Designers and art directors often talk about how imposing limits on their work sets their creativity free. Confining yourself to just a few colors, working in a smaller space, or simply restricting the amount of materials available can often help a creative type achieve results they hadn't thought possible before.
Twitter marketing is no different. With its tight 140-character limit, Twitter messaging provides a natural restriction that can seem stifling to some, but liberating to others. Marketers need to introduce their entire selling point in just 140 letters, numbers, or punctuation marks, and they must do so in a way that conveys their brand message in a fashion that corresponds to the campaign goal, whether that's a click, a retweet, or just to boost the brand in a consumer's eyes.
Even if 140 characters seems like a beautifully simplified approach to marketing, it's still a challenge, even for the experienced copywriter. With that in mind, here are five tips for killer ad copy -- within the confines of 140 characters.
Get to the point quick
When space is limited, you obviously need to get the message out of the way as fast as possible. That's the difference between a 30-second TV spot and an infomercial, and it's the same with a Twitter ad compared to a standard display or rich media unit.
This example from Vitaminwater puts it all out there fast. The brand is holding a contest, and this unit tells consumers that they can have their T-shirt design featured alongside world renowned designers.
Grab the consumer's attention
Getting a consumer's attention is marketing 101, but it's even more important when advertising in a social environment. Not only is space limited, but brands need to grab the attention while staying true to the platform's core purpose.
Twitter users access the service because they want information from trusted sources or updates from their friends. The best advertising needs to contribute to that experience. Here's a classic example from Starbucks, sponsoring the word search keyword "coffee." Buying one of Twitter's sponsored keywords obviously puts the brand in front of its target coffee consumers, but this message builds intrigue as well. What's the cupping room? What does a Starbucks taster do? If consumers are taking a break for their morning coffee, maybe they'll extend that break by exploring the Starbucks site.
