Threadless tweets into action

Chicago -- Omnichannel specialty apparel retailer Threadless takes an active approach to Twitter marketing that has resulted in significant lifts in site traffic and customer engagement. At the recent Internet Retailer conference in Chicago, representatives from Threadless and Twitter discussed how retailers can get more from their Twitter campaigns.



“Every tweet was a call to action,” said Threadless Marketing Director Todd Lido. “We were seeing growth but it felt like the strategy was getting stale.”



To breathe some fresh air into its Twitter marketing efforts, Threadless, which operates a single store in Chicago as well as Internet and mobile commerce channels, started using more imagery as well as short videos created with the Vine mobile service and produced a 40% lift in site traffic. Lido said the fact the retailer carefully planned this strategy before implementing it was a key factor in its success.



“It’s pretty important you plan your Twitter content,” he stated. “Lay out tentpoles, milestones like store openings and product launches, and prepare tweets around them.”



Lido also suggested retailers offer customers a look behind the scenes using Twitter images and videos.



“Companies can come off as monolithic to consumers,” he said. “They appreciate knowing who’s behind the curtain.”



Lido gave a real-life example of a recent Twitter campaign Threadless ran that tied into the release of the superhero blockbuster “Iron Man 3.”



“We ran a design challenge related to the ‘Iron Man 3’ launch in mid-April, before the movie came out,” said Lido. “We targeted those who were tweeting about the movie.”



Results of this highly targeted campaign included a 2% engagement rate, compared with the .07% average engagement rate of Twitter promotions, and a sales lift that was 27 times normal volume.



Russ Laraway, director of SMB sales for Twitter, added some more insight into how retailers can attract more attention with Twitter campaigns.



“First get the content down, then add voice, then hit tweet,” Laraway advised.