The study, from Twitter UK in partnership with Compete (@Compete), found tweets can directly influence offline behaviour and the more they see the more likely that is to happen.
The 'Tweets in Action: Auto' study found that overall tweet exposure corresponded to higher website traffic for brands.
Compete found that Twitter users exposed to auto brand tweets are 74% more likely to visit auto brand websites than the average internet users.
As well as driving a call to action, such as booking a test drive or visiting a car showroom, tweets influence brand awareness and consideration.
More than one-third of Twitter users who see automotive brand tweets search for car manufacturers. That's 54% higher than the average internet user, according to the study.
The study also found that those Twitter users exposed to tweets from car manufacturers are nearly twice as likely to engage to take the first step on the journey to buying a new car such as book test drive or locate a dealership.
Success in part the research says comes down to frequency and the higher the frequency of exposure then the higher the likelihood potential buyers are to take offline action.
The study looked at three different groups of users. The first group consisted of those users who were exposed to at least one tweet (promoted or organic) by an auto brand.
The two remaining groups of users were control groups: one consisted of Twitter visitors who were not exposed to auto brand tweets, and the other represented the average internet user.