How to use conversation settings on Twitter
3 min Best Practice
3 min Best Practice
Twitter’s conversation control settings are getting a lot of buzz, and rightfully so; they’re a game changer in that they have the potential to decrease abuse and increase the number of meaningful conversations.
We’ve seen a variety of creative use cases and, as usual, we’re learning about how to get the most out of the feature from people like you. Some of the most effective ways we’ve seen the settings used focus on both repackaging and new forms of content, as well as piquing followers’ interest with simple adjustments to current social strategy.
Keep reading for six ways to help you turn conversation control settings into a content creation and audience engagement tool.
For the first time ever on Twitter, you can hold a private conversation in public, enabling the high visibility without the constant stream of interruptions. Consider hosting a virtual panel, conducting a Q&A-style interview, or toggling back and forth between both depending on the conversation at hand.
Today we're talking to @MindaHarts, author of 'The Memo', and we couldn't be more excited.
— Twitter Women (@TwitterWomen) August 13, 2020
Minda, are you down for answering a few questions from us, plus @Blackbirds, @TwitterAsians, @TwitterAlas and @TwitterTogether?
u up? @NASA
— Twitter (@Twitter) May 20, 2020
To help your conversation run smoothly, plan ahead. When thinking about how to use these new settings, or when pitching the idea to a fellow brand, organization, or individual you want to join you, draft out a rough structure in a spreadsheet or document. This advance planning can help to visualize how you want the conversation to go, and iron out any kinks before both parties jump into the conversation.
If you work for a larger organization, you can benefit from the power of the parent handle or whichever account has the most followers in order to help your conversation gain traction. This approach is a great way to mix up the handles of individuals with the handles of publishers, cross promoting to different audiences with shared interests.
Hiiii everyone, it's Teen Vogue's culture director @danikwateng here! I'll be chatting with the AMAZING @snohaalegra in this thread 👇🏿👇🏿about new music, how she's been spending 2020, and more. pic.twitter.com/1FUfh82bzx
— Teen Vogue (@TeenVogue) July 29, 2020
Saved you a seat, @Twitter. #CountdownToMars pic.twitter.com/lpPakLTRsm
— NASA (@NASA) July 30, 2020
Speaking of mixing it up, make sure to utilize the full power of the Tweet compose when using conversation control settings. Ask and answer questions with videos, GIFs, text, photos, polls — whatever seems relevant in the moment.
Creating a simple graphic to announce a conversation is an easy way to formalize content in a unique way, capture attention fast, and let audiences know what they’re about to see before they start scrolling.
⁉️ Tomorrow at 2pm ET — Axios subject-matter experts will answer your coronavirus questions through a Twitter Q&A. Send in your questions using #AskAxios and follow along live Wednesday afternoon! pic.twitter.com/O7SpgpIUkd
— Axios (@axios) April 28, 2020
If it's Thursday, it's #TweetThePress!
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) August 20, 2020
Check out our conversation with @alivitali about what covering this very unusual DNC has been like, and the historic nature of Kamala Harris' vice presidential candidacy.https://t.co/b9VHkbkD5m
Moments have long been a great way to recap “best of” or “only on Twitter” content, as well as give content a longer shelf life. Creating a Moment from Tweets that used the new control settings allows for a natural back and forth, and an easy narrative for audiences to follow.
Finally, don’t be afraid to have a little fun with your fans. After all, a little teasing never hurt anyone, and using the settings in this way demonstrates that you’re not above poking fun at your peers, or your community.
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