Is Twitter still right for your business?

Last month, I shared the findings from the Edison Research and Triton Digital 2020 Infinite Dial study. Of all the numbers I referenced, the strongest reaction was reserved for Twitter’s current standing. It surprised many to learn that Twitter is now only sixth in terms of penetration rates among those 12 and older in the U.S., being used by only 21%.

This number was unexpected because Twitter has long been a staple of many social media strategies — and for good reason. However, as the audience has become more fragmented, and as other platforms have risen in prominence, it’s worth asking whether Twitter is still worthy of your time and resources. With that in mind, here’s a look at where Twitter still makes sense — and where it may not — for your business.

• If your company is especially large, Twitter is likely a no-brainer. Customers of big brands expect to find them on all the major social media platforms, so — with a few exceptions — it’s an error of omission if you don’t have a presence.
• If you are a business-to-consumer (B2C) entity and you’re committed to providing customer service via social media, Twitter makes a great deal of sense. The conversational nature of the platform is ideal for responding to customer inquiries, and Twitter has established itself as a go-to place for social customer service.
• If you host events and at least occasionally need to tap into the timeliness of Twitter, it can be useful for connecting with those audiences and building new interest. This is where hashtags come in, allowing the audience to follow along with relevant posts in real-time.
• Likewise, if you have frequent breaking news that’s of interest to your customers and prospects (not just interesting to you, that is), Twitter may be a good choice.
• Finally, if you meet one of the above conditions and you’re striving to reach a younger audience, Twitter may have a place in your social media strategy. While not as dramatically youth-skewing as Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, Twitter does have a considerably higher penetration rate among those 12-34 (29%) than it does for the 12-plus population at large.

So, when is Twitter perhaps not a good choice?

• If it’s primarily in your social media strategy because it’s been in your strategy, give Twitter more scrutiny. In the early days of social media, when there were only three other major platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube), Twitter was commonly thought of as compulsory. However, as new tools have emerged, companies have had to devote resources elsewhere. It’s now worth asking if Twitter continues to earn its place.
• Your primary motivation is that you enjoy spending time on Twitter. I’m not being facetious here. I know many smart, well-intentioned social media managers who overstate the importance of their favorite platforms. To avoid falling into this trap, get objective feedback and don’t work in a silo. Better to challenge your presumptions than to waste resources.
• You don’t know why you’re on Twitter. Again, no disrespect intended, but some social media managers have a hard time articulating what they’re trying to accomplish on Twitter (and other platforms, for that matter). Unless you know why you’re there, step back and give it a closer look.
• You want to reach younger users and there’s no other compelling reason to be on Twitter. As mentioned above, Twitter does fairly well with younger users. But there are better choices if your primary goal is to connect with millennials and Gen Z. Even TikTok, a relative newcomer, is approaching Twitter penetration rate with 12- to 34-year-olds (29 and 25%, respectively).
• You’re a Business-to-Business (B2B) entity. Twitter can be effective for business-to-business companies, but its strong suit is B2C. B2B companies should proceed with caution, especially if you’re not taking full advantage of LinkedIn, which is a B2B stalwart.

The bottom line is this: if you have a reason for being on Twitter, it reaches the right audience, and your Tweets generate engagement, Twitter is likely a good fit for your brand. But as the social media landscape evolves, your strategy should, too. There’s no shame in admitting something is no longer a good fit. The only shame, in fact, is staying there long after that’s the case.