How to Run Twitter Ads

How to Run Twitter Ads – this phrase likely conjures up images of promoted tweets, trending hashtags, and all the marketing potential of Twitter (now rebranded as “X”). If you’re new to paid social media, don’t worry. In this casual yet informative guide, we’ll break down how to run Twitter ads step by step so even beginners can follow along. Whether you’re an e-commerce entrepreneur, Amazon seller, content creator, or a brand working with micro influencers on an influencer marketing campaign, Twitter ads (X ads) can help you amplify your message. We’ll cover why Twitter ads are worth it, the types of ads available, how to set up your first campaign, and tips to get the best results (including using UGC and influencer content). By the end, you’ll have a solid grasp of how to run Twitter ads effectively to boost your brand’s reach and sales.

Why Run Twitter Ads?

Before diving into how to run Twitter ads, let’s talk about why you should consider advertising on Twitter/X in the first place. Twitter remains a powerhouse of real-time conversation and niche communities. Here are some top benefits of running ads on Twitter:

• • Vast & Engaged Audience: Twitter has a massive user base with hundreds of millions of active users. Recent stats show that Twitter ads can reach up to 586 million highly engaged users who open the app an average of 16 times per day. That means potential customers are constantly scrolling through content – an opportunity for your brand to appear in their feeds. With so many users (including micro-influencers, industry experts, and everyday consumers) active daily, a well-placed ad can gain significant exposure.

     

  • Precise Targeting Capabilities: Twitter’s ad platform offers robust targeting options to get your content in front of the right people. You can start with basic demographics (location, age, gender, language, device) and then layer on advanced targeting to refine who sees your ads. For example, you can target people by their interests, specific keywords they’ve tweeted, or even by accounts they follow that are similar to yours. This means an e-commerce brand selling fitness gear could target users who tweet about workouts or follow fitness influencers. You can even upload custom audience lists (e.g. your customer emails) to retarget or exclude certain users. These fine-grained targeting tools ensure your Twitter ads reach a relevant audience, which is especially useful for niche brands and Amazon sellers looking to find their ideal customers.

     

  • Objective-Based Campaigns = Cost Efficiency: One big advantage of learning how to run Twitter ads is Twitter’s objective-based ad campaigns. When you create a campaign, you choose a goal (like website visits, app installs, tweet engagement, followers, etc.), and Twitter will only charge you for the actions that align with that objective. In other words, your budget goes toward your specific goals – you pay for results, not random impressions. For example, if your objective is to gain followers, you’ll pay per follower gained; if it’s website traffic, you’ll pay per click. This model helps maximize ROI because every dollar is focused on what matters most to you. Additionally, Twitter uses a second-price auction system, meaning you typically pay just one cent more than the next highest bidder for ad placements. All of this makes Twitter advertising flexible and budget-friendly, even for small businesses.

     

  • High User Engagement: Twitter’s fast-paced feed means users are actively engaging with content – and that includes ads. In fact, Twitter has seen a rise in ad engagement, with one report showing a 7% year-over-year increase in Twitter ad engagement in Q2 2022. Users often like, retweet, comment on, and click promoted tweets if they find them relevant or interesting. This is great news if you’re running ads: an engaging ad can spark conversation or virality. Tweets are also shareable beyond the platform (people can take screenshots or link to them), potentially expanding your reach. The bottom line is that well-crafted Twitter ads have the potential to drive tons of engagement and even go viral, amplifying your message beyond what you paid for.

In summary, Twitter ads allow you to reach a large, active audience with precision targeting and cost-efficient, goal-focused spending. For brands leveraging influencer marketing or working with micro influencers, Twitter ads can supplement your organic efforts – ensuring that the great content from your influencers or your own profile is seen by more people, faster. Now that you know why advertising on Twitter is worth considering, let’s look at the types of ads you can run.

Types of Twitter Ads

When learning how to run Twitter ads, it’s important to understand the different ad formats available. Twitter (X) offers several ad types, each suited to different goals. Here’s an overview of the main Twitter ad formats and what they do:

• • Promoted Ads (Promoted Tweets): These are regular Twitter posts (text, image, or video) that you pay to show to a broader audience. They look almost like normal tweets but have a small “Promoted” label. Promoted Ads are great for boosting a specific tweet’s visibility beyond your followers. You can use various media in these ads – single images, videos, carousels, or even a collection of images. The key benefit is reach: Twitter will insert your promoted tweet into the feeds of users who don’t follow you yet, helping you attract new eyeballs and engagement.

     

  • Follower Ads (Promoted Accounts): If your goal is to build a bigger following, Follower Ads can help. This format promotes your entire Twitter account to users who might be interested in your brand. Your account may appear in the “Who to follow” suggestions with a Promoted tag. For example, an Amazon seller or startup brand could use Follower Ads to gain followers and build an audience on Twitter. You’ll typically pay per follow gained. It’s an effective way to quickly grow a follower base of people likely to be interested in your content or products.

     

  • Twitter Amplify (Video Sponsorships): Amplify is a video-centric ad program that lets brands pair their ads with premium video content from publishers. There are two ways to use Amplify: Pre-Roll Ads, where your short video ad plays before videos from certain categories (sports, news, entertainment, etc.), or Amplify Sponsorships, which are one-on-one partnerships with a specific publisher to include your brand in their video content. Amplify is great for aligning with professional, brand-safe content and reaching audiences watching those videos. For example, a tech brand might run a pre-roll ad on tech news clips. (Note: Sponsorships are usually managed with Twitter’s team and may not be available in self-serve ad accounts.)

     

  • Twitter Takeover (Trend & Timeline Takeovers): If you’ve got a big budget and want massive exposure, Takeover ads put your brand front and center. There are two main takeover options: Timeline Takeover, which guarantees the first ad spot a user sees when they log in for the day, and Trend Takeover, which puts a promoted trend (and associated ad) at the top of the Trending section on the Explore tab. These are premium ads used for major product launches, events, or brand awareness blitzes. Keep in mind they’re very expensive – for instance, a 24-hour Trend Takeover can cost around $200,000 per day. Takeovers are best suited for large brands or campaigns that need to make a huge splash (think Super Bowl ads of Twitter).

     

  • Dynamic Product Ads (DPA): Perfect for e-commerce marketers, Dynamic Product Ads allow you to automatically promote relevant products from your catalog to users on Twitter. They use retargeting and behavioral data so that people see products they’ve shown interest in. For example, if someone viewed a product on your website, a DPA can later show them a Promoted Tweet featuring that exact product with an image, price, and call-to-action. There are two types: DPA Prospecting (to reach new customers with relevant product ads) and DPA Retargeting (to re-engage people who visited or interacted with your product pages). This format is great for Amazon Marketplace sellers or any online retailers, because it automates the ad personalization – delivering the right product to the right person to drive conversions.

     

  • Collection Ads: This ad format lets you showcase a collection of products in a single ad unit. A Collection Ad features a large hero image or video on top and a few smaller thumbnail images underneath (think of it like a mini product catalog in a tweet). When someone clicks a thumbnail, they can see more details. Collection Ads are ideal for highlighting a line of products or a new seasonal collection. For instance, a fashion e-commerce brand could display a hero video plus thumbnails of various clothing items. It’s a visually engaging way to get users browsing multiple offerings. Like DPA, this is very useful for brands with multiple products (including Amazon sellers looking to promote several listings at once).

These are the primary ad types most advertisers use on Twitter. There are also App Install Ads (a form of Promoted Ad optimized for driving mobile app downloads) and Lead Gen Cards (Twitter’s older lead generation format), but those are less common nowadays. The six formats above cover the core of Twitter advertising. Now that you know the options, you can choose the format that best matches your campaign goals.

How Much Do Twitter Ads Cost?

One of the first questions beginners have about how to run Twitter ads is the cost. The good news is that Twitter ads can fit almost any budget. There’s no fixed price to run an ad – you set your own budget and bids. You could spend $5 a day or thousands; it’s up to you. Twitter ads run on a bidding system (auction), and as mentioned, you only pay for results aligned with your objective. Here are a few key points on Twitter advertising costs:

• • Pay-Per-Action: Twitter charges on a per-action or per-impression basis depending on campaign type. For example, in a Website Click campaign you pay per click, in a Followers campaign you pay per follow, in a Reach campaign you pay per 1,000 impressions, etc. Typical costs per action can range from around $0.25 – $0.50 per engagement/click and about $1 – $2 per new follower on average. These are average figures; the actual price can be lower or higher based on targeting, competition, and ad quality.

     

  • Budget Flexibility: You control how much you spend by setting daily and/or total campaign budgets. Twitter will not exceed the budget you set. Even with a small daily budget (say $10), you can run ads and get results. Many small businesses spend only a few hundred dollars a month on Twitter ads and still see impact. In fact, more than half of marketers spend less than $500 per month on Twitter advertising. So don’t worry that you need a giant budget – you can start small and scale up if it’s working.

     

  • Factors Affecting Cost: The exact cost of your Twitter ads will depend on factors like your target audience (some audiences are more competitive to reach), time of year (costs can rise during holiday seasons or big events), and your ad’s relevance (Twitter rewards ads that get good engagement by lowering their effective cost). A highly targeted campaign might have a higher cost per action but reach a more qualified audience, whereas a broad campaign might have cheaper clicks but more randomness. As you learn how to run Twitter ads, you’ll get a feel for adjusting your bids and targeting to hit a cost that makes sense for your goals. The key is to monitor your results and optimize over time (more on that later).

In summary, Twitter advertising is as expensive or as affordable as you want it to be. Many e-commerce and influencer marketing campaigns can achieve solid results with relatively low spend by carefully targeting niche communities and using compelling content. Next, let’s get into the actual process of setting up and running a Twitter ad campaign.

How to Run Twitter Ads: Step-by-Step Guide

Now for the fun part – how to set up a Twitter ad campaign. If you’re a beginner, don’t be intimidated. Running Twitter ads is straightforward, especially if you’re familiar with other social media ad platforms like Facebook. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to run Twitter ads for the first time:

1. 1. Set Up Your Twitter Ads Account: First, make sure you have a Twitter account for your business or brand. You’ll need to enable it for ads by going to the Twitter Ads platform. Log in to Twitter, then visit the Twitter Ads onboarding page to walk through account setup. You may be asked to select your country and time zone. Once your ads account is created, you can start a new campaign. (If you’ve never run ads before, Twitter might prompt you to enter some basic information and billing details as part of this step.)
   2. Choose Your Campaign Objective: This is a crucial step – pick what goal you want your ad campaign to achieve. Twitter will tailor the campaign settings and billing based on the objective you select. Common objectives include Reach, Engagements, Website Traffic, App Installs, Followers, and Video Views. For example, choose Engagements if you want more people to retweet or reply, choose Website Traffic if you want clicks to your site, or Followers if you want to gain followers. Twitter has even added a new Sales or Conversions objective (for driving actions like purchases via the Twitter pixel) in recent updates. Select the objective that best matches your desired outcome. Keep in mind, you’ll be charged primarily for the corresponding action – e.g. in a Followers campaign, you pay per follow. (Tip: If you’re not sure, “Reach” is a good objective to simply get your ad seen widely at low cost per impression.) Once selected, give your campaign a name and set your total and daily budget for this campaign.
      • Available objectives on Twitter Ads include: Reach (maximize impressions), Tweet Engagements (get more likes/replies/retweets), Followers (grow your audience), Website Clicks (drive traffic, uses Twitter’s Click ID for tracking), App Installs or App Re-engagements (get mobile app downloads or re-engage users), Video Views (maximize video ad views), and Lead Generation (collect leads, if you have a lead gen card). Pick one and click Next to proceed.
   3. Create Your Ad (Tweet Content): Now it’s time to design the ad itself – essentially, craft the tweet that will be promoted. You can either promote an existing tweet from your timeline or create a new Promoted-only tweet. In the ad creation form, you’ll add the text of your tweet (keeping it within the 280-character limit – though shorter is often better), any media (image or video), and a call-to-action link if applicable. For example, if you chose Website Traffic as your objective, you’ll definitely want to include the URL to your website or landing page here. Twitter will show a preview of your ad on the right side as you build it. Take advantage of that to ensure your image/video looks good and the tweet copy is fully visible without getting cut off.
      • Tips for ad creation: Make your tweet copy short and attention-grabbing – Twitter is a fast-moving platform, so a concise, punchy message works best. Use an eye-catching image or a looping video/GIF to stop the scroll; visuals are key to higher engagement (tweets with media tend to perform much better than text-only tweets). Include a clear CTA (call-to-action) in your tweet text, such as “Shop now,” “Learn more at the link,” or “Download our app,” so users know what to do next. And maintain your brand voice – the tone of promoted tweets should match your organic tweets so it feels like a natural extension of your presence. We’ll cover more creative best practices in the Tips section, but keep these in mind as you build your ad.
   4. Refine Your Targeting (Ad Audience): After creating the ad content, you’ll configure who sees your Twitter ad. This is where Twitter’s targeting options come in. Start by selecting broad demographics: you can target by location, gender, age range, and language. Next, you can add specific targeting criteria to narrow in on your ideal audience. Some powerful options include:
      • Keywords: target people who have used certain keywords in their recent tweets or search (for example, an online coffee store could target “cold brew” or “coffee beans” keywords).
      • Interests and Follower Look-alikes: target users with particular interests (Twitter infers this from accounts they follow and engage with) or target people similar to the followers of specific accounts. For instance, a brand could target users similar to followers of a popular tech influencer, effectively reaching that influencer’s lookalike audience.
      • Engagement: you can choose to show ads to people who have recently engaged with your tweets or even people who saw a specific tweet from your account. If you ran an organic tweet that went viral, you could retarget those engagers with a follow-up ad.
      • Device/Platform: if relevant, you can target specific devices or OS (say you only want iPhone users if you are promoting an iOS app). You can also limit by mobile carrier or connection type if needed.
      • Custom Audiences: upload your own list of users (by email or Twitter IDs) to target or exclude. For example, you might exclude your current customers if you’re running an acquisition campaign, or conversely target a list of past website visitors to re-market them.
   5. Twitter even allows event targeting (people engaging with tweets about certain events) and conversation/topic targeting (people who often discuss a certain topic). Take some time to explore these options and combine those that make sense. The goal is to define an audience that’s broad enough to scale but specific enough to be relevant. You’ll see an estimated audience size on the right as you add filters. For example, you might target U.S. men 25-50 who are interested in fitness and follow health bloggers – Twitter will show if that’s, say, 3 million people. Refine until you’re happy with the audience size and relevancy. This step is crucial because the more accurately you target your ideal customers (by interests, behaviors, etc.), the better your ad performance will be.
   6. Set Budget and Schedule: In this step, you’ll confirm how much to spend and how long to run the campaign. You likely already set a daily and total budget at the campaign level when choosing the objective. Now you can also set a budget per ad group if desired (for simple campaigns, one ad group is fine). Decide on the duration of your campaign – you can run continuously starting today or set a specific start and end date. For a beginner, it might be wise to run a short 1-2 week test campaign to gather data, then you can always extend or start a new one. If you have a time-bound promotion (like a sale or event), schedule the campaign to end when the promotion ends. Twitter will pace your ad delivery to try to use your budget evenly over the campaign period unless you specify otherwise. Also, ensure your payment method (credit card or other) is added to your Twitter Ads account before launch.
   7. Review and Launch: Twitter will show you a summary of your campaign settings – objective, targeting, budget, ad creative, etc. Give everything one last look to avoid mistakes (like a typo in your tweet or wrong URL). If all looks good, hit that “Launch Campaign” button! Your ad will then be submitted. Twitter ads typically start running almost immediately if they pass the review (Twitter reviews ads for compliance with policies, but normal business ads usually face no issues). Once live, your Promoted Tweet will begin appearing in the timelines or search results of the users you targeted.
      

Congratulations – you’ve just learned how to run Twitter ads and launched your first campaign! 🎉 Now you can monitor its performance in the Twitter Ads dashboard (you’ll see metrics like impressions, clicks, cost per result, etc. updating in near-real-time). But running the ad is only half the battle – to truly succeed, you should optimize and refine your ads as you go. In the next section, we’ll go over some key tips and best practices to help you get the most out of your Twitter advertising, especially if you’re combining it with micro-influencer or UGC strategies.

Tips for Running Successful Twitter Ads

Getting a Twitter ad live is a great start. Now let’s ensure those ads perform their best. The following tips will help you create more compelling ads and run campaigns that deliver results. These best practices apply whether you’re a brand, content creator, or influencer marketing professional promoting content on Twitter:

1. 1. Stick to Your Brand Voice: Keep your ads consistent with your organic content style. Twitter users scroll fast, and blatant ads can be a turn-off. If your brand’s voice is friendly and humorous on organic tweets, maintain that tone in your Promoted Tweets too. The goal is that the audience doesn’t feel a jarring shift from your normal posts to your ads. Consistent voice builds recognition and trust. For example, Wendy’s Twitter is known for its witty, snarky replies – their Twitter ads also carry a playful tone so they resonate with the same audience. Authenticity wins on social media, so be human and true to your brand persona in your ad copy.

       

   2. Keep Ad Copy Short & Engaging: When it comes to Twitter ad text, less is more. You might have 280 characters available, but often a one-liner or a sentence fragment can have more impact than a full paragraph. Think of your ad tweet as a headline – what’s the most attention-grabbing way to convey your message? Use concise language and put the key point or value proposition at the beginning of the tweet. If it fits your brand, feel free to use emojis or a bit of humor to catch the eye (a well-placed emoji can visually break up text and draw attention). Just make sure it remains easy to read. Also, consider asking a question or prompting a reaction – tweets that invite users to think or respond can boost engagement. Avoid huge blocks of text or anything that looks like a corporate press release. For example, instead of saying “Our new product has many exciting features you’ll love, available now on our website,” try “New product just dropped 🔥 – 2x faster and in 3 new colors. Check it out 👉 [link]”. Snappy, value-focused, and with a direct call-to-action.

       

   3. Use High-Quality Visuals (Images/Video): Visual content is essential for successful Twitter ads. Tweets with images or videos not only take up more space in the feed (making them harder to ignore) but also tend to drive higher engagement. Eye-catching visuals can stop users mid-scroll. Make sure any image you use is crisp, clear, and relevant to your message. If showcasing a product, use a well-lit, appealing product photo. If promoting an app or service, consider an illustrative graphic or even an infographic snippet. Videos can work wonders too – even short clips or animations can convey a lot quickly. Data from Twitter indicates that tweets with video can get 10x higher engagement than those without. You don’t need Hollywood production; even a 15-second demo video or a GIF of your product in action can boost interest. Tip: Add subtitles or captions to videos, since many people watch on mute. And for image ads, include minimal text overlay if needed to highlight a key offer (Twitter recommends keeping any image text under 20% of the image area for best performance). The visual should complement your tweet copy and make your ad stand out in a text-heavy feed.

       

   4. Include a Clear Call-to-Action: Every good ad guides the user on what to do next. Don’t assume people will automatically visit your profile or hunt for your link – tell them exactly what you want them to do. This means adding a call-to-action (CTA) in your tweet or via Twitter’s CTA buttons (if using certain ad formats). Some examples: “Shop the sale now 👇,” “Sign up today,” “Learn more on our site,” “Download the app,” etc. If you have a link in the tweet, you might say “👉 Click to see more details.” For a follower campaign, the CTA is inherent (Follow us for updates). For video ads, you might use a “Watch now” or “Sound on 🔊 to watch” message. In any case, make the next step obvious. In one example, a brand ran a Twitter ad featuring a new product line and used “Shop now” as a big CTA in the tweet, resulting in higher click-through to their website. People shouldn’t be left guessing what to do – a clear CTA will increase the likelihood that those who are interested will take the action. Twitter now allows adding a CTA button on some ads (like Website Click ads you can choose a button label such as “Learn more” or “Buy now”), which can further improve click rates. Use those when available. The easier and more explicit you make it for users to act, the better your campaign will perform.

       

   5. Leverage Micro-Influencer Content & UGC: Here’s a pro tip that combines influencer marketing with your Twitter ads: use user-generated content (UGC) or micro-influencer posts as part of your ad creatives. Content created by real customers or micro-influencers often feels more authentic and relatable than traditional polished ads. In fact, studies show consumers are much more likely to trust and act on micro-influencer recommendations, and brands have seen significant lifts (like ~60% higher ROI) when using micro-influencers in campaigns. How can you apply this to Twitter ads? One way is through influencer whitelisting or allowlisting – basically, with permission, you promote a tweet from an influencer’s handle to reach a wider audience. Another simpler way is to take great content that a micro-influencer or customer has created (a testimonial, an unboxing video, a review tweet) and repurpose it in your own Promoted Ad. For example, if a micro-influencer tweeted “I just tried @YourBrand’s new snack and it’s honestly delicious 😍 #snacktime” with a nice photo, you could ask for permission to use that content in an ad. This kind of UGC-driven ad adds a real-customer vibe that builds trust with the audience. According to marketing experts, repurposing UGC photos, reviews, and videos into your ads can create very compelling, purchase-driving ads. People scroll through and see someone who looks like a peer or a favorite creator talking about your product, which feels more genuine than hearing it directly from the brand. At Stack Influence, we often emphasize the power of micro-influencer UGC in paid ads – it’s like word-of-mouth marketing amplified through ad spend. So, consider collaborating with micro influencers to generate content and then amplify it using Twitter ads. It’s a one-two punch for credibility and reach.

       

   6. Learn from Your Organic Performance: Your existing Twitter activity can offer valuable lessons for your ads. Look at your past organic tweets – which ones got the most likes, retweets, or replies? Which topics or media types does your audience seem to love? Use these insights to inform your ad strategy. For instance, if you notice your followers engage most when you post behind-the-scenes photos, you might incorporate that style into an ad. Or if a particular tweet went viral, you can literally promote that tweet to extend its lifespan to new audiences (this often works well since it’s proven content). Twitter Analytics (accessible on the platform) will show you top tweets and engagement metrics – it’s wise to review this regularly. By leveraging what you already know resonates with your audience, you can create ads that don’t feel like shots in the dark, but rather like amplified versions of your best content. Many brands also test content organically first, then put ad dollars behind the winners. Additionally, keep an eye on analytics of your running ads – if one ad variation is getting a much higher engagement rate or lower cost-per-click, try to distill why and apply that knowledge (maybe the wording, or the image choice, or timing). In short, treat your organic feed and ad campaigns as complementary – success in one can inform success in the other.

       

   7. Test and Optimize Continuously: The beauty of digital ads is the ability to A/B test and iterate quickly. Don’t settle for the first ad creative or targeting setup you try. Run experiments to improve your results. For example, you could create two variations of your ad tweet – one with a humorous angle and one with a straightforward slogan – and see which gets better engagement or conversion. Or test two different images, or video vs. static image. Twitter’s Ads Manager allows you to create multiple ad variants in a campaign pretty easily. Over time you might find, say, that your audience responds 30% more to a tweet with an emoji in it, or that a certain hashtag in the ad boosts clicks. Also experiment with targeting: maybe you start broad, and then discover one particular interest or keyword is driving the most results – you could then allocate more budget to that segment. Optimize budgets and bids based on performance as well. If one campaign is delivering a great cost-per-result, you might increase its budget; if another isn’t doing well, adjust the targeting or pause it. Regularly check in on your campaigns (at least once or twice a week if not daily during a short campaign) and tweak things. Over the long run, this testing approach will significantly improve your ROI. As a pro tip, also test different times of day or days of week for your ads – Twitter usage can spike on certain days or during certain events (e.g., if you’re targeting working professionals, maybe weekdays lunchtime sees more engagement). By being curious and iterative, you’ll unlock what really works for your specific goals.

By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to running successful Twitter ads that not only reach people but actually resonate with them. Remember, the Twitter environment is conversational and community-driven, so ads that feel relevant and authentic will always outperform those that feel too salesy or out of place.

Conclusion To How to Run Twitter Ads

Mastering how to run Twitter ads can open up a powerful channel for growing your brand or business. Twitter (X) offers unique real-time engagement and the ability to hit niche audiences like no other platform. With the step-by-step guide and tips above, you can confidently create your first Twitter ad campaign – whether you’re boosting a tweet from a micro-influencer partnership or driving traffic to your e-commerce site’s new product page. The key is to start small, learn what works, and scale up your efforts. Keep your content compelling (use those visuals and UGC!), your targeting tight, and your messaging authentic. Over time, Twitter ads can become a valuable complement to your organic social media and influencer marketing strategy, helping you amplify your reach and convert new customers.

Now that you know how to run Twitter ads, why not give it a try? With even a modest budget, you might be surprised at the awareness and engagement you can achieve on this buzzing platform. Happy tweeting – and advertising!