planet. As usage around the world increases so does demand from advertisers and agencies who want to connect with our global audience and participate in those conversations. 

    Since I joined Twitter in April, we’ve been focused on the thoughtful expansion of our advertising teams to ensure Twitter delivers the best level of service and results for advertisers globally. Last summer, we announced Twitter Advertising would soon be available in 50 countries. As we kick off 2013, we’ve exceeded that goal and now have capabilities to support advertisers and agencies in the US, UK, Ireland, Japan, Brazil as well as all across the Middle East, North Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.



    During my nine months at Twitter, I’ve traveled to nearly a dozen cities around the globe to meet with international advertisers and better understand their needs as they develop creative, targeted campaigns. Throughout my career, I’ve never seen anything that rivals their enthusiasm for Twitter’s ability to engage consumers in meaningful, real-time conversations.

    International advertisers have also been an incredible source for innovative uses of our platform. This past fall, Mercedes Benz UK (@MercedesBenzUK) offered Twitter users the chance to determine the outcome of a new series of television commercials. In a world-first, the car brand encouraged Twitter users to use the hashtag #YOUDRIVE and determine how the storyline of its TV ads would progress.


    During the summer, Coca-Cola Japan's sports drink brand AQUARIUS (@AQUARIUS_SPORTS) brought consumers closer to the world-class athletic action in London. @AQUARIUS_SPORTS invited Twitter users to send messages of support to competing athletes through the branded hashtag #僕にはできる (#ICanDoIt). The brand featured #僕にはできる Tweets for a gold-winning swimmer across online and offline media including TV and print.


    In Argentina, Infobae (@Infobae), a well-known online newspaper, ran a Promoted Trend to cover a major government protest planned for November 8. The Promoted Trend was named #8N EN VIVO (“#8N LIVE”). Promoted Tweets connected to the trend included links to a livestream of the protest, giving the people of Argentina a new way to keep up with breaking news. 


    Digital advertising remains as dynamic as it has ever been with the rapid growth of mobile, the integration of TV and online strategies and increasing Internet access across emerging markets. In 2013, we plan to continue our international expansion and launch Twitter Advertising across the rest of the world while deepening our commitment to the markets where we already operate. We also look forward to extending the reach of our advertising solution for small businesses, globally. Our goal is to deliver value to advertisers – large and small – around the world and make sure that our international business is a growth engine for the company.

    The world’s a big place and there’s a lot of work to do. My bags are packed and I’m excited for all the adventures ahead. Make sure to follow @TwitterAds for real-time updates from upcoming launch events around the world. 

    Posted by 
    Shailesh Rao - @shaileshrao
    VP, International Operations

    Are you an advertiser outside the US with questions? Please submit your information and we’ll notify you when Twitter Advertising becomes available in your country: https://business.twitter.com/en/advertise/start/. 

    Posted by @ at 12:40 PM

  • #TwitterDC event: Lessons from #Election2012 and best practices for 2013

    Friday, January 18, 2013

    This week, our Washington Twitter team convened a #TwitterDC event for advertisers, associations, issue advocacy groups, nonprofits and agencies to share lessons learned from the U.S. presidential election. With red, white and blue decorations for the upcoming Inaugural parade visible from the windows, over 100 attendees gathered at the Ronald Reagan building on Pennsylvania Avenue for a recap of the #TwitterElection and a look forward at ways advertisers – inside the Beltway and beyond – can use Twitter to succeed in 2013. 


    Twitter’s Mindy Finn (@mindyfinn) kicked off the event with an overview of how the presidential campaigns used Twitter. She shared how the narrative of the campaign was driven largely by Twitter. In this election, rapid response for the first time became real-time response and persuasion messages were delivered to voters on their phones as they waited in line to cast their ballots. Her four key takeaways from the election: 

    1. Listen to the community by monitoring Twitter conversations.



    2. Build your community by growing your followers in a targeted way.




    3. Engage the community with compelling content and real-time interaction.



    4. Move the community with effective persuasion and clear calls to action.


    Jenna Golden (@jigolden) explained how savvy organizations use Twitter to drive advocacy and earned media. She highlighted the effective use of strong calls to action, rich media, live-tweeting during events and celebrity spokespeople by prominent organizations like @AmericasPower, @CEA, @ClimateReality, @NYCBevChoices and others.   





    As someone who has helped grow our team in DC, I was excited to provide a sneak peek into the Twitter 2013 product roadmap. I highlighted four ways to increase engagement with target audiences: Twitter Cards which deliver rich media experiences, in-Tweet brand surveys to test message effectiveness, instant replays within Tweets and the growing integration between Twitter & TV. 





    The event concluded with a panel discussion featuring a diverse set of clients: Ericka Andersen (@ErickaAndersen) of the Heritage Foundation, Tina Anthony (@TinaCAnthony) of the Consumer Electronics Association, Andrew Fimka (@AndrewFimka) at Story Partners and Amy McLean (@MyWirelessorg) from CTIA.z


    Amy explained that following the success of a small test campaign, Twitter has become a part of every Beltway insider media campaign her team runs. Ericka noted that Heritage has found success leveraging conversation around pop culture events like the Golden Globes and TV show The Walking Dead (think lame-duck Congress comparisons.) 





    Andrew touched on Twitter’s powerful mobile penetration: 60% of Twitter users access the platform via mobile device. He said recent Promoted Tweets campaign on behalf of @VoteforEnergy resulted in a significant uptick in mobile traffic to the campaign’s website. Tina summed it up nicely with three simple words, “Twitter Ads work!” As the President said during one Twitter chat: “That’s what I’m talking about!” 



    #Election2012 may be over but Twitter’s growth and influence continues on. I like to think we are now living in the #TwitterRepublic. 





    Posted by 
    Peter Greenberger - @pgreenberger 
    Director of Political Ad Sales

    Posted by @ at 12:28 PM

  • NRF Annual Convention: Four tips for small retailers on Twitter

    Tuesday, January 15, 2013

    In my role at Twitter, I work with a spectrum of businesses – both large and small. This year, I’ll be traveling around the world and am particularly excited to meet with smaller businesses to share how Twitter can help them grow. This week, at the National Retail Federation (NRF) Annual Convention in New York City, I spoke about the future of retail during the “Main Street Retailing Forum” keynote.


    I shared how 200 million people around the globe log in to Twitter every month. These users send 400 million Tweets every day. And retail is one of their favorite interests.



    In fact, from 2011 to 2012, the volume of these retail and shopping conversations on Twitter increased over 60%.


    In the past, people would gather in a town square to discuss news and share information. Today, Twitter is the place where people gather to talk about products, retailers and shopping. Twitter has become the new global town square.

    Tips for small business advertisers

    So what’s the best way for small retailers to get shoppers talking and keep them engaged on Twitter? Here are the four Twitter tips I shared at NRF to help retailers connect with customers:

     Tip #1: Listen before you tweet.

    Often, the best way to get started on Twitter is to listen to the conversations that are already happening. Listen to what your competitors are tweeting about and how they engage their followers. Look for industry trends by searching for relevant keywords or following relevant hashtags and influencers. Listening before you tweet can help you make more informed decisions about the content you tweet and even help you identify existing customers.

    Hampton Coffee Company (@HamptonCoffee) is a family-owned and community-focused espresso bar, café and coffee roastery business in The Hamptons, New York. Almost every day, co-owner Jason Belkin searches Twitter for people who have mentioned the business and thanks them for visiting. Jason can tell that listening and responding on Twitter works every time a customer drops by and says, “I was the one tweeting with you yesterday.”



    Tip #2: Find your voice.

    Authenticity is key on Twitter. It's not just what you say in your Tweets, it's how you say it. Customers will find you more relatable if your Tweets are conversational and show personality. Know your audience and tweet in a natural way that will appeal to them.

    Don’t forget to be responsive to them too. Reply to their questions and jump into conversations that they have related to your business. You may even want to comment on current events, local news or industry happenings.

    Whipped Bakeshop (@WhippedBakeshop), a bakery located in Philadelphia and run by a husband and wife team, frequently tweets images of the delicious treats they cook up.


    They also tweet about seasonal specials. They often reference popular hashtags to reach more people with their messages.  


    But they also show a human side by sharing messages related to what’s happening in the world.

    They monitor mentions and proactively respond to media mentions and customer questions.




    Tip #3: Create a Tweet calendar.

    Even though Twitter happens in real time, you can still plan ahead. With a simple content calendar, you can create a recurring weekly cadence that takes the guesswork out of creating your Tweets. On Mondays, tweet a promotion that is exclusively available only on Twitter.

    BH Cosmetics (@bhcosmetics) offered a Twixclusive to their followers.


    On Tuesdays, tweet a behind the scenes look at your business. Include a photo or a video. A 2012 Buddy Media study found that Tweets with images have double the engagement of Tweets without images. Alternative Apparel (@AlternativeApp) featured a video in a Tweet that gave their customers a peak into a new store.


    When it makes sense, tie your Tweets to popular events or holidays. For example, you know that every year people will be talking about the Superbowl or Mother’s Day on Twitter. Use hashtags about these events to share relevant messages.

    You may also want to consider creating your own hashtags around promotions or discounts. Create Tweets that tell customers to mention the hashtag in the store to redeem the deal. That’s an instant way to know that customers only saw the deal on Twitter.

    Tip #4: Use Twitter Ads to amplify your organic presence.

    Building a solid organic presence on Twitter creates a strong foundation for any business. Twitter advertising help businesses take that presence to a new level. Advertising on Twitter is different from other types of advertising because it lets businesses engage a broader set of users in real-time conversations.

    Promoted Tweets are just like regular Tweets, except they reach more people who are similar to your followers and likely interested in your business. These Tweets can be targeted and appear contextually in a user’s timeline. Promoted Accounts allow you to reach an entirely new audience beyond their follower base.

    Bottom line: Every business has its own personality, and Twitter is a unique, instant way to share that personality with your customer base and get closer to them. For more tips on finding success on Twitter, check out our small business case studies and download our Twitter for Small Business Guide.

    Richard Alfonsi - @ralfonsi
     VP Global Online Sales

    Posted by @ at 2:13 PM

  • #CES 2013: The winners on Twitter

    Every year, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) brings tech lovers closer to the hottest new gadgets about to hit the market. But technology that gets unveiled in Vegas, doesn’t stay in Vegas. It gets tweeted. 

    According to Mass Relevance, Twitter users mentioned CES in just over one million Tweets during the four days of the trade show. The hashtag #CES trended organically every day of the show. Twitter was truly the second screen of CES, giving people around the world a real-time glimpse at all the action.

    In fact, CES-related Tweets trended the longest in San Francisco not Las Vegas. Clearly, geeking out over gadgets was more interesting to Silicon Valley-types than slogging through their email inboxes after the holidays.



    During CES, Mass Relevance used event-related Tweets to create a real-time visualization called The Companion. The Companion allowed people at the show and those following the event via Twitter to discover the most buzz-worthy trends and latest breaking news.


    Top tweeted products at CES

    What types of products nabbed the most Twitter buzz at CES? Mass Relevance found that pre-show conversations on Twitter were highest for TV-related products and announcements. During the show, the top category winner remained TV. Phones and tablets came in second and third, respectively. 


    Twitter buzz about TV and mobile devices isn’t surprising. According to our internal data, 60% percent of users access Twitter on mobile. And, last month, Twitter and Nielsen announced a partnership to create a new TV rating based on social engagement.

    The top product at CES that had Twitter users buzzing was Samsung’s bendable screens, leading to over 70,000 mentions for the brand. UltraHD and wearable tech rounded out the top three product trends that sparked the most conversations on Twitter. Our geek chic favorite at CES: the Twitter T-shirt vending machine by Engadget. 


    Top tweeted brand hashtags at CES

    Based on hashtags, mobile brands dominated the conversation on Twitter. #Android appeared in the top ten hashtags each day of CES.  Despite not attending the show since 1992, #Apple still ranked as a top ten topic of discussion four out of the five days measured by Mass Relevance. #Bornmobile, Qualcomm’s new campaign, hit the top ten on the day of their keynote.

    #SharpCES, #SonyCES and #DigiHealthCES also generated enough Tweets to snag a spot in the top ten CES hashtags during the week. Twitter users were also buzzing about self-driving cars. The first days of the show were the strongest for the auto category. Ford announced  its developer program and Audi rolling out prototypes for “auto-piloted” cars. Gaming saw its biggest day on Tuesday with announcements from brands like Razer, Valve and Xi3.

    The future of marketing 

    One brand on Twitter that caught our eye during CES was Sprint (@Sprint). As one of Newsweek’s top three greenest companies in America, @Sprint encouraged Twitter users to use the hashtag #SprintCES and share their innovative technology ideas for a greener future. 



    The brand then illustrated Tweets from users in real time and shared them via Twitter. 

    This @Sprint campaign demonstrates why an increasingly diverse set of marketers is attending CES every year. After all, technology is transforming consumer behavior. During CES, people were not only talking about technology on Twitter, they were using Twitter to interact with brands in new ways and share information on a massive scale. That’s the future of marketing. 

    Posted by @ at 11:30 AM

  • Amplifiers study: The Twitter users who are most likely to retweet and how to engage them

    Thursday, January 10, 2013

    (Note: This is the first in a series of research reports on influential Twitter users by country.) 

    Platforms like Twitter have redefined the relationship between advertisers and their audiences. Today, anyone on Twitter can engage a brand in real-time conversations and even help spread a brand’s messages. In fact, with every reply, favorite or Retweet, Twitter users drive earned media for businesses that can make a big impact on ROI over time. 

    But (as Jerry Seinfeld says) who are these people? Which users are most likely to retweet a message on Twitter? And how can advertisers connect with them? We partnered with Compete to look at these questions and uncovered five key insights about U.S. Twitter users who are most likely to retweet – we call these people “amplifiers.” 

    The methodology

    The findings are based on data from surveys fielded in the United States during 2012. Twitter and Compete worked together to build a questionnaire that asked respondents about their propensity to use Twitter and other services as well as the when, where, how and why of their usage patterns. Compete interviewed 655 Internet users in the U.S. for this study. 

    Five key findings and tips for advertisers

    1. Amplifiers don’t fit neatly into one demographic.

    Our research found that the type of U.S. Twitter user who is most likely to retweet isn’t too different demographically from the rest of people on Twitter. Amplifiers are evenly spread across age groups, income levels and geographic locations of users on Twitter. Gender doesn’t make a statistically significant difference either. 

    Tips for advertisers: When you create campaigns on Twitter, don’t limit your potential earned media. Amplifiers will exist across all your potential audiences. Target broadly across demographic categories. 

    2. Amplifiers are heavy Twitter users who are on the go. 

    Amplifiers are twice as likely to use Twitter several times a day. They are also more likely to use Twitter on a mobile phone (54%). This makes sense because our research found that amplifiers are twice as likely to use Twitter during their commutes or when they are out with friends. 

    Tips for advertisers: Maximize the engagement of your Twitter campaigns by targeting users on mobile devices and increasing the likelihood that you reach these amplifiers. Tweet content that is easy to consume and share on the go. Test day parting your Tweets to better understand when your followers are most inclined to retweet. 

    3. Amplifiers love to consume and create Tweets, especially visual content.

    More actively engaged with Tweets than the average user, amplifiers are heavy content consumers and creators. Amplifiers are more likely to send Tweets (86%), send direct messages (122%) and favorite Tweets (102%). They are also highly visual: Amplifiers are more likely to view photos on Twitter (90%), tweet photos (107%) and tweet videos (89%).



    Tips for advertisers: Make your Tweets resonate with visually-fluent amplifiers. Consistently include engaging images or videos in your Tweets. Don’t forget to respond to relevant Tweets from followers to show you are engaged with the real-time content they create. 

    4. Amplifiers want to hear from brands on Twitter. 

    The average Twitter user follows five brands. Twitter users who retweet show significantly more interest in brands. In fact, amplifiers are twice as likely than the average Twitter user to follow more than 20 brands on Twitter. 

    Tips for advertisers: Amplifiers are likely to be following your brand already. Keep them engaged by sharing the kind of content they want. Here are the top reasons people told Compete that they follow brands on Twitter:

    Top Reasons Twitter users follow brands

    5. Amplifiers love TV. 

    According to Bluefin Labs, 95% of the public social conversation around TV happens on Twitter. Twitter users love to tweet about what they are watching on television and this is particularly true for amplifiers. Our study found that 90% of amplifiers tweet about TV shows. They are also 36% more likely to be in front of the TV whenever they tweet. 

    Tips for advertisers: Closely integrate your TV campaigns with Twitter. Include hashtags in your TV ads. Share links to your ads on Twitter. With Twitter Ads, brands can also target users who are interested in specific TV shows and reach more users with more relevant messages.

    For more tips on creating engaging Tweets, download this Twitter guide for businesses.  

    Taylor Schreiner - @tas2
    Co-Head Ad Research

    Posted by @ at 12:40 PM