Twitter is a large revenue generator for businesses of all sizes. It is also a real-time network that can inspire on-the-spot purchases. How to make the most of Twitter to boost your online sales and build your ecommerce brand? How can the famous tweets, hashtags and mentions help you achieve that?
Last Updated on December 8, 2023 by Zeljko Drazovic
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Twitter is a popular social networking site that attracts 100 million users every day. Some may think it’s a noisy and messy place and they find it hard to understand what the fuss is all about.
However, there must be reasons why Twitter has grown in popularity to such an extent that there are 320 million people who use this site. There must be something behind the fact that businesses make the effort to update their profiles on Twitter.
Why would you set up a Twitter account for your online business?
… and maybe even have some fun.
Twitter is here to help you achieve your business objectives.
Twitter seems to be a rapidly-moving waterfall of online activities and information updates. Its features enable businesses to share short blips of information, videos, upload quality photos, and engage in conversations, building and expanding their brands.
So what is Twitter all about?
Facebook and Twitter are both social media giants. Similarly, both are popular channels for ecommerce stores.
Is either better for your online store?
According to Yotpo, compared to Twitter, Facebook brings much more traffic; the traffic sticks around longer and navigates further into sites.
However, even though there may be less Twitter traffic and it may be less engaged, Twitter traffic has a higher CVR (conversion ratio) and AOV (Average Order Value) than Facebook traffic.
Source: Yotpo
The data comes from Twitter and Facebook traffic that came only via a social referral, e.g. reviews, which means that social proof is extremely strong when attracting these visitors. This relates to the fact that closer relationships mean more trust.
Facebook users follow people they know. In contrast, Twitter users may not know the people they follow personally. As a result, visitors coming from Facebook are likely to be more engaged than those coming from Twitter. The reason being they are more affected by social proof and have higher levels of brand trust.
Social proof, e.g. social referrals and reviews, can be way more effective for driving engagement on Facebook and conversions on Twitter.
Here’s something to think about:
If Twitter users convert, they are worth much more.
The fact is that Twitter users absorb a great deal of content so when they do click-through, it has a purpose and objective.
In contrast with other social media platforms that like to establish the demographics, Twitter does not require this information. This means that in the case of Twitter, a typical user is more of a rough estimate.
But it doesn’t mean there is no data. An ordinary Twitter user is a woman in her 20’s, lives in an urban environment and her income is above $50k.
There’s also some good news. Twitter is a balanced platform and there is a fairly stable representation of various demographics with no huge gaps. The benefits also include the availability of geo and contextual data and the presence of influencers.
Now let’s get down to business and think of how you can make the most of Twitter to give your online business a big boost. A well thought out Twitter profile will definitely help you in this regard.
Your profile should reflect your brand, products and company’s values and mission. This means that your …
… should be consistent.
If you want to sell online via Twitter, bear in mind that Twitter is not as image dominant as some social media networks, e.g. Instagram or Pinterest. Therefore, it is recommended to use Twitter cards for product tweets. A product card can contain all essential information, e.g. the product name, description, image, price and stock level.
Twitter wouldn’t be Twitter without its … tweets. And the engagement around them. Hence, make sure you know how to tweet. After all, you want to attract engagement and get retweeted. The more users retweet your message, the more it is seen. This in turn increases the chances of conversion.
Let’s look at some stats that will help you get things right:
To increase your tweets engagement, it’s simple: add an image, a link, a hashtag or two and make your tweets about 100 characters long.
Don’t try to sell products all the time, but become part of conversations and build relationships. Focus on your brand image first and then on driving sales. After all, this is your main objective.
Does an ideal tweet really exist? This can be a matter of a personal preference, but there are definitely a few pointers that can boost engagement on your Twitter profile.
According to Dan Zarella, a social media scientist at HubSpot:
Tweets are important but so are hashtags. They organise conversations around your brand and help to build a stronger community. Hashtags are crucial for the ecommerce industry, providing an 
easy way to promote your products. If you find out which hashtags are popular and related to your product, you can reach more users.
While hashtags originated in Twitter, other social networks, e.g. Instagram, Pinterest or Google+ now support them too. You can create a hashtag using your company name and then promote its use.
When creating a hashtag, come up with something memorable, unique and short. Make it easy to spell. You can register your hashtag via Twubs.com, a hashtag directory site.
Use no more than 3 hashtags: too many of them could be confusing and make the tweet difficult to read.
While one or two hashtags work in favour of engagement, 3 or more actually decrease it.
Where, how and why to use hashtags? To find out more, download our FREE ebook!
One popular use of hashtags is the so-called Follow Friday (#FF). Users highlight others in their tweets, which is a way to acknowledge loyal customers or vendors.
Your company or brand name may be mentioned in a tweet. Mentions contain another username (@handle) in the body of the tweet. They give you brand exposure to different audiences than your own. Your task is to monitor and understand in which context your company is being discussed.
Replies in turn are responses to other users’ tweets. They begin with the @username of the person you reply to so technically they are also mentions. Replies indicate that users are looking to engage in conversation with your brand. Make sure you fuel such conversations and lead them in the right direction. This way you can build the company image you want to have.
Replies and mentions account for 2/3 of your engagement metrics. Focus on the types of mentions and replies you get, the amount of each and try to discover patterns. This will help you understand your audience and how they relate to your business. It will also give you pointers as to what type of messaging to put out there, how to interact with different users and how to measure success.
Twitter has a big ecommerce potential. At the same time it seems somewhat messy with tweets coming and going very quickly. Granted there is a risk that potential buyers will be distracted very easily. However, if they do convert, they are usually worth much more, compared to other social media channels.
To summarise:
It may take time to see a big increase in conversions, but a good strategy will pay off.
Your goal is to see high sales figures. Twitter can definitely help you achieve this. However, create brand awareness first before you start selling.
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