Brands that live tweet during big TV events enjoy higher consumer engagement. And, in order to fully capitalize upon the opportunity, experts say brands should, in part, plan ahead, enhance the content and review their efforts afterward.
With distracted viewing on the rise, live TV events with large audiences present an opportunity for brands to capitalize upon hashtags, nab consumer eyeballs and connect with potential customers as they check their Twitter feeds on various devices during programming.
In fact, Ad Age compiled a list of brands that participated in NBC’s live Peter Pan broadcast and found brands as diverse as DiGiorno Pizza, Charmin, Ritz, Sutter Home Wines and Walmart chimed in.
And there’s good reason.
According to Twitter, live tweeting increases follower growth and retweets. To wit: among MLB teams, Twitter says its research has shown live-tweeting boosts follower growth 1.6 times and retweets 1.9 times.
So what do brands need to know about live tweeting before the next big TV event? Here’s what the experts say:
1. Pre-Promote
Twitter recommends spreading the word in the days leading up to an event to ensure the biggest possible audience.
In addition to benefiting from promotion, Kristin Kovner, president of K‑Squared Strategies, said it will also otherwise be strange for consumers to see a sudden influx of tweets from a given brand.
“Give users the heads up so that they can choose to follow along with you — and your hashtag — or come back later. It will also help make sense of your feed, for users who scroll through at a later time,” Kovner said.
2. Enrich The Conversation
“Brands should concentrate on enhancing the event by adding something useful to the online conversation, be it humor or helpful information,” said Tessa Wegert, communications director at digital marketing agency Enlighten. “Marketers should always ask themselves if what they’re tweeting is on-brand to avoid getting caught up in the excitement of the moment.”
Kovner agrees brands shouldn’t just tweet what happened, but add their own gloss and brand voice.
“Pull the most salient quotes, stats, or sound bytes from any event,” Kovener said. “Add your opinion on what’s transpiring.”
3. Do A Little Heavy-Lifting Ahead Of Time
Depending on the nature of the event, Wegert says crafting some brand-approved tweets in advance is one way to alleviate pressure and save time during a live TV event.
4. Include Pictures, Videos Where Possible
Twitter also notes that pictures and videos add color and texture. In addition, tweets with media typically get more retweets and favorites.
5. Reward Consumer Participation
This can include a brand referencing users who are following along and chiming into the conversation in tweets, as well as responding to comments and questions, Kovner said.
6. Tweet When The Spirit Moves You
There’s no set formula for how many tweets to send while live-tweeting, Twitter says. In other words, when a brand feels moved to tweet, it should go for it.
7. Remember That Any Event Is Game
Any event that stirs up anticipation is a prime candidate for live-tweeting, especially events with multiple moments of suspense — speeches, awards ceremonies, sporting events, or hot TV shows, Kovner added.
8. Analyze Results After The Event
For live in-person events, Hubspot recommends making sure to analyze which tweets got the most favorites and retweets after the event so the brand can improve next time around.