Writing Compelling Tweets

Have you ever written what you thought was the best.blog.post ever, and it hardly got any traffic?

I know I’ve been there, and it can be extremely discouraging.

Early on in my Twittering, it would happen a lot. I’d tweet out my new blog post and hardly anyone would read it, let alone retweet it.

Then I started paying attention to the tweets that I was responding to. The tweets that screamed “click me,” the tweets that made me HAVE to know what the post was about.

As with any good advertising, they motivated me to take an action. There are lots of ways to create tweets that will encourage YOUR readers to take action.  Today, I’ll give you 6 ideas on how to approach your tweets.

1. Summarize the post. Blog titles do not always make for great tweets, especially if they’re long. Try writing the tweet so that it summarizes what the post is about.

Instead of: “I made a chicken noodle soup today with herbed crostini: http://bit.ly.x7x7x7″

Try: “Hungry? I’ve got chicken noodle soup on the menu. http://bit.ly.x7x7″

2. Use hashtags. Remember that a lot of people use hashtags to search for things on Twitter. If you’re using good hashtags, your tweet (and post) has a better chance of being found. Hashtags.org is a great way to put in a word as a hashtag and see how it’s currently being used on Twitter or if it’s trending.

So, building on our example above, instead of: “Hungry? I’ve got chicken noodle soup on the menu. http://bit.ly.x7x7″

Try: “Hungry? I’ve got chicken noodle #soup on the menu. #recipe http://bit.ly.x7x7″

3. Use descriptors. While you don’t want to sound like a used car salesman, a little bit of descriptive terminology can go a long way in whether a tweet is clicked on.

Let’s modify again. Instead of: “Hungry? I’ve got chicken noodle #soup on the menu. #recipe http://bit.ly.x7x7″

Try: “It’s cold out there! Savory and easy chicken noodle #soup will keep you warm. #recipe http://bit.ly.x7x7″

4.Get random. Sometimes, it’s best to not be entirely straightforward with your tweet. Pull an unusual element or term from your post and make that the thrust of your tweet.

Instead of: ”I made a chicken noodle soup today with herbed crostini: http://bit.ly.x7x7x7″

Try: “An amazing concoction that is perfect for a cold day. #soup #recipe http://www.bit.ly.x7x7″

or

“It’s all about the broth. #recipe #soup http://www.bit.ly.x7x7″

5. Use intrigue. People always want to get to the bottom of a mystery. If you can ask questions with your tweets or tantalize Twitter with the unknown, people will click on them to get the answer.

Instead of: “I made a chicken noodle soup today with herbed crostini: http://bit.ly.x7x7x7″

try: “Are you wondering what I spent my morning doing? http://bit.ly.x7x7″

or “Find out why I’ll never eat Campbell’s again. http://bit.ly.x7x7″

6. Ask for it. Sometimes, simple is best. Just plain old asking people to read what you wrote works just fine.

Instead of: “I made a chicken noodle soup today with herbed crostini: http://bit.ly.x7x7x7″

“Hey, Tweeps! Will you come check out my post on #soup today? Thanks! http://bit.ly/x7x7″

Obviously, don’t try all 6 techniques in one tweet. But what’s fun about Twitter is that you can play around with different techniques at different times of day and see what gets you a response. It’s not a bad way to hone your writing, either.

But remember, the best way to get tweets and retweets is to write compelling, quality content. The best tweet in the world is only going to get retweeted if the blog post behind it has value!

Happy tweeting!