X (formerly Twitter) veterans (aka users who were using the site prior to February 2016) will remember how the social site had always worked up until the algorithm rollout. Tweet would fall in line on your feed in time with their posting date. Aside from sponsored tweets and the “here’s what you missed” feature, tweets didn’t receive any special attention.
Now with the introduction of X’s algorithm-based timeline, tweets may be showing up on your feed based on engagement, not tweet time. While this feature is opt-in, mostly because of large user backlash, some X users like the algorithm based time line – and this means businesses need to adjust their X strategies. Unless your tweet has a lot of engagement, followers who opt-in to the algorithm may never see a single thing you post.
Never fear, says X. The social site has recently released some advice for those who want to remain visible to their followers who use the algorithm timeline.
1. Focus on your business’ voice
The first X tip focuses on finding and showing off your business’ unique, individual voice and personality. It’s worth pointing out this advice isn’t anything new.
Promoting a business voice is about the equivalent of knowing and promoting a business message. This kind of Social Media 101 is something you should be thinking about anyway, but know that it’s more important than ever now that your tweets have to be absolutely perfect every time.
2. Know your audience
While this might be another basic piece of advice you’ve already taken into consideration, but now is the time to reevaluate your social media analytics. Now that X’s timeline algorithm is based on engagement, finding the topics and content your audience is interested in is more vital than ever.
Look at your most popular tweets and try to replicate what made them so engaging with every new tweet you post. Also, knowing what your audience is talking about on X can be another way to have a better understanding of what your consumers are looking for from their social media consumption.
3. Take advantage of everyday and special occasions
From Christmas to Valentine’s, breakfast to dinner, tweets about relatable and popular events will get a lot of social play. Focusing content on an event, whether it’s just an everyday occasion or a holiday, aligns your content with being easily found and promoted, plus shows the everyday consumer that your products and services can be utilized in special ways. You can also make sure to schedule any event-specific tweets so you don’t miss those key engagement windows.
4. Always try to use media in your tweets
Consumers love visual media. Whether it’s a funny .GIF or a high-quality photo that shows off your product, a X user is more likely to retweet visual content than a tweet with only words. If you look up the stats for visual media and engagement, you’ll find hundreds of stats proving that visual media works for social content – most important, it boosts engagement over 300%.
5. #Hashtags
Of course you’ve got to use hashtags, but try to vary your hashtag style. Try to create your own hashtags and experiment with how well they work and their engagement potential, but it’s okay to fall back on the tried and true method of attaching yourself to a movement. If you see a trending hashtag you can use for promotion, go for it.
6. Boost engagement with engagement
If you haven’t started responding to your own X inquiries, start doing it now. Every time you get a X notification, respond to it quickly and valuably. X is the best place for consumers to field questions about service now, so don’t neglect them – this will up your engagement stats and bring your business more promotion overall.
7. Point out your advocates
Retweet positive comments about your business. Mention those you affiliate with and give them praise. Link to great product reviews and mention the site that put that content out there. When you point out those who advocate you, you promote relevant content about your products and services while enticing engagement. Those you mention will likely retweet you, and that’s guaranteed engagement you can’t do without in this post-algorithm X environment.
The X algorithm may not be your best friend right now, but the new setup just takes some getting used to. Now that you know how to work with the new algorithm, it’s time to get back to business as usual.