10 reasons Microsoft are truly terrific on Twitter
Looking for a way to maintain your professionalism while humanising your brand? Microsoft have this balance down to a tee. Here’s your Twitter inspo fix from one of the top technology companies on the globe.
1. Simplicity That Shouts
Sometimes simplicity makes a much bigger impact than complexity, and Microsoft’s Twitter account is a prime example of this. Cast your eye upon the simple, yet extremely effective use of the banner image, including an incredibly artistic take on their globally recognisable logo. What does it tell you about their brand without them having to say a word?
Securing their name as the Twitter handle makes them easy to find and interact with, while a straight forward logo as the profile picture makes the viewer sure they’ve reached the right company. Setting up your profile for success starts with these simple areas, only to be expanded on as you extend your Twitter presence.
2. Punchy Bio
Microsoft’s bio paints a big picture vision, clearly stating their mission while giving the reader an excuse to explore further. Notice the key words that stand out: mission, empower, achieve. What does it say to the reader? They’re included, they’re welcome, and this is a positive space.
3. Links That Count
Included in the bio is a link to a service account. This is incredibly helpful as it points the viewer to a place where they can get help, without questions being aimed at the main account. This is a clever way to keep your main account clutter-free.
In the space to add a link, Microsoft have chosen to add a link to the news page of their website. This is interesting because it isn’t aiming viewers to the homepage; it is specific. Maybe this is something that would be beneficial to your business?
4. Pinned Tweet
The pinned tweet has a huge amount of detail without losing any of its bite. This is expertly crafted. Opening with a statement that showcases their values is a very strong start. But this tweet is actually an advert for an event, shared and pinned well in advance to get the exposure it needs. Adding a hashtag allows viewers to share their thoughts, while a link gets interested parties to the right place to join the event. These are all elements you can incorporate when you host your next event.
5. Regular Quality Content
Microsoft tweets several times a day, while retweets and threads take the number into double figures regularly. There’s so much content to get involved with. This is great because it gives viewers more to interact with, while different forms of content appeal to different people.
Would your tweet schedule look similar to the graph below or do you have long gaps between your tweets? How is this having an impact on the effectiveness of your brand?
6. Nods To Pop Culture
Whether it’s astrology or a film reference, embracing pop culture as a leg of your content strategy is a sure way to increase how relatable your business is. It humanises your brand while taking nothing away from your professionalism.
In the tweet below, Microsoft introduces meme culture to technology nostalgia, resulting in a brilliantly balanced sharable piece of content. They’re also not afraid to repeat content using different media too. This is a fantastic way to replicate marketing wins.
7. Mix Of Content
Sharing a good mix of content helps to keep your Twitter fresh. Include pictures, videos, links and text, alongside retweets and threads for a well-balanced, interesting Twitter feed.
8. Keeping It Real
Being able to connect with the viewer on a human level is a technique that will take your social media content strategy to the next level. The key is to keep it relevant to the industry field you are in, while relating to everyday actions that a significant amount of people do. Check out the below examples for inspiration.
9. Opportunities To Engage
Sometimes the best way to get viewers to engage is to simply ask them to engage. You can be creative about this, or straight forward. I particularly like this example which sparks intrigue and has a very cute payoff.
10. Adaptability To The Current Climate
Microsoft have taken recent times in their social media stride by leaning into the changes many people are experiencing with working from home. Reflecting this in their tweets makes Microsoft appeal to an audience on a level that is specific to the moment. The addition of nods to our furry friends just makes us appreciate these tweets more.
And one last thought…
Did you check if you were slouching? That’s how much of an impact you want to make with your brand… to get inside the minds and the space of the reader. It doesn’t have to be complicated to be brilliant.
If you’re ready to implement these techniques into your Twitter strategy, make sure you’re tracking your progress with Minter.io so that you know what is working for your brand. We have a free trial lined up for you, so you can make sure it’s the right toolkit for you.