This is a tweet that I manually imported ages ago into Typeshare so I could judge its performance over time.
It has a 10.34% engagement rate 😮
Since I’m always trying to replicate success, let’s unpack this so you can do the same.
This Tweet Has Every Damn Thing That Works
Call it a kitchen sink tweet.
From a @tag to #HashTags in camel 🐫 case, this tweet has reasons to click and engage. It also has great formatting with line breaks plus a bulleted list. There is one emoji: 📺
Then there’s the pic!
This is a YouTube thumbnail made specifically for the podcast with a freeze-frame image I stole while editing the video. I use Canva Pro, which gives you background remover. There’s also very little in this graphic; just me, a ship, and a speaking bubble.
The thumbnails I worked too hard on didn’t do as well. Actually, this is such a good photo of me, even I like it!
Try some of these tricks for yourself and see if you can replicate this Twitter success:
- Tag someone
- Use a hashtag or two
- Pop in an emoji
- Make a bulleted list (click option+8 to make bullets)
- Use line breaks (must. be. skimmable).
- Make a kick-ass graphic in the style of a “YouTube thumbnail”
If you find the YouTube thumbnail-style image works for you on Twitter? Do it again. Bullets? Lists? Hashtags? No hashtags?
Success leaves clues. ALL social media apps track metrics. Tap in, experiment, and double down on what works for you.
Do I write for social media for a living? Yes. Am I revealing trade secrets here? No. This is me revealing what works for me on Twitter @WriterHeatherL.
Writer Heather Larson 