There's no other social media platform like X, formerly Twitter.
It's gone through a name change, a logo transformation, and a near-total change in leadership. Verification, that much-desired little blue check, is different. Even what we call actions, tweets, now posts, have changed. But what hasn't changed is the platform's spirit. Now, effective X marketing requires more than just posts – it demands strategy.
Other social media platforms have tried to mimic its unique structure, but nothing quite hits the vibrant, chaotic, and raw vibe of X. While some may resist the change, X remains a vital pulse check on culture, a real-time customer service hub, and a launchpad for bold marketing campaigns. This guide will walk you through the must-know tactics to help you create a successful X marketing strategy.
What is X marketing?
X is really a unique social media platform. Where other social platforms focus primarily on visual content, X is text-forward. This design is sometimes known as microblogging, and it moves quickly. Trending topics come and go, and posts are nearly always designed to be conversation starters rather than traditional content. Many X users will expect updates in real time, multiple times a day.
Marketing on X requires a strong strategy. The platform moves 24/7, so companies need a solid content plan and a reliable way to make sure posts happen at any time around the clock. That hasn't changed since the platform's early days.
Today, content walks a fine line between curated, data-driven posts and the chance for companies to be more casual, witty, and boundary-pushing. But companies also need to account for the changes that have happened with the change of ownership.
When "Twitter" became X, the platform's features changed with it. There are paid, verified profiles now and a heavier emphasis on monetization tools for creators, from subscription-based content to exclusive features for paying followers. The timeline is driven more by algorithms than ever, prioritizing popular posts and paid promotions over chronological updates.
Direct messaging has expanded into a more central role, focusing on community-building and private conversations. Ads are smarter, video content is prioritized, and trends move faster than before. Brands must adapt quickly to stay visible and relevant.
Why is X marketing important?
X is expected to bring in nearly three billion advertising dollars in 2025, and there are around 429 million users on the platform worldwide. But driving traffic to a website or landing page isn't what makes X so important for brands. X can increase brand awareness, more so than many other social platforms. That makes it an essential part of a marketing strategy.
The conversational, casual nature of X provides companies with something even more valuable than quick conversions or link clicks. It gives a real-time, often unfiltered look at what customers want. Many brands are conducting market research and monitoring conversations about their business, competitors, and industry, all while drawing other users to their profile page.
Brands can also collaborate with influencers and thought leaders. They can take part in relevant communities and build trust by partnering with strong voices in the field. This kind of influencer marketing opens up a brand to a much wider audience who are ready for more personal interactions with brands they're interested in.
It's also a fantastic way to provide customer service. Customers spend 20% to 40% more with brands that respond to customer service requests on social media. X gives consumers a way to interact directly with their favorite brands in an omnichannel capacity, a business differentiator.
How to create an X marketing strategy?
Successful marketing strategies on X require companies to think about social media in an entirely different way. Other platforms focus more on curated content with high-quality visuals and quality more than quantity. On X, quantity is nearly everything. It's raw, unfiltered, and bold. It emphasizes wit and dialog, so companies really need to know their target audience to get the tone just right.
Know your audience
What specifically does your audience find witty? What are they interested in? What are they talking about? X is a platform that thrives on authenticity, but X users expect to talk about what they're interested in.
Data is your friend. Premium X accounts have access to detailed analytics, and third-party tools will provide customizable dashboards so you can dive deeper into your insights. These include engagement patterns, demographics, and social listening. Even better, when existing or potential customers have questions and concerns, you have an instant record of conversations that can help your brand refine products and services.
Know your competition
Your competitors on X are also busy starting their own conversations. You can look at what's happening on the X feeds of other brands to see how users are responding, both good and bad. It's also an opportunity to fill in gaps in the conversation when it comes to trending topics or industry talking points.
How do you effectively study your competitors? Follow these steps:
- Find out who your competitors are. In some cases, this may be very straightforward, but in other cases, you might need to dig deeper. Not all competitors will be direct; some may be indirect brands targeting a similar audience or offering alternative solutions. And be sure to consider both established and emerging brands.
- Track the right metrics. These include things like follower count, number and frequency of posts, and mentions. You can benchmark your own engagement and identify areas where you might need improvement (or are doing well).
- Study their audience. Is there a lot of overlap with yours, or is X an untapped market for you? You might find an audience segment you haven't fully engaged with, or one that's loyal to your brand and not your competition.
- Check their content and engagement method. This knowledge can tell you a lot about how a potential audience operates on the platform and what they prefer.
Perfect your profile and voice
The X feed may be unscripted, but your profile information shouldn't be. A well-crafted X bio with a high-quality profile picture will often be one of the first things your audience will see about you. Include your services to let users know what you do.
From there, your X voice will dictate the method and rhythm of your posts. That might be witty and joking or high authority, but your audience will recognize you as long as it's consistent. Additionally, if you have a team managing your social media accounts, a clear brand identity to guide content will help your brand avoid any jarring inconsistencies.
Understand the difference between B2C and B2B
Some platforms, like LinkedIn, cater almost exclusively to professionals and B2B communications. Others, like TikTok, have far less B2B presence aside from a few outliers. X straddles the line, attracting users from both worlds.
The X B2C voice
A lot of what we've talked about already is B2C. This is the raw, unfiltered side of X. Audiences move quickly, jump into and out of conversations, and repost content they find humorous and/or useful. Many of the metrics you'll follow for a B2C audience are focused on engagement.
The X B2B voice
With B2B, it's a little different. It isn't that your brand can't show personality here. It's that these are often leaders in their own industries. They're looking for thought leadership content, industry insights, and networking. Metrics will also center around engagement, but they might be more focused on how long someone interacts with an X thread, for example, or how many reposts you get with your latest thought leadership piece.
Set your goals
Success with digital marketing and social media hinges on having a clear and measurable goal for what you want to achieve. This helps you define what progress is and gives you a basis for each next step.
For example, a B2B tech company may have the goal of connecting with a certain number of CTO and C-suite level tech executives for companies in the manufacturing space. The tech company begins by posting three times a day: once with a thought leadership post that starts a conversation, one repost from someone in the manufacturing field, and one post with a link to an asset. They're able to measure which posts perform well and when, refine their strategy, and hit their business goals.
From there, the next step may be reaching out to those connections outside of X, or the company may decide to focus on a different but adjacent field like automotive. But that initial measurable goal gave them their platform to start building their brand recognition on the platform.
Tips for a smart X marketing strategy
These are our best tips for managing your strategy on the X platform.
Create engaging content
Engaging will mean different things to different audiences. Maybe your company is similar to our example B2B tech company above and wants to really focus on sharing thought leadership content. Maybe your company is more like Wendy's and wants to connect to customers through wittiness and humor.
Looking at the data will help you define exactly what engaging content looks like so you can create it again and again. And because X moves so quickly, you'll have many chances to get it right.
Ensure your profile looks good
Again, X might be casual, but your profile needs to be well-thought-out. Use a high-quality profile picture that includes a clear logo or other representation of your company. If you're on other social media platforms, it should match what you use on those platforms. That way, your audience can easily find you and follow you.
Banner images should match your brand or showcase your latest offerings, services, or news. This is really good real estate for sharing information with both existing and potential new followers. Additionally, a clear bio with a current link to your website at the very least is necessary, or even better, a link to the latest CTA or campaign.
Define your voice
Your brand voice on X makes you truly memorable. It's the defining feature of your entire X campaign. Getting very clear on what that voice should sound like helps keep your content consistent with what followers expect.
Are you playful and conversational, or insightful and straight-to-the-point? Do you take a strong thought leadership stand, or do you live for a good joke? These clear characteristics will be necessary as you publish.
Figure out the best time to post
Data is your friend. Start by analyzing when you're getting the most attention on your posts, and then do the same for your competitors. This gives you a starting point for when your audience is engaged on the platform and will have the best chance to see your content.
Timing can vary from company to company and industry to industry. Looking at your data over time will help you time your posts for the highest engagement. In general, the best times to post are between 9 am and 12 pm on weekdays, so this gives you a good place to start if you haven't previously been on X.
Additionally, we've found that in general, Wednesdays and sometimes Fridays see the most engagement on social media.
Identify your target audience and engage
Social media is social. That might seem like a silly statement, but it's important for companies to remember that posting content is just the first step. Especially on a platform like X, you also need to stick around for conversations (or try to start them yourself).
Your audience wants to carry on the conversation. They may also want to reach out through messages to resolve questions or concerns. When people share your content, it can be nice to go back and like their repost, giving them a boost of engagement on their own threads. All of this encourages a deeper sense of community and helps encourage people to check your feed often for new updates.
There are hundreds of millions of X users, but not all of them will be interested in your particular brand. You need to define your target audience and create content that specifically appeals to them. This helps improve your follower account and engagement as well.
Create a strategy that integrates both paid and organic efforts
A well-balanced mix of organic content and paid advertising is critical to finding your marketing stride on X. Start with a consistent flow of organic posts to build trust and engage your audience. This should be content that feels authentic and reflects your brand's personality. Let these posts be your guinea pigs and track which ones resonate the most with your audience.
Then, you can use that as a stepping stone for ad campaigns. Shift high-performing posts into targeted ads to reach a broader audience without losing your authenticity.
Combining organic posts with paid ads makes your brand accessible and far-reaching, amplifying your presence on the platform without over-relying on one approach.
X management with Brandwatch
Brandwatch offers smart tools you can integrate with your X profile to go beyond basic analytics. You can track brand mentions, monitor sentiment, and spot trends before they take off, keeping your brand nimble and relevant. Our audience insights let you fine-tune your messaging, so you can schedule effective and engaging posts your audience will pay attention to.
For brands serious about optimizing their marketing strategies, Brandwatch enables seamless tracking of both organic and paid performance, helping to refine your approach based on real data so your X strategy isn't just consistent but powerful.
Frequently asked questions
How do I start with X marketing?
Start by defining clear marketing goals – growing your audience, driving sales, boosting engagement, or something else. Optimize your profile to reflect your brand, including a high-quality profile photo, and use a content strategy that mixes value, personality, and relevance. Pay attention to the platform's latest trends, including trending hashtags, and consider X ads to boost engagement.
How often should I post on X to optimize engagement?
Posting more often is an important strategy for X. In general, aim for one to three posts daily, but make sure you aren't just posting to post. Quality is also key. Experiment with times when your audience is active, and watch for patterns. Then, use a content calendar and post consistently to keep your brand top of mind without overwhelming followers.
What type of content works best on X?
X moves a lot faster than other social media platforms. Engaging and interactive content works best, but the most important is timely content. Think polls, GIFs, and visuals that spark conversation. Content that's human and relevant to trends has the best chance of grabbing attention and hopefully attracting more followers.
How do I measure the success of my X marketing?
Look beyond likes to measure the real success of your marketing efforts. Track engagement rates, clicks, and impressions. Note any follower growth or loss. Use X Analytics to spot trends in what works and align your results with your original goals to stay on track. Also, look at how your business goals have moved forward as a result of your marketing strategy.
What are the common mistakes to avoid in X marketing?
X marketing needs to feel authentic. You might be able to post multiple times a day, but if it's all about you, your audience will stop paying attention.
Additionally, posting a lot one day and then nothing for a few weeks can ruin the flow of conversations. Your audience will likely forget you.
Finally, and most importantly, not interacting with your audience, both on your threads and their profiles, will slow your engagement and likely turn potential followers away.
