In the ever-evolving world of social media, Twitter (now rebranded as X) stands out as one of the most influential platforms for businesses, influencers, and content creators alike. With over 400 million active users as of 2025, X (formerly Twitter) remains a powerhouse for real-time communication, global conversations, and brand engagement. The platform is especially effective for fostering direct interactions with consumers, creating brand awareness, and driving website traffic. However, to truly harness the full potential of X and attract users, businesses and marketers need to approach the platform strategically, ensuring they align with both their target audience’s needs and the unique features of the platform itself.
This op-ed will dive into the various ways businesses can effectively use X to attract users, from optimizing content strategy to utilizing ads, hashtags, and community-building tactics. By the end of this piece, readers will have a comprehensive understanding of how to leverage X for user acquisition, engagement, and retention in the fast-paced digital age.
1. Understanding the Unique Nature of X (Twitter)
Before diving into specific strategies, it’s important to understand what sets X apart from other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. X is known for its fast-paced, real-time updates, concise messaging (with character limits), and a more conversational and news-centric tone. Here, information spreads quickly, and users are drawn to both the immediacy and brevity of communication.
The platform is a hub for trending topics, live updates, discussions, and more, with an emphasis on what’s happeningright now. Businesses can use this to their advantage by staying relevant and tapping into live conversations. The tone is often less polished than on Instagram or Facebook, and interactions tend to be more direct, which creates opportunities for genuine engagement.
Understanding these nuances is critical in shaping your approach to using X. The key to success is crafting messages that resonate with this real-time, fast-paced nature while also fitting into the platform’s conversational tone.
2. Optimizing Your Profile for User Attraction
Your X profile serves as the first impression users get of your brand. It’s your virtual storefront, so making it stand out is essential. An optimized profile creates credibility, instills trust, and invites users to follow you.
Here are some ways to enhance your profile to attract users:
- Profile Picture & Banner: Your profile picture should reflect your brand or business, whether that’s a logo or a product shot. Make sure it’s clear and professional. Similarly, the banner image provides more space to visually showcase your brand’s personality, campaigns, or products.
- Compelling Bio: X gives users a very short character count (160 characters) to describe who they are. Your bio should quickly summarize what your brand does, what value you provide, and why users should follow you. Use relevant keywords and hashtags in your bio to ensure you’re discoverable by your target audience.
- Pin a Key Tweet: Pinning a tweet at the top of your profile ensures that new visitors instantly see your most important message or offer. This could be a product launch, an upcoming event, or an important announcement that aligns with your marketing goals.
- Link to Website or Landing Page: The link in your profile should direct users to a landing page where they can learn more about your brand, shop, or engage with your offerings. Keep this link updated with any relevant campaigns or promotions.
3. Crafting Compelling Content that Resonates
Content is the cornerstone of any successful X strategy. However, the short character limits and constant influx of new tweets require brands to be creative, concise, and strategic with the content they post. To attract users effectively, consider the following content approaches:
- Leverage the Power of Visuals: While X is primarily text-based, it is still highly visual. Tweets that include images, GIFs, or videos tend to perform better than those without. Use high-quality visuals to make your tweets stand out in crowded timelines. For example, showcasing your products in action or creating behind-the-scenes content can provide followers with a sense of intimacy and authenticity.
- Focus on Engagement Over Promotion: The tone on X leans toward engagement rather than straightforward advertising. Users don’t want to be bombarded with promotional content. Instead, focus on creating content that encourages interactions—whether through witty commentary, questions, polls, or sharing relevant industry news. Engaging with your audience directly makes your brand feel more approachable.
- Use Humor and Personality: Unlike more polished platforms, X allows businesses to adopt a more relaxed and humorous tone. Don’t be afraid to show personality. The brands that do well on X are often those that blend their corporate message with humor, offering a human side that resonates with users.
- Share Timely, Relevant Content: X is all about what’s happening now. To attract users, stay current with trending topics, events, and news. Participating in trending hashtags or reacting to cultural moments in real time shows your brand is relevant and aware of what’s going on in the world.
- Tell a Story: X allows for long-form storytelling through threaded tweets. You can break down a larger story into a series of connected tweets, keeping your audience engaged and encouraging them to read until the end. This strategy is particularly effective when launching a new product or sharing a customer success story.
4. Using Hashtags Effectively
Hashtags are one of the best ways to increase the discoverability of your tweets on X. By using relevant and trending hashtags, you can extend the reach of your content and attract users who are interested in the topics you’re discussing.
Here’s how to maximize the effectiveness of hashtags:
- Research Trending Hashtags: Use the search feature on X to see what hashtags are currently trending and evaluate if your brand can tie into those conversations. Joining trending topics when they align with your brand allows you to tap into an existing audience.
- Create a Branded Hashtag: Branded hashtags allow your community to create a conversation around your products or initiatives. For example, brands often encourage users to share content using a specific hashtag to participate in a contest or to celebrate a milestone.
- Use Hashtags Sparingly: While hashtags are important, overloading your tweet with too many can be counterproductive. Stick to one or two hashtags that are directly relevant to your message and audience. This keeps your tweet clean and more likely to engage users.
5. Engaging with the X Community
Building relationships with users on X is key to growing your following and establishing a strong presence. X thrives on two-way communication, and brands that engage actively with their followers tend to attract more users in the long run.
Here’s how to foster meaningful engagement:
- Respond to Mentions and Comments: Don’t just post content and forget about it. Make sure to regularly check your mentions and reply to comments. Engaging with users who reach out shows that your brand cares about its audience and is active in maintaining conversations.
- Host Twitter Chats or Q&A Sessions: Hosting live Twitter chats or Q&A sessions allows users to interact with your brand in real time. This approach humanizes your brand and fosters stronger connections. It also attracts users who may not have been aware of your brand before, expanding your reach.
- Acknowledge and Share User-Generated Content: User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful way to build relationships with your followers and incentivize others to participate. Retweet user content that mentions your brand or products, and consider featuring it in your own tweets. This builds a sense of community and reinforces positive brand sentiment.
6. Running Paid Campaigns on X
While organic strategies are crucial, paid advertising on X can provide an extra boost to your user acquisition efforts. X’s ad platform allows businesses to target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors, making it a powerful tool for reaching new users.
Here’s how to effectively use X’s advertising features:
- Use Promoted Tweets: Promoted tweets are regular tweets that you pay to have shown to a wider audience. These ads are great for promoting specific products, special offers, or driving traffic to your website. Be sure to use compelling visuals and calls-to-action (CTAs) in your promoted tweets to capture attention.
- Target the Right Audience: X offers powerful targeting tools that allow you to reach specific user groups based on demographics, interests, keywords, and even location. Use these targeting options to ensure your paid content is reaching the right audience.
- A/B Test Your Ads: Just like with organic content, testing different versions of your paid campaigns can help you optimize performance. Test different headlines, images, and CTAs to see what works best with your audience and refine your approach over time.
- Utilize Twitter Analytics: X provides robust analytics that can help you measure the performance of your organic and paid campaigns. Track engagement rates, click-through rates, and follower growth to better understand what’s resonating with users.
7. Running Contests and Giveaways
People love free stuff. Running a contest or giveaway can generate a lot of buzz and attract new users to your X profile. Encourage users to participate by sharing the contest or tagging friends, helping you increase your reach and visibility.
Here’s how to make the most of a giveaway:
- Make the Contest Simple: Keep entry rules straightforward and easy to follow. For example, users might need to like and retweet your post, follow your account, or share their own photos with a branded hashtag.
- Offer Relevant Prizes: Ensure the prizes are something that your target audience will find valuable. If you’re a beauty brand, for example, a giveaway featuring your latest products is likely to attract the right kind of users.
- Promote the Giveaway: Use both organic and paid methods to promote your contest. Create multiple posts to announce the contest, and consider using promoted tweets or influencer partnerships to amplify your reach.
8. Monitoring and Refining Your Strategy
Lastly, attracting users on X isn’t a one-and-done effort. It requires constant monitoring and refinement. Use Twitter Analytics and other tools to track the performance of your posts, ads, and campaigns. Pay attention to what resonates with your audience, which tactics drive the most engagement, and which strategies need tweaking.
Adjust your content based on what works, experiment with new approaches, and keep testing until you find the formula that attracts the most users to your profile.
X offers a vast array of opportunities for businesses to connect with users, build a brand community, and increase visibility. By optimizing your profile, crafting compelling content, engaging with the community, utilizing hashtags, and leveraging paid campaigns, you can successfully attract users to your brand and foster long-term relationships.
Ultimately, the key to using X effectively is being authentic, staying consistent, and offering value to your audience. By aligning your content and engagement with the fast-paced, real-time nature of the platform, you can build an engaged following that not only attracts users but also turns them into loyal customers.