A Quick Guide To Marketing Parts And Accessories On X

X (formerly known as Twitter) is a free social media site where users can post, read, and search short messages (formerly known as “tweets”). #Hashtags in posts make it easier to find posts on specific topics through search or by clicking the word followed by the #. (They automatically hyperlink.) Users can also mention other users when they post, @username, to start a conversation or comment to/at/about the user mentioned.

While likely not as popular as it once was (depends on who you ask), X has millions of active users. Marketers who understand X can generate traffic to their site and build brand awareness, which can lead to sales.

Note: An old version of this article was written for the Nashville Automotive Report and has since been updated.

10 Tips To Market Parts And Accessories On X

1. Max out YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram before starting on X. The number of people spending time on X.com is much lower than the number of people spending time on YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram.

2. Benchmark your competitors and study related businesses. If you’re a wheel bearing manufacturer, start by finding the X accounts for your competitors. Then, start looking at the X.com profiles for top wheel-bearing retailers.

You don’t have to follow these accounts to see what they’re doing. You can use a tool like Hootsuite to track accounts without following them.

You might also follow accounts that you are professionally interested in. While you are on X, there’s no harm in looking for valuable content to do your job better. Just understand that your audience likely doesn’t share that interest, so think twice before re-posting.

3. Launch a branded profile. Your X.com profile should share the same basic look and feel of all your company’s social media profiles, and it should link to your brand website.

If you’re not going to monitor the profile 24/7, explain what customers should do if/when they have a question or a customer service concern. Many companies will include a note in their profile or pin a post to the top of their profile that says something like, “For customer support or immediate help, be sure to call 1-800-555-1234.” This way, customers know they shouldn’t expect an instant response via X.

Tips To Get A Return Rate Of Less Than 3% + CRO For Parts And Accessories – https://t.co/GMk8pAmg5r pic.twitter.com/DXQqM9mS76

— Spork Marketing (@sporkmarketing) March 24, 2022

4. Follow profiles that your potential customers follow, then repost. If you’re selling wheel bearings, you probably want to follow influential profiles related to automotive repair. This can be automotive news company profiles, individual journalists who work in the auto industry, or the profiles of popular YouTube influencers.

When reposting content, choose the posts that resonate best with your products or your customers.

5. Focus on creating interesting posts and re-posting others. The quickest way to build a following on X is to:

• Limit your posts to interesting and informative content
• Spend a lot of time re-posting content from others
• Comment on and reply to other posts

When an X profile you’re following posts something interesting, asks for help, or makes you laugh, those are good candidates for a repost.

6. Carefully study hashtags before using them. Hashtags are becoming less popular on X, but they’re still a good way to find content and are still worth using. Just be sure to study the content that’s being posted to find the perfect hashtag.

For example, #AutoParts is not a great hashtag: Most people using it are selling parts. Very few end users or influential profiles use this hashtag. #DIY, on the other hand, is very popular with end users as well as popular profiles. Just be sure to use it alongside other popular hashtags (like #Ford or any other popular automotive brand name) to get the right DIY audience.

7. Post 2-3 times a day, including reposts. Because X.com has a non-stop flow of posts, it’s hard to stand out. Instead of posting constantly, post high-quality content 2-3 items a day plus respond to comments on your own posts.

8. It’s good to comment but be respectful. It’s shockingly easy to get into a shouting match on X over a simple misunderstanding. Before commenting on another’s post (or reposting and commenting), make sure there’s no way another person can read your comment and misinterpret it.

Most brands stay positive on social media at all times, which is a great rule.

9. Advertising and 3rd party tools can work to grow followers, but to what end? Some companies assume that if they have a massive following on X.com, that will somehow translate to sales.

While there’s certainly some benefit to being popular on X, it’s not the best focus for business. Popular accounts won’t sell as many parts and accessories as accounts with the right audience. So, instead of going for likes or follows or other vanity metrics, track clicks to your site, events that lead to a sale (like year-make-model lookups or catalog downloads), and revenue. Followers and likes don’t spend the same way money does.

10. Remember it’s called social marketing. To grow on X, start by listening and reacting. If you’re always promoting yourself, your company, etc., it’s going to be hard to get anyone’s attention. Try thinking about X as a dinner party: Listen and engage people one at a time, and be interesting…don’t just talk about your business.

Good luck!