Tracking the performance of your Twitter Cards is different from monitoring your standard tweets. Here’s how you can get actionable data from Twitter Cards analytics to improve their performance.

Is it Possible to Measure Twitter Cards Performance?

Imagine having all the potential of interactive posting with Twitter Cards but not having analytics!So yes, you can measure Twitter Cards analytics with Twitter Analytics itself.
Twitter Cards are media-rich posts that offer a more interactive Twitter experience with embedded media attachments. These attachments can be photos, videos, audio, and other playable media or even app downloads. They are designed to drive traffic to your website or destination link, and encourage audience engagement.
To access Twitter Cards analytics, go to the Twitter Analytics login page and navigate to the Twitter Card analytics dashboard.

How are Twitter Cards Different From Regular Tweets?

It’s been about a decade since Twitter Cards were launched. Back in 2014, when Twitter Cards were announced, tweets had a character limit of 140 characters. There was only so much you could say in so few characters, so Twitter Cards revolutionized the Twitter experience by allowing users to convey a lot more under the character restriction.
Regular tweets are can include texts, images, videos, links, and audio. Twitter Cards include media links, product information, or videos for a more interactive experience.
After experimenting with various styles and cards, Twitter currently offers 4 different types of cards:

Summary Card

A Summary Card is used for sharing web content. Be it a news piece or a blog on your website, it all comes as a Summary Card. This format intends to give the reader a preview of the content, with a thumbnail image, before they click and redirect to your website.
Minimum image resolution: 120 x 120 pixels
Maximum image size: 1 MB

Summary Card with Large Image

A full-width image accompanies the tweet to give a more interactive experience to the viewers. Clicking on the image takes you to the hyperlinked website.
Minimum image resolution: 280 x 150 pixels
Maximum image size: 1 MB

App Card

The App Card is specifically to drive mobile application installs via Twitter. The App Card has a name, description, and icon for the app with its price and user rating. If you are a mobile app developer, you can also create an App Card experience by sharing links to your app’s download page.
Minimum image resolution: 800 x 320 pixels

Player Card

The Player Card is the most interactive Twitter Card. You can add video and audio clips to your tweet by including a few HTML meta tags to the source website. Go through the Player Card policy (Twitter Developer Policy) to seamlessly integrate your Player Cards across all devices.
Minimum image resolution: 640 x 480 pixels
For videos: 30 frames per second

Twitter also provides the Twitter Card Validator to test your Cards once the tags are live.
The setup of Twitter Cards can be a little challenging as you have to work with HTML codes. The process gets easier when you get the hang of uploading meta tag codes.
The simplest way to get started with Twitter Cards is by:
Choosing the card to implement
Adding correct meta tags
Testing the URL through Twitter Card Validator to confirm it runs smoothly
Upon successful testing, tweet the URL and your Twitter Card will appear below the tweet. Don’t forget to add trending and relevant hashtags to boost your posts.
For example, if you want to post a Summary Card, you have to tell Twitter which Card you’re using along with the meta tag from your website. For Summary Cards, you have to add the following to the section of the specific page on your website:

Remember, you can have only one Card per page.
Once your code is up on the page, validate it with the Twitter Card Validator and select “Preview Card.”
When you get the exact preview and your Summary Card is approved, go ahead with tweeting and hashtag search.
If you need help with Twitter Guidelines on getting started or the Developer Policy, you should read through the company resources.

Key Metrics Available for Twitter Cards Analytics

With Twitter Cards analytics, you can instantly check the traction your Twitter Cards have been getting. In addition to Twitter analytics profile visits, key metrics include:

Impressions

Each impression is counted as a unique viewer who sees your Twitter Card in their Home timeline. People who view the Twitter Card by visiting your profile page do not count in impressions.

Retweets

Every retweet is counted when someone retweets your entire tweet plus the Twitter Card (including the URL). If the URL is not reshared, it’s not measured as a retweet.

URL Clicks

Every Twitter Card has an embedded link for your destination website. URL clicks are the measurement clicks on that URL. Any additional links mentioned in your tweet are not counted.

Install Attempts

This metric is specifically for App Cards. If you have linked to an app installation, this data will count how many people clicked that link. If the user already has the app installed on their device, it won’t be counted in the “install attempts” metrics.

Devices

According to the official Twitter glossary, devices include any device, website, or app used to send a tweet. If the Devices section reads “web,” it refers to Twitter.com. There are other tweet buttons and third-party Twitter clients too who can be included under “Devices.”

6 Ways to Read Analytics for Twitter Cards

You’ll get the data from all key metrics available for Twitter Cards along with actionable tips for each report. You can generate the following 6 kinds of reports to read Twitter Card Analytics on SocialDog.

Snapshot

As the name suggests, a Snapshot is a quick view of how the Twitter Card is performing and the audience it’s driving to your website. You can select different metrics that you want to view and compare.

Change Over Time

In this report, you’ll find a graphical representation of those Snapshot metrics for better comparison. You can check their growth rate against each other and conclude which aspects you need to work more on.

Card Types

This report gives an in-depth overview of the different kinds of Twitter Cards you’ve used and how your performance stacks up against other Twitter users. This is a detailed view and the comparison isn’t ideal, as the other Twitter users aren’t segmented by their niche or followers.

Tweets

In this report, you can check the tweets that drove the most retweets, URL clicks, and install attempts. These tweets may not be from your account only. Any other retweet or tweet that links to your Twitter Card counts here. When you carefully study these tweets, you’ll gain better insights on building a marketing strategy that gets more such reach.

Sources

The Sources report displays a detailed list of which apps, websites, and widgets your audience is using to post your card or URL. This is a more technical insight that tells you about the apps your audience uses for Twitter.

Influencers

A great report format on Twitter Cards metrics, Influencers displays the top accounts that drove maximum URL clicks, retweets, and/or install attempts. They are the influencers among your audience, and you can try to approach them more. You can leverage this data by creating a group where you offer them certain services at discounted rates in exchange for their endorsements.

Conclusion: Leverage Twitter Cards Analytics with an All-in-one Twitter Tool

Twitter Cards Analytics indicate very specific metrics like leads and customers but do not give the entire picture. It’s time to invest in tools that focus on all aspects of Twitter marketing with a collated database of Twitter-specific data.
SocialDog understands how differently each business operates and how a robust Twitter tool can create a remarkable difference in your social media presence.
From follower acquisition analytics and Tweet scheduling to 2-year analytics access, you can analyze a large amount of data related to your business with SocialDog. Take advantage of the 7-day free trial of the Pro version to improve your Twitter marketing experience.