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SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY
Twitter survey finds most brands are not differentiating themselves
By our News Team | 2022
Poor use of humour is a particular failing, as too many brands follow the herd and speak with a similar voice.
As a marketer, you likely feel that your brand is differentiating itself from competitors on Twitter. But it’s likely that you’re wrong.
A recent report released by the social media platform, entitled #RealTalk, finds that there is too little distinction and that brand humour, in particular, frequently feels outdated or inappropriate to the moment.
“Distinction is everything a brand needs to succeed on Twitter,” the study’s researchers advise. “Revisit what seems right for your brand, not just what topics are trending or what other people are jumping on.”
#RealTalk is said to be a first-of-its-kind perspective analysing 10 years of tweets from and about brands and new research — in partnership with researchers at Sparker and data scientists from Pulsar Consulting — that spans eight countries and surveys the evolving opinions people on Twitter have about brand behaviour.
Photo by Edar on Pixabay
Blind test of tweets showed surprising results
In a blind test of multiple tweets from prominent brands from around the world across similar industries, Twitter removed any identifiable branding such as names, logos, keywords and hashtags. It then asked people to guess which brand wrote the tweet. Only one in three could guess the correct brand from a list of five options.
Among findings flowing from this is that conformist social media behaviour upstages brand distinctiveness. Brands have converged around the same social media archetypes, and are even using the same number of unique keywords and characters.
It is therefore time for brands to become more distinctive and non-conformist, while also reviewing the way they use humour – and whether they use it at all.
Commenting on social and cultural issues is one possible new approach, with 56% of survey respondents saying brands could do so and 37% thinking they definitely should. However, when brands talk about sensitive topics, they need to do so meaningfully and with an authentic voice.
Twitter summed it up the advice to brands with a Shakespeare quote: “To thine own self be true.”
PRCA Africa NextGen announces Lerato Motloung as its new Chair
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Research gives a new perspective on evoking nostalgia in marketing
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LinkedIn moves to reduce the ‘AI slop’ filling the platform
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Angola’s ambitious 1,300km West-East highway project makes a start
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Scammers imitate brands nearly everyone recognises and uses daily
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MTN reclaims number one spot in Kantar’s SA brand valuation report
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Egypt eyes rest of Africa as it strengthens export logistics network
North African country partners with supply chain solutions company DP World to leverage its continent-wide port and logistics network.
