![\"\"](\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/twitter.png\")
There is nothing better than seeing a brand post in your feed that doesn\u2019t feel like it\u2019s trying to sell to you. One that is witty, timely, and topical. And conversely, there\u2019s nothing worse than one that tries to do all of that\u2026 and fails.<\/p>\n
The best place to observe this is Twitter. Since most people don\u2019t generally go straight to a brand\u2019s Twitter account to learn about their products or services, (a quick google search could yield those results much quicker and more directly) brands are left struggling to find their place on the social media platform. And consumers are left wondering why they should follow them.<\/p>\n
For it\u2019s 330 million active users, the biggest appeal of the site is a place to be entertained and express opinions. Brands that don\u2019t contribute to that conversation often fail to see the engagement they may hope for.<\/p>\n
When it works, though, it really works. Several companies immediately come to mind when I think about brand posts that have exploded. Wendy\u2019s, Netflix, even Merriam-Webster\u2026 they just seem to \u201cget\u201d Twitter. So, what\u2019s the difference between them and the millions of other companies trying to break through and connect with their audience?<\/p>\n
Their voice. Their spot on pop culture references, memes, and sometimes insults (everyone who uses Twitter remembers Wendy\u2019s rap battle feud with Wingstop) fit in seamlessly with the atmosphere of Twitter and their audience. They\u2019ve created an extension of their voice that feels cohesive to their brand, while also feeling unique to the platform. You don\u2019t see those Wendy\u2019s tweets on OOH billboards. It just wouldn\u2019t work. They\u2019ve proved that they understand what brings users to Twitter and have found a way to connect with them that feels organic, by posting things their audience WANTS to retweet and share with their own followers.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/twitter_IMAGE-1.png\")
<\/p>\n
And it hardly ever has to do with their products. If you go to the Twitter account of one of the above examples, you can probably do several scrolls down their feed without seeing a single tweet trying to convince users to follow the account, shop at their stores, or sign up for their services. As I\u2019m writing this, the last 20+ tweets on the Wendy\u2019s twitter are all burns on McDonalds, an advertisement for their Reddit AMA, and\u2026 more burns on McDonalds. People don\u2019t follow their Twitter account to learn about Wendy\u2019s, they follow to be entertained.<\/p>\n
Just like the iconic Arby\u2019s tweet of 2014, where the fast food chain tweeted at Pharrell during the Grammy\u2019s to make fun of his ridiculously oversized hat (and point out the uncanny resemblance to their logo), brands do best on Twitter when they comment on things AS they\u2019re happening, and when those things feel relevant to their brand. It would be totally different (and definitely not perform nearly as well as the 79K retweets and countless headlines Arby\u2019s tweet achieved) if, let\u2019s say, Starbucks had been the one to make the joke.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/twitter_IMAGE-2.png.png\")
<\/p>\n
So, with such great results, it seems like this is a smart strategy, right? With followers in the millions, and soaring engagement, every brand should follow the examples of Wendy\u2019s, Netflix, and the other big brands on Twitter\u2026 right?<\/p>\n
Wrong. As delightful and surprising as it is to find a brand that is effortlessly fitting in with internet culture and connecting directly with their audience, it is painfully obvious when a brand misses the mark. Many try and fail to emulate this strategy. Whether they don\u2019t get the joke quite right, it isn\u2019t timely enough, or it just feels forced\u2026 it can leave the audience feeling the opposite of connected.<\/p>\n
So, while blindly adopting this strategy to just any brand won\u2019t work, there are several lessons anyone can take from these examples. If you look at the success behind these accounts, it comes down to a few key things.<\/p>\n