Going viral on Twitter, now X, that’s like hitting the jackpot. Seeing a thread take off, spreading all over the place, is what everyone running socials dreams about. But what makes these threads successful? It’s the intersection of a good format, but also a sprinkle of unpredictability, and a willingness and an ability to touch a shared nerve. It combines several aspects of marketing that are necessary for a company to be relevant.
Figuring Out the Elements
Planning interesting content that encourages folks to read is an important aspect. It’s not as easy as some people see it; putting out a really simple joke may spread, or one filled with sarcasm, but there’s no way to be certain something will spark like wildfire. It has been found that the ones that perform very well often give some solid insight on a very human-centric subject, or they include the person on the other end of the tweet. Marketing teams that produce this content benefit by making sure the customer on the other end sticks with the company in the long run.
Some of the threads that really “pop” deal with how to fix a customer service problem, but on a larger societal scale. Some talk about how a team member handled adversity in a company and got promoted for it. This is where it may be tempting to buy Twitter followers to increase the reach, but it is more ideal if it is organic instead of pushed. Sometimes, the best plan is to use the best method and get the most honest results.
Telling Effective Stories
Going through the ones that went viral, a common thing is using a story to connect with individuals. People enjoy a good story, one that evokes emotion. It’s a thing that connects a great many people. A really effective plan of action is talking about problems and stories from regular clients.
It may be something such as highlighting a good customer story that is relevant to every person on the planet. For instance, someone did a short thread about how they were stuck on the side of the road, and a driver from a rival group stopped to help them. Threads such as this make perfect use of a customer-centric story to showcase the good actions a company encourages.
Keeping It Relevant And Short
Reading through a ton of stuff folks tweet is something only a very small number enjoy. Making stuff short is a really, really good thing. Short tweets and really short threads that stick to the major point. This is especially the case if the thread is promoting some type of product or service in the works; getting to the important stuff faster ensures more individuals will read the entire tweet and all the relevant information. Also, this format works more efficiently with phone screens due to people utilizing social media mostly on these small screens.
There’s also the issue of “relevance.” Make sure the topic is something a lot of folks care about right now. Jumping on a trend that matches what a business is can really create a big jump in visibility. For companies, it creates a natural match!
Concluding Thoughts
Creating some form of really “good” Twitter thread that spreads does come down to some blend of good ideas, timing, storytelling, and even some luck. If it doesn’t create genuine reach, there are ways to improve visibility; the main angle is being “legit”, or honest when creating these forms of marketing.
