At one point or another, you’ve probably asked yourself if Twitter is actually helpful for growing your business or if it’s a total waste of time. The truth is it’s only helpful for promoting your brand if you know how to use it.
In February 2016, Twitter began using an algorithm to determine what users see; but the algorithm didn’t really change much in terms of what users see in their feeds. The primary purpose for implementing the algorithm stemmed from Twitter classifying itself as a news site – not a social media platform – and thus wanting users to continue seeing timely tweets. While providing users up-to-the-minute information previously, with the new algorithm Twitter hopes to optimize its content to become the best place to find out what’s happening right now.
If your law firm decides to invest the time in using Twitter, you’ll want to get the most out of your efforts. You should strategize your use of the social media channel by learning how the Twitter algorithm ranks and displays tweets to users.
10 WAYS TO HELP ENSURE YOUR LAW FIRM TWEETS ARE SEEN
Time: Since Twitter is designed as a live platform, its algorithm considers posting time of high importance. You need to post regularly, especially when your specific audience is online. To find out when your audience uses Twitter, try tools like Tweriod (and it’s FREE).
User Interests: Twitter collects data on its users, and subsequently shows content it thinks will interest each user. You need to grow a relevant audience who will interact with your posts to have an above-average engagement rate. Ideally, you want your Twitter followers to be largely comprised of your target audience.
Credibility: Twitter’s algorithm likes accounts it deems credible. To make your profile credible, complete it entirely, including a profile photo, bio, location, graphics, etc. In my experience, using lists can also boost Twitter credibility.
Engagement: The tweets that perform best in your network are shown the most often. So one of your law firm’s primary goals on Twitter is to curate and share content users will enjoy and engage with. The more engagement a tweet receives, the more reach the tweet will ultimately have.
Past Engagement: The Twitter algorithm shows users more tweets from accounts they previously engaged with. This is why it is so important to initiate conversations with other Twitter users – if a user engages back, they’ll see more of your future tweets.
Media Type: Tweets with images receive 18% more clicks than tweets without them, and 82% of Twitter users watch video content on the platform. Twitter shows a user more tweets using the type of media they have engaged with previously. Watch your account to see what types of media your followers engage with most and use more of it, while still using a mix of media types in your tweets.
Optimal Timing: Tweriod (mentioned above) and other digital tools can reveal the optimal time to share content online by finding out when your followers are most active. The average lifespan of a tweet is only 18 minutes, so make sure your tweet catches users when they are scrolling through their feed.
Twitter Advertising: Twitter is incentivized to keep users on its platform as the longer they are on it, the more time Twitter has to show them ads. The more ads they show, the more money they make. Promoting content on Twitter can help you rank higher in its algorithm.
Hashtags: Use relevant hashtags for the legal industry and any other demographics you search would like to engage with. But don’t just make up random hashtags: #FiveTipsForCarWreckVictims might seem relevant to your content, but it doesn’t help users see your tweet unless they are searching for that exact match (which they won’t be). Make sure to use popular hashtags to ensure users can easily find your content – for the example above, you could use #CarCrash, #Lawyer, and/or #Injury. Try using another free tool like Hashtagify to check your hashtag’s relevance and find more tags related to your tweets.
Chat On Twitter:Users engaging in chats are more inclined to like your content, retweet your posts, and/or reply to your tweets. Law firms should look for existing active Twitter users and start engaging. Reply to other chat participants and be sure to @ them in responses to get their attention.
BUT REALLY – TWITTER ENGAGEMENT FOR LAWYERS? WHY? IT ALSO HELPS WITH YOUR LAW FIRM SEO!
Search engines use social signals to rank your website. Likes, shares, and comments can affect SEO in big ways. If you want to learn more about how lawyers can use Twitter to raise their brand profiles and reach targeted audiences of users, contact us today.
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