Twitter’s #chooseyourownadventure

Published January 19, 2015 at 10:00 am

At this point, most are familiar with the way Twitter promotes interaction between different users: Messages can be tweeted using popular hashtags, linking users to other accounts that support a particular message. Brands have become especially aware of the way that quick connection to their audience can help boost customer satisfaction.

Fast Company recently examined one especially innovative use of Twitter to construct an immersive experience. A man named Terence Eden has, according to the source, created a series of linked Twitter accounts that function as a “Choose Your Own Adventure” story. Each tweet contains a short message and then directs viewers to pick one of two possible accounts to continue the “story” until it ends, with the different paths leading to separate Twitter accounts all along the way.

For applications for business marketing, consider the way that Travelocity used a similar concept last year to entice fans of the brand. Using the well-known gnome mascot, the travel brand tweeted messages along the same lines that used the “@” symbol to pretend to send followers to different locations, structuring an imagined vacation for the person “playing” this game.

For example, the first tweet gave users a choice between roaming east, west or “staying home.” Clicking on the “East Coast” option triggered a series of other choices about what someone would do on their East Coast trips. Certain choices lead fans to pictures of the iconic gnome character in various locales. At the end of some of the “trips,” users are given the option to share their experience.

While companies can still use traditional marketing channels to reach their audiences, new platforms require creativity. Work with the latest campaign marketing tools and your company could also come up with an initiative as remarkable and share-friendly as this one.