How to Write a Good Tweet
Among the many social-networking options available online, Twitter has taken off as a quick status updater and business tool. If a user wants to share something that isn't long enough to warrant a blog post or note on their Facebook wall, they can "tweet" about it. A tweet can be between one and 120 characters in length and can contain links to outside sources. The way a good tweet works is for the original user to post the tweet, then for their followers to "retweet" the message, sending the bit of information even further in cyberspace. To write high-quality, clickable tweets, users must offer up something informative, include a shortened link and leave enough characters so others can retweet the data.
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Instructions
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Think of what you want to tweet about before posting on Twitter. If your Twitter account is for a business, don't use it for personal tweets as well. Create a separate Twitter account if you want one for personal updates.
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Limit your tweets to a handful a day. Try to give an update in the morning, one in the afternoon and one at night if you must. This doesn't include retweets or replying to a friend's Twitter updates. If you post too much of the same thing or try pushing something on your followers, you could lose some of them.
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Share what you know and use links to backup that information whenever possible. Use online services -- such as bitly.com -- to shorten your links into a handful of characters. Doing so will leave more room for your message as well as for others to retweet your tweet.
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Include a short biography and a link to your site within your Twitter profile. Remember that while Twitter is a great way to catch up with friends, it can also be used to network with colleagues or even direct fresh traffic to your site.
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Tease your readers by giving them a small taste of what you have to offer. Add a link to your teaser "tweets" for those who want more information.
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Use hashtags whenever possible. A hashtag is when someone adds something such as "#writing" or "#working" to the end of their tweet. Use hashtags as another way to network with those who share your interests.
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Use appropriate grammar and get creative. Keep it short and simple. Try to avoid using "leetspeak" or replacement words such as "2," "B" and "4." This is especially true when tweeting for a business. Look professional by just using the headlines of what you have to share.
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Double-check your links before posting your tweets. Make sure the links you place in your tweets will direct your readers to the right area.
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Read over your tweet one last time before finalizing your updated message. Use Twitter as an extension of yourself or the company you work for. Each Twitter account has its own personality. Find the personality or online presence you'd like to use and keep your tweets focused on that.
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References
- Small Business Trends; How to Write Better Tweets; Lisa Barone; January 2010
- Janet Fouts, The Social Media Coach; Twitter Manners -- How to Write Good Tweets and How to be a Good Twittizen; Janet Fouts
- Twitter How To; How to Write Tweets that Get Clicks; March 2009
- Mashable; 5 Ways to Write Retweetable Tweets; Debbie Well; October 2009
