Twitter Gives Advertisers Something to Talk About

Advertisers have a new way to drive conversations on Twitter thanks to Twitter's new ad format.

The format, dubbed conversational ads, make it easy for consumers to engage with and spread a brand's campaign message, while also providing advertisers with a powerful way to extend their presence across the social network. The format works by including call-to-action (CTA) buttons with customizable hashtags that encourage consumer engagement (see image).

When a CTA is tapped, the Tweet composer opens up with a pre-populated brand message that also includes the ad's creative and hashtag. The consumer can then personalize the Tweet and share it on Twitter. After a consumer engages with the ad, they are sent a thank you to the consumer for engaging with the brand's Tweet.

Lastly, it is important to note that the new Tweet appears to the consumer's followers in their timelines and includes the brand's original photo or video. Plus, each shared Tweet drives earned media for the brand at no extra cost, which drives the advertiser's return on investment (ROI).

"As one of the first global brands to use Twitter's new conversational ad unit, we're excited by the opportunity to initiate more meaningful conversation," said Mark Childs, CMO at Samsung Electronics Canada. "To stay ahead of the curve, it's important to continuously evolve our social media engagement strategies to help our fans get closer to the Samsung Canada brand."

Conversational ads are currently available in beta for select advertisers in all markets. Those who are interested in the new ad format should contact their account team to learn more.