What is the ideal frequency for posting to Twitter?  We did the experiment.

I came across an article on Socialbakers that suggested that posting to Twitter three times per day is the ideal frequency for brands. Intrigued by this statistic, I looked further and found that Buffer posts to Twitter 14 times per day.

At Fronetics we typically post content to Twitter an average of 40 times per day. That’s an average of 40 times per day for Fronetics, and an average of 40 times per day for each of our clients. That’s a lot of time on Twitter. Given this, the numbers given by Socialbakers and Buffer caught my attention. Could we reduce the frequency to which we post to Twitter and keep (or even increase) engagement and ROI? We decided to do the experiment.

The results

As shown in our social experiment infographic, when we reduced the number of times we post to Twitter from 40 times per day to 15 times per day, our engagement and ROI plummeted.

Not only did we realize close to a 50% decline in traffic to the website, we also realized a 33% decline in new contacts. That’s a 33% decline in our lead pipeline.

We also realized a decline in link clicks (58%), profile visits (61%), retweets (65%), and new followers (39%). In short, our engagement numbers took a dive – off a cliff.

So, how often should you tweet?

Although the numbers were abysmal, the experiment was a good one. It showed that, for Fronetics, posting to Twitter at a frequency of around 40 times per day is right for our company.

Does that mean the frequency is right for each of our clients?  No.  Does it mean that the frequency is right for your business?  No. What it means is that there is no magic number when it comes to the ideal frequency for posting to Twitter.

Your company, or your marketing partner, should conduct due diligence and determine what the right frequency is for your business.  Yes, you may realize a significant decline in engagement in ROI during your experiment. On the other hand, you may realize an increase in engagement and ROI — captured with lower output in terms of time and resources.

Do the experiment. I’d love to hear your results, and learn what frequency works for your business.

Not tracking your metrics on a monthly basis?  Start now.  Metrics enable you to measure success, drive strategy, and demonstrate the ROI of your marketing efforts.

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• The Best Time to Post on Social Media
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