As friendly and allied the U.K. is with the U.S., there have always been distinct cultural differences between the two countries. Now, those differences extend to the social media space too, in particular, on Twitter.

A new study by 360i Digital Agency shows that motivation for sharing tweets varies greatly - U.K. users seek connection and conversation, while U.S. users are driven by validation and self-expression.

OK, we can get into a whole discussion on the stereotypes and psychology of this, but I am a marketer, not a psychologist. And, as a Canadian living in the U.S., I fall somewhere between the two.

So, what does this research factoid tell us as marketers?

The study authors suggest that we need to understand the cultural psyche of an audience to help us “tailor content and messaging to better incentivize conversation and sharing. By playing into the motivations of an audience, brands can deliver a more relevant value exchange.”

Other interesting tidbits and recommendations:

• Twitter users in the U.S. and the U.K. prefer to engage in the platform at different points of the day. U.S. users are most active in the evening, whereas U.K. users intermittently update throughout the day as new topics of conversation arise. Marketers will want to understand the preferred time of activity for a regional audience, and align their content strategy accordingly to maximize engagement.

• U.K. users are generally more positive than their U.S. counterparts, and tend to avoid revealing overtly “raw emotion,” such as anger, on Twitter. Marketers should keep this in mind when developing a social tone of voice for their brands across different regions. Authenticity is a big factor in how brands approach consumers in the U.S., so quips about common frustrations can help make brands more relatable. Humanizing the brand is equally as important in the U.K., but it should be done in a way that generates a positive response, as that audience is less prone to air blatant grievances in social media.

• People in the U.S. tend to be more opinionated when interacting with brands on Twitter. When evaluating consumer sentiment online, we recommend that marketers hold the U.K. and U.S. to different standards. This means that a slew of negative commentary coming from a U.S. audience online might not point to a bigger issue offline, just as a lack of demonstrated brand love from U.K. users might not point to a lack of emotional connection to that brand within the general population.

If you market to both audiences, this information should be valuable to you. And, if not, it’s entertaining anyway. Right?

Do these results surprise you or not? Please share.