Advertisment

How to master marketing on X

Advertising on X (formerly Twitter) can be a slippery slide for brands. So, how can marketers successfully navigate this volatile platform? Digital gurus share insights on the power of authenticity, timely engagement, and understanding X’s unique audience to create campaigns that truly resonate with them.

author-image
Sneha Medda
New Update
master marketing on x

A few days ago, I came across a tweet that read, ‘Delhi Metro needs to hesitate.’ It featured an Amazon MX Player billboard that said, ‘Book padhne ki acting kyu kar rahe ho?’ right behind a woman reading a book. At first glance, it seemed like one of those perfectly timed, right-place-right-time moments. But after scrolling a little more, I noticed similar ‘coincidental’ metro ads from Amazon MX Player popping up on my feed. Turns out, it wasn’t just luck, it was a cleverly orchestrated campaign.

Similar to this, earlier last month, during peak wedding season, Shaadi.com rolled out a similar audience-engaging campaign that yet again used humour to put their point across. 

These campaigns work well on X (formerly Twitter), where the audience loves wit, humour, and bold content. Unlike other platforms, X thrives on conversations, people here don’t just consume content, they actively engage with it, amplify it, and sometimes even co-create it. And that’s exactly what many brands now aim for in their marketing strategies.

Srishti Pandey, Creator & Founding Member of The New Thing, shares that most client briefs for X focus on amplifying existing assets—whether it’s a picture, a brand film, or a billboard. The idea is to take something that already exists and turn it into a conversation starter.

Vikas Chawla, Co-Founder of Social Beat, says brands usually come to them for campaigns that demand high engagement and topical relevance. “The briefs usually focus on moment marketing, brand recall, and audience sentiment mining, leveraging X’s fast-paced nature,” he explains. “Some brands look to capitalize on trending conversations, newsjacking, and influencer collaborations with Twitter personalities (‘twelebs’), while others focus on customer service and community building.”

Despite X’s evolving advertising policies and reports of a net 26% of marketers planning to reduce ad spend on the platform in 2025, the biggest pullback from any major global ad platform, brands that understand the audience’s pulse continue to find ways to stand out. So, what does it take to market effectively on X today? Let’s break it down.

Why X works

Marketing on X isn’t like marketing on Instagram, LinkedIn, or even Facebook. The platform’s real-time, text-first nature demands a different approach, one that prioritises being concise, witty and agile. Unlike other platforms that focus on long-term storytelling or polished visuals, X is all about instant engagement and tapping into cultural moments.

Abhishek Jain, Business Director India at VIRTUE Asia, says “X campaigns thrive on concise messaging and real-time interaction. Unlike other platforms where you might focus on building awareness over time, X demands a more immediate and continuous engagement with your audience. Think of it as a lively conversation where you need to be present and responsive.”

This makes X incredibly powerful for brands that can keep up with its pace. But it also comes with risks. “This public nature of X can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it fosters transparency and builds trust, giving your brand an aura of authenticity. On the other hand, any negative feedback is highly visible, so you need to be confident and prepared to address criticism openly,” Jain explains.

Social Beat’s Vikas Chawla echoes this, pointing out how different platforms demand different strengths, “X demands real-time engagement, wit, and brevity. Unlike Instagram, which thrives on aesthetics, or LinkedIn, which is professional, X content needs to be snackable, bold, and reactive, often capitalising on trending conversations.”

Srishti Pandey says, “Campaigns on X tend to focus on being timely and reactive, often tapping into trends or cultural moments. On X, a single viral tweet can define an entire campaign if it’s well-timed and relevant—timing and cultural resonance is everything on this platform.”

This is why some of the most memorable campaigns on X don’t just sell, they converse.

Take for example #NuggsforCarter. In 2017, a casual tweet from a teenager asking for free chicken nuggets turned into a global campaign. The campaign led to a 376% increase in online conversations about Wendy's and won multiple awards. 

Back home, in 2022, a similar viral moment unfolded when a Horseman was seen riding a horse with a Swiggy delivery bag, sparking immense conversation online. 

Pandey says, “These campaigns showed that relevance, humour, and timing are key to standing out on X,”

But does this engagement translate into business results? Not always. Chawla notes that while X is great for brand perception and thought leadership, it doesn’t necessarily drive conversions the way Meta or Google does. “X can be more effective for real-time engagement, brand perception, and thought leadership, but its conversion potential is lower than platforms like Meta and Google. Its strength lies in conversation-driven marketing rather than direct-response advertising,” he explains.

Understanding X’s audience 

Marketing on X isn’t just about being clever, it’s about knowing who you’re speaking to. Unlike other platforms that rely heavily on visuals or long-form storytelling, X works on real-time conversations and cultural commentary. This might make an ideal space for certain brands, but others may struggle to find their footing.

Abhishek Jain highlights why some brands find success on X while others hesitate. “X has a knack for attracting a community-driven audience, which is why it's been a popular platform for political advertisers. However, concerns about content moderation and brand safety have led some companies, like IBM, to pull back on their advertising in recent times.”

Recently, as reports suggest, X has witnessed an exodus of advertisers from the platform. This shift is largely due to uncertainties around content moderation, brand safety, and the evolving nature of the platform under Elon Musk’s leadership.

That said, X remains a powerful tool for brands that understand its audience. Jain notes, “Traditionally, X has been a strong platform for brands looking to engage with opinion leaders, tech enthusiasts, activists, and those passionate about social causes. Its real-time nature and focus on conversation make it ideal for reaching individuals who value immediate information and authentic engagement.”

Chawla explains how the platform’s audience makes it particularly important for specific industries. “The platform attracts a highly opinionated, tech-savvy, and culturally aware audience, making it ideal for brands in tech, entertainment, sports, and finance, as well as those aiming for urban, affluent consumers.”

But just because people see an ad on X doesn’t mean they’ll engage with it. Users here are quick to call out forced advertising, making ad format and how it is executed, important. Chawla explains what ad format works best on the platform, “Promoted Tweets, Trend Takeovers, and Conversation Cards work best, as they encourage engagement while blending seamlessly into users’ feeds without disrupting their experience.”

This audience-driven behaviour is why some of X’s most successful brand campaigns don’t feel like ads at all. Pandey notes, “Ads that feel native to the platform, are witty, conversational, and timely often get a positive response. If a campaign taps into a trend, cultural moment, or a shared emotion, users engage naturally, even amplifying it through retweets and comments.”

Essentially, marketing on X isn’t just about showing up, it’s about blending in. The brands that understand the platform's culture, listen to its audience and do not force fit, are the ones that win.  

Tips to nail marketing on X

Below are some tips that experts shared that can help brands and advertisers nail their marketing game on X. 

  • Stay relevant & timely: Engage with current trends and cultural moments to ensure content resonates with the audience.
  • Be authentic & human-like: Users appreciate brands that interact genuinely rather than sounding robotic or overly polished.
  • Leverage real-time trends: Participate in trending discussions to increase visibility and engagement.
  • Use interactive elements: Incorporate polls, Q&As, and other interactive features to boost engagement.
  • Monitor audience sentiment: Regularly assess how the audience reacts to content and adjust strategies accordingly.

X is a platform built on conversations, cultural moments, and bold ideas. It's a platform which offers brands a chance to connect authentically with their audience, shape their perception, and spark meaningful interactions. The key lies in truly understanding the platform’s audience and embracing its conversational, fast-paced nature. When brands get this right, they can create campaigns that genuinely connect with people and feel relevant to the moment.

twitter marketing strategy marketing on x campaigns on X cultural commentary. twelebs