X Guidance and Best Practices

Based on data around Bayer’s top performing content on X, as well as industry trends, there are a few best practices to aim to follow on this channel:

• Prioritize X for sharing company news and results- quick and timely updates– appealing to external audiences with short, direct copy and headlines.

• Emphasize Bayer's leadership and commitment to sustainability, targeting topics that resonate with key audiences 

• Publish quick, engaging content promoting events that Bayer will be present at; appealing to external audiences and participants while also positioning Bayer as a thought leader

• Prioritize creating and publishing formats that consistently perform well including animated and short form video content, and imagery that includes bold, brand colors

Additional Engagement Tactics:

1. Optimize Your Videos

Following the lead of other video-first platforms, X is introducing new capabilities for marketers, such as vertical video ads and a TV app for videos. Bayer can capitalize on this shift by:

Creating Vertical Video Ads:

Develop short-form, vertical video ads that showcase Bayer’s latest initiatives. These ads should be optimized for mobile viewing, capturing the audience's attention quickly and effectively.

Share Long-Form Content:

Utilize the TV app to share high-quality video content, such as documentaries, interviews, and webinars. This content can be accessed across multiple devices, allowing Bayer to reach a broader audience with in-depth, engaging stories that align with their mission and values.

Repurpose Existing Content:

Leverage already-existing video content by updating and republishing it. This strategy extends the reach and impact of Bayer's content, minimizing the need for constant creation of new material. By refreshing and reformatting existing videos, Bayer can maintain a consistent and impactful presence without overextending resources.

2. Adapt to Platform Changes

X’s algorithm now, more than ever, prioritizes engagement focused content and is making attempts to boost visibility of important and longer-form posts, hoping to keep users engaged on platform. Bayer can adjust to this by:

Creating More Engaging Graphics:

The social scroll is infinite, but if Bayer can develop content that leverages bold colors and enticing language, we can encourage users to stop and engage.

Maximizing Pinned Posts:

Regularly update pinned posts with critical updates, campaigns, and important
messages to ensure maximum visibility and engagement.

Leveraging Long-Form Content

Utilize the newly introduced long-form articles to provide in-depth insights and thought
leadership content. Develop comprehensive articles that highlight Bayer’s innovations, research, and impact in health and nutrition, catering to industry professionals and researchers.

3. Test & Optimize Engagement Features

With the platform’s focus on engagement and retaining users, Bayer has the opportunity to test various engagement tactics to learn what resonates best with our audience. Bayer can achieve this by:

Focus on Audience Interaction

Create content that actively encourages audience interaction, such as asking questions and developing polls. Additionally, strategically leverage trending hashtags or keywords to boost visibility and encourage user engagement by tapping into relevant and exciting topics.

Test New Formats

Host Spaces for live discussions with experts, providing a platform for real-time engagement. Additionally, offer exclusive content through X Premium to keep users engaged and informed with unique, high-value content.

Leverage SEO

Continue implementing relevant keywords in post copy to ensure the content reaches the right audience. While the platform embraces a diverse content set, focusing on targeted keywords will help connect with those most interested in Bayer’s offerings.

Channel Features 

In 2024, the X (formerly Twitter) platform has undergone several significant updates to enhance its user experience & engagement capabilities. We’ve been tracking these in our these in our 2024 Channel Features Updates. These key changes include:

Vertical Video Ads:
X launched vertical video ads that appear within a dedicated video feed. These ads are activated when users tap on a specific video clip in-stream, creating an immersive and engaging ad experience.

YouTube-Like TV App:

X is launching a TV app with a YouTube-like interface, supporting cross-device viewing and enhanced video search, aligning with its "video-first" strategy.

Long-Form Articles:

X has introduced long-form articles, enabling premium users to create and share in-depth content beyond the traditional 280-character limit. These articles are marked with a unique icon and layout to distinguish them from standard tweets.

Pinned Posts for All Followers:

X now boosts pinned posts to all followers every 48 hours, ensuring important messages reach a wider audience.

Removal of Reply, Like, and Re-share Buttons:

To streamline the feed and enhance user experience, X has removed reply, like, and re-share buttons from the in-feed display, showing only the total view count and posting time.

Creator Targeting Ad Options:

X has introduced a "Creator Targeting" ad options, allowing advertisers to sponsor content from selected creators. This means giving advertisers more control to be able to use the self-serve X Ads Manager to run ads against the content of their chosen creator(s.) This strategy has been successfully piloted with notable creators like YouTube star MrBeast. See more here and here

Subscription Model Changes: 

The platform's subscription model has undergone various changes since Musk took over, including the introduction of a $3 subscription for a blue checkmark and potential new subscription tiers. The Premium tier costs $8 per month or $84 annually, while Premium+ costs $16 per month or $168 annually (Beebom) (SlashGear).

Increasing Character Count for Premium Users:

Premium users can post 4,000 characters per tweet. All others are still limited to 280 characters limit per tweet. Each special character and emoji count as 2 characters.