Keeping Up with the Hashtags: Is Twitter Going Out of Style?

Ah, 2017. The year of Snapchat ads, Instagram Stories, and Facebook globalization. But what about Twitter?

Despite a drove of think-pieces about the social media platform’s impending doom, we’d like to respectfully disagree. Remember Ellen’s Oscar selfie? How about one man’s quest for one year of free chicken nuggets? This might jog your memory. 

Twitter isn’t just a source of iconic content. Companies are changing how they engage with the platform. If you think Twitter is going out of style, think again.

 

Why some claim Twitter is dying

Let’s dive into the stats. Twitter has over 317 million monthly users and over 500 million Tweets are published daily.

Of the 67 million users in the United States, over 36% of users are millennials. Some worry that Twitter won’t appeal to other demographics—especially considering all of the other social media platforms out there.

In 2016, Facebook has surpassed over 1.59 billion monthly active users, with Instagram taking second place with 400 million. Twitter finished in third with 320 million monthly users.

A string of executive departures, particularly Adam Messinger, Chief Technology Officer, and Adam Bain, Chief Operating Officer, also seemed to spell out doom for our 140-character, blue feathered friend.

People and businesses alike are assuming the worst, but Twitter’s not dead yet. While Twitter certainly has its issues, that doesn’t mean it’s a dying platform. (Just ask the Commander-in-Chief.)

 

How some brands are giving Twitter life

From a digital marketing perspective, companies often rely on Twitter for audience engagement, brand awareness, and sales strategy.

Here are two of our favorite Twitter personalities in 2017.

 

Wendy’s

Everyone’s favorite fast food chain with the sweet red-headed girl and the even sweeter Frosty has taken to Twitter with savage clap-backs and tons of shade.

The Wendy’s brand has become extremely tongue-in-cheek and sarcastic with their approach to customer service. It’s a refreshing break from the robotic “insert phone number here” PR cleanup formula.

Rather, the Wendy’s Twitter account has developed a strong, transparent, and sarcastic voice. This personality has driven huge amounts of audience engagement.

 

 

 

 

 

Better than expected is right. If you haven’t been keeping up with their tweets, check out this handy Buzzfeed listicle.

 

Gordon Ramsay

Scathing tweets aren’t reserved for fast food chains. Gordon Ramsay, celebrity chef and TV personality, has been roasting people on Twitter for their home cooking. “Brutally honest” doesn’t even cut it.

People tweet photos of their homemade masterpieces to Ramsay. He responds. They all typically go a little like this:

 

 

 

This trend may remind you of a super-harsh Home Ec teacher. Hopefully you learn a lesson from Ramsay, too. Tweets don’t have to be 100% professional, totally polished content. Of course, this depends on the brand. Even if your company won’t poke fun at its followers, you don’t have to write boring tweets.  

 

What does this mean for your business?

This take on “customer clap-backs” demonstrates how Twitter is still a viral community for users and companies alike.

Twitter’s not dying. Brands like Wendy’s are giving it a breath of fresh air—especially for company transparency.

Though sarcasm may not make sense for your company’s Twitter account, you should still take note. Take the time to develop the appropriate voice for your brand. It’s the first step to social media success.

 

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Need some more social media advice? Check out the 5 common social media mistakes most new businesses make.