Twitter’s users are active, engaged, and passionate about the brands and industries they love and care about. Because of this, communities form organically as people share thoughts about art, home goods, or their favorite drinks. It was only natural, then, that Twitter built and introduced the capital-C Communities feature—still in beta. So, what is Twitter Community? In a nutshell, Twitter Community provides a more closed space for people to discuss their interests with other like-minded users. If Twitter is the town square where anyone can weigh in about anything, Communities is the booth at the pub where similar-minded people can gather without too much extra noise.
How to Use Twitter Communities for Brand Growth
Communities provide a unique opportunity to proactively engage with the niche communities tailored to your brand. The idea is to integrate your brand on a human level with your most passionate, engaged fans, or future fans, who care about your brand and the industry you’re in. Marketers can converse with their ideal consumer profiles and put the brand on customers’ radars while further establishing and fleshing out their brand voice.
For instance, a home goods brand should be joining interior design-based Communities, in the same way, a CPG soda brand should be joining a favorite seltzer or soda community. If you think those are too niche, they barely scratch the surface. Your task is to find the Communities that fit your brand best and integrate with them to build relationships with the other members. Learning how to make a Twitter Community isn’t the goal you should be trying to achieve. It’s figuring out how to find the existing Twitter groups that best fit your brand. Those existing community groups provide the best opportunities for your Twitter marketing strategy.
What Are Twitter Communities and Who Are They For?
Sometimes you want to talk to everyone, and sometimes you only want to talk with your friends. That’s where Communities come in. As we discussed, Communities allow users to gather and discuss their most niche interests with other like-minded individuals. Tweets to Communities are still publicly available to be read or reported and must still adhere to Twitter’s rules and guidelines. Moderators can also set specific Community guidelines all members must follow, so that no one can say anything too offensive. Your brand will not be put in hot water if it accidentally joins a controversial Community.
Any account can join a Community, so long as the moderator approves the request. Let’s say someone likes movies and has talked about movies on Twitter with the moderator of a movie Community. They can request to join or be invited, and the Moderator in charge will decide whether they’re a fit.
How Do I Join a Twitter Community?
How to join a Twitter Community is still a bit unclear; you currently have to receive an invite to join any Community. Once the feature exits its beta stage, there will be three levels of security. Some will be set to “open,” so a user clicks the join button, reviews the rules, and starts participating. Moderators can also set communities to have invites or require approval when a user asks to join. Members can also leave at any time and use the original invite to rejoin. The moderators can also remove members for not adhering to the community guidelines. If, for instance, a rule is “no selling” don’t tweet about the sale your brand runs. In that instance, converse and talk with the community members to gain followers and brand trust. Once they follow the brand, your main feed will do the rest.
Finding the Right Twitter Community for Your Brand
In its beta stage, you must be invited to join a Community. But once the feature goes live to the broader world, Communities will be searchable for everyone. You can find where your customers are, and join the communities in which they participate.
For example, as a skincare marketer, you can find relevant Communities to share side-by-side results, tutorial images, videos, and tips with the communities your customers participate in and engage. As a media brand, you’ll be able to participate in conversations about the news and gossip surrounding your industry. Engagement on Twitter plays an important role for a brand, read our blog on why Twitter engagement is important for brands to learn more about this topic.
The Brand Benefits of Twitter Communities
Once you’re part of these communities and participate in them, your brand will (ideally) develop an almost parasocial relationship with the other members, who will know and trust your brand more. They see your brand as a friend and colleague rather than as a service or something material. When that bond is built, they’ll be more likely to convert as a customer. Dash Hudson’s Twitter Insights can help arm you with the data you need to create and maintain a successful Twitter strategy to keep those conversions coming.
Manage your Community with Dash Hudson
Dash Hudson can help your Twitter strategy — which in turn, could boost your chance of joining a Twitter community. Dash Hudson provides competitive insights so you can access fully customized reporting, including insight to what works well for your competitors, so you can hone your own Twitter strategy with what performs and doesn't in your industry.
FAQs
Why can't I create a Twitter Community?
It’s still in beta! Once the service rolls out wide, you’ll be able to build communities for your fans and join others.
How do you start a Community on Twitter?
Under the Communities tab that is not, as of yet, available to everyone.
Is Twitter Communities available for everyone?
Not yet! But it will be soon.
