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A basic guide to Twitter ads – everything you need to know to get started!

27 January, 2015

why-is-twitter-s-logo-named-after-larry-bird--b8d70319daTwitter adverts are often something that are feared by many people, renowned for being complicated and difficult to run. They are also a relatively new feature for SMEs operating in the UK only becoming available at the end of 2013.  If you are a business owner using Twitter then adverts are most definitely an extremely effective way of engaging with new audiences and encouraging online interaction, all in just 140 characters. Not sure where to start with Twitter ads? Don’t worry, this blog will explain everything you need to know in order to get started, giving you step by step guides to setting up your first Twitter ads.

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Twitter adverts require a certain element of pre-thought before you begin. There are three key things that you must have before you can begin creating adverts for Twitter.

  1. The username and password of the account you will be using.
  2. An established and confirmed set of campaign goals.
  3. A detailed understanding of your target audience.

Before you begin it is often recommended that you have an agreed list of key interests and keywords that mirror your business and also your target audience. Another great way to prepare is to have a selection of tweets already written out as a test for your first campaign, this will ensure that you won’t run out of content.

There are two main types of adverts that you can employ on Twitter depending on what outcome you want to achieve.

  • Promoted accounts, these are great for those who want to grow their following.
  • Promoted tweets, these appear in the timeline of Twitter users that don’t already follow you, thus extending the reach of your tweets.

Once you feel you have carried out detailed target audience research and you have decided which adverts you want to use – it is then time to start assembling them. There are two ways to access Twitter adverts, through your Twitter account or through ads.twitter.com.

Promoted Accounts

twitter account

These are an excellent type of advert to use if you are aiming to increase followers. Follow these 7 easy steps to learn how to set up a promoted account advert.

  1. First you need to be logged in to Twitter. Then click on ‘Create Campaign’ and select ‘Promoted Accounts’.
  2. Give your campaign an easily identifiable and memorable name so you will be able to access it quickly.
  3. Then select the dates you wish your campaign to run – you can leave it continuous or you can specifically choose when you would like your campaign to start/end.
  4. This is where your research will come in; you need to specify exactly whom you want to target. You have the ability to select up to 100 handles per campaign and it is often recommended the best campaigns have a minimum of 10 handles.
  5. Then you can target audiences through their interests or passions. Twitter will provide you with a list that you can choose from. Again, this is where it is imperative that you have done substantial target market research to be able to effectively set up your campaign.
  6. Next, Twitter gives you the chance to select a location that you want to target. You can also input the gender that you want to target, limiting to either Males or Females if suitable.
  7. The last step is to set your campaign budget. You need to select a limit for the total budget of the campaign and then select a daily budget – Twitter will never exceed this amount per day. Then you need to enter your bid amount; this is your entry into the Twitter auction, again Twitter will never exceed this amount and usually the more you pay the more times your ad will be shown, thus the more effective your campaign will be!

So there you have it – 7 easy steps to set up a promoted account advert! Once you have set up your first campaign make sure you invest a substantial amount of time into analysing and monitoring it. This will provide you with a great learning opportunity and will allow you to see what is working and what could be altered for next time.

Promoted Tweets

twitter adsThese are just like normal everyday tweets however they are displayed in the timeline of users who don’t already follow you. You also have the ability to limit the campaign so that it isn’t shown to your existing users.

The two main ways to target your promoted tweets are:

  • Interest and @handle targeting = allows you to target users based on their interests or based on their @handle.
  • Keywords = allows you to select users based on their keyword engagement.

Follow these 7 easy steps to set up a promoted tweet based on interest and @handling.

  1. Just like before, make sure you are signed into Twitter and then opt to create a new campaign and select ‘Promoted Tweets’ campaign.
  2. Then, select a suitable name for the campaign, remember to make it relevant and memorable so you can easily locate it again.
  3. Next you must specify how long you want your campaign to run and when you want it to start.
  4. The next step is to specify whom you want to target, again this is where your audience research will play a very key role. You can begin to input some @handles for your campaign and select key interests for users to target. Ensure you pick interests that will be relevant to your target audience!
  5. Then, select the location that you are aiming to reach. You also have the ability to target users depending on the device they use to access Twitter. For example, mobile device, computer, iPhone or Android.
  6. You then need to select the tweets that you want to promote. You can do this with tweets that you have already sent or you can upload them. There is also the opportunity to upload images, it is often recommended that where suitable, images are used as it has been proven that tweets with images receive much more engagement then those that do not.
  7. Finally, you must again set your budget, daily budget and the total bid for each engagement.

keyword researchFollow these 7 steps to learn how to set up a promoted tweet campaign based on keywords. Remember, this allows you to target users based on their keyword engagement – many marketers choose to leave these campaigns always active so that they are able to continually monitor which users engage with their keywords.

  1. Again, just like the previous steps, you must name your campaign and set a date for your campaign to run. If you want to leave your campaign continuously running, make sure you select the ‘Always On’ option.
  2. Then, you must select the keywords of phrases that you want to target – don’t forget you can include hashtags!
  3. You must include as many keywords as you can that are relevant to your campaign, as with many of the other options, the more you can select, the better chance you have for engagement.
  4. Then you can also select which gender, if any, you would like to target.
  5. Next you must specify your location, this is important if your aim for your campaign is to improve engagement with one specific area.
  6. Then, Twitter will give you the opportunity to decide whether you want your tweets to appear on timelines of users or if you want it to appear when users search using the specific keyword. Don’t forget, if it is suitable you can select both.
  7. Finally you must set your budget – this will be the same as the previous campaigns, you will be required to choose a total budget, a daily budget and also a bid budget.

So there you have it – 7 easy steps on how to create the two main types of Twitter ads! As you can see, broken down into stages they are not as daunting as they first seem, are they? But remember, when creating your campaigns, you must carry out a substantial amount of research so you are aware of exactly who your target audience is. You must also ensure that your promoted tweets reflect the same Twitter personality as your everyday tweets – you don’t want it to sound like an advert as this may turn people off. Finally, be prepared to experiment and use trial and error to find a formula that works for you! After all practice makes perfect, right?

  • Dale says:

    I am unable to luanch my ad campaign you do not cover this problem.
    I just started registered my twitter account.
    I decided to market an ad campaign.

    I have done everything and the clicked launch; and It will not launch.
    because it says Correct problems above to launch this campaign. “No tweets selected”

    I have absolutely no way of accomplishing this. I have no way of getting off this page.
    I will have to save the ad. I do not know what it Is asking for. No selected tweets??
    What the heck dose that mean???? My ad Is on hold Indefinitely. please help.
    Thank you
    Dale.

    • Jonny Ross says:

      Hi Dale,

      Thanks for stopping by, depending on the ad campaign you set up on twitter you do need to select a tweet to promote, I guess this is the problem?

      Actually twitter advertising support is very good and I would suggest contacting twitter directly as they will happily help with this,

      Jonny

    • Cameron says:

      It is a confusing. Here is how I did it.
      Compose the tweet and add a card then click the “Tweet (Promoted Only)” button.
      Next, select from the “Select Tweets” column and chose the Tweet you just promoted.

    1. Dale says:

      I am unable to luanch my ad campaign you do not cover this problem.
      I just started registered my twitter account.
      I decided to market an ad campaign.

      I have done everything and the clicked launch; and It will not launch.
      because it says Correct problems above to launch this campaign. “No tweets selected”

      I have absolutely no way of accomplishing this. I have no way of getting off this page.
      I will have to save the ad. I do not know what it Is asking for. No selected tweets??
      What the heck dose that mean???? My ad Is on hold Indefinitely. please help.
      Thank you
      Dale.

      1. Jonny Ross says:

        Hi Dale,

        Thanks for stopping by, depending on the ad campaign you set up on twitter you do need to select a tweet to promote, I guess this is the problem?

        Actually twitter advertising support is very good and I would suggest contacting twitter directly as they will happily help with this,

        Jonny

      2. Cameron says:

        It is a confusing. Here is how I did it.
        Compose the tweet and add a card then click the “Tweet (Promoted Only)” button.
        Next, select from the “Select Tweets” column and chose the Tweet you just promoted.

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