One thing that I love about Twitter is that the written word reigns supreme. On Twitter, the story is told through concise messaging. Though the tweet is occasionally sprinkled with images and GIFS, the words are primarily the vehicle of the tweet. Using the right words with a little extra is essential for getting good engagement and establishing a strong community.
But sometimes, it can be hard to think of things to write about. In this post, you can find 13 tweet ideas that you can use on Twitter. Of course, the ideas found in this post is not all-inclusive. Feel free to expand upon the idea and add a little bit of flair and a little of you into it. After all, the most successful social media campaigns are ones that are planned, engaged, and most importantly, authentic.
13 Tweet Ideas You Can Use On Twitter
1–Tell us what you are most passionate about.
2–Ask a ‘Would you rather….?’ question.
3–Tell us what you are eating for dinner.
4–Ask a ‘This or That?’ question.
5–Tell us what your hobby is.
6–Ask a ‘What are your plans?’ question.
7–Tell us what your biggest pet peeve is.
8–Ask a “Why?” question.
9–Tell us what your hopes and dreams are.
10–Ask a “Yes or No” question.
11–Tell us what you are working on.
12–Ask us a “What do you predict…?” question.
13–Tell us one random personal detail about you.
Similar to any two-way communication, using Twitter is a bit like give and take. You should give and receive information from the audience. They learn about you, and you learn about them. Craft tweet messages to help show the best possible, authentic version of your personal brand. Craft messages to show who or what your brand is. At the same time, always be willing to give the same courtesy back.
Twitter is a powerful microblogging social media platform. It’s superpower is not just words but the ability to create good, lasting content in as few characters as possible. Many people struggle with writing; many more struggle with creating content that is short and to the point. In the social media age, this is a must. Failure to do so can result in less replies, less shares, and ultimately less engagement.
I am here to share with you seven tips and tricks that I have used to help me craft that perfect tweet.
1–Use Call-to-Actions
You’ve got to make the tweet compelling. You’ve got to give the audience a sense of urgency. You can do this by providing a call-to-action. Ask questions. Start a poll. Tell them to download something. Provide a link to a blog or a website. Whatever it is, get them to do something.
2–Use Visuals
In the word-dominated world of Twitter, pictures or GIFs can be used to help make your tweet stand out. Post a picture of something that you are passionate about. Post a funny GIF in a tweet or a response. If appropriate, add emojis to show how you feel.
3–Use Active Verbs
Use active verbs; don’t use passive ones.
4–Don’t Use Adjectives
It’s about the action that you want from the audience. It’s not so much about how pretty something is. Don’t use descriptive words. Use only the words that are absolutely necessary.
5–Use 0-2 Hashtags
Don’t use more than two hashtags. This is not Instagram. Using just one or two hashtags is sufficient. In some cases, it is better to not use hashtags at all. Just let the message speak for itself. If it’s a good one, then it will spread like wildfire.
6–Keep It Short
There’s a reason why the maximum character limit on Twitter is 280. Write short, simple sentences. Save the fluff for the book.
7–Give Value
Every tweet that you compose should give value. Ask yourself how this message can help the audience. Are you offering a service, a freebie, or information? We always write tweets for our audience.
Overall, keep the tweet simple, short, and to the point. Use images and hashtags only if it is necessary. Always make sure to have a call-to-action. Always give value to the audience.
I open my eyes, staring up at the dark ceiling. Automatically, almost subconsciously, I reach for my phone and turn it on. I blink multiple times in succession, trying to get used to the bright light. Once my eyes have adjusted, I tap on the Facebook app and scroll through my feed.
Sound familiar? We’ve all been there. We wake up and then automatically reach for our phones. After checking the time, we scroll through the notifications, both a time killer and a time waster. Before we know it, we realize that we’ve been laying in bed for two hours, doing nothing but aimlessly going through our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram notifications.
I realized that doing this was cutting out valuable time that I could be using for something else. Instead of going through my Facebook feed, I could be playing with my daughter. Instead of trying to take an Instagram worthy picture, I could be singing to my baby boy. Instead of trying to craft the perfect tweet, I could be taking a walk. We spend so much of our lives on these devices. What good does it do knowing how much time we are spending in these virtual worlds?
The past few days, I’ve been keeping my phone off. No, this isn’t some heroic attempt at cutting out all social media.
I’ve been keeping my phone off to conserve battery life. A few days ago, I realized that my phone charger wasn’t charging at all. The only way that it would charge was if I held the charger cord a certain way. Even then, it wouldn’t charge fast enough. I’ve been charging my phone every morning while taking my daughter to school. The rest of the time? I turn it off. My phone has literally been reduced to a home phone from the nineties.
Of course, I still check my social media notifications at night before I wake up to teach. I wake up to nurse my baby boy, and then find myself with nothing to do. So I turn my phone back on and quickly look through the notifications for an hour or two. But the rest of the time? My phone is off.
The Verdict
I’m finding that I actually like it. I like turning my phone off. With my phone off, my daughter’s not begging to use my phone to play one of her phone games. With my phone off, I am not obsessively checking my notifications for an image, post, or tweet that someone posted. With my phone off, I am just living in the moment.
Living in the moment and focusing on the present has given me more time. I have more time to play with my kids. I have more time to clean the house. I have more time to write a blog post. I have more time to learn about social media. And soon I will have more time to work on that children’s book.
Being without my phone has literally given me seconds of my life back.
I am not in any hurry to buy a new charger. Eventually, I probably will buy a new charger. But until then, I am fine living as if I’m in the nineties.
I am fine living without a phone permanently glued to my fingers. I am fine living without obsessively thinking about what my notifications could be telling me right now. Because at the end of the day, they are just images and words on a screen. What’s most important are the people and things that are around you.
Tell me in the comments below about a time when you had to make do without your phone.
It’s 2010 and I’m sitting at my computer in my bedroom. On a whim, I decide to check out Twitter. I create an account and mentally cheer myself on as Twitter notifies me that my registration is successful. I then create my very first tweet, something along the lines of “my first tweet yay.” I then stare at Twitter blankly for a few minutes and then exit out.
That was my very first experience with Twitter. I joined because I was curious and I knew that it was a social media platform like Facebook. But at the time, I didn’t know how much of an impact it would have on me today.
Today, I’ve come to love and appreciate Twitter for what it is. It is a social media platform which allows its users to connect and share concise messaging. We can use Twitter to read and share news, promote and market our brand, and even keep tabs on celebrities and politicians. We can use Twitter to share about our day and our lives.
A lot has changed since 2010 when I first opened my account. Now, Twitter has made it easier and more convenient to use this platform for all of our needs. In this article, I will list five features of Twitter that you may know about but have never used.
1–Lists
In the left hand sidebar, you can click on “Lists.” Lists are a handy feature that allows you to group Twitter accounts by category. You can create as many lists as you like about any topic, and then start adding the users to them. You can make the lists private or public. You can even pin the lists to the top for easier access.
What I like most about this feature is how I can easily access tweets by certain people. For example, I created a list called “Bloggers.” Whenever I seek some blog reads or blogging inspiration, I can just head on over to this list and start scrolling through the tweets.
Another thing I like about this feature is that I can see whose lists I’m on. After clicking “lists,” I then click on the three dots in the top right part of the page, and then click on the “Lists you’re on” tab that pops up. This will show me which lists I’m in. This is a great way to help me connect with other users who have similar interests.
2–Bookmarks
Above “Lists,” you can click on the “Bookmarks.” You can use this feature to bookmark tweets. Let’s be honest, with millions (billions!) of tweets out there, it is nearly impossible to keep track of them all. Sure, you can always search for it. Another option would be to save it. You can save any tweet, written by anyone, and then place it quickly and easily in this folder. You can bookmark any tweet by clicking on the up arrow icon located at the bottom of every tweet.
I love to use it to keep track of tweets that I’ve written and know that I want to be able to access it later. For example, if I created a poll and want to keep track of the results, I can bookmark it so that I can view it later. Or, if I saw a witty and clever saying, I can bookmark it, in addition to retweeting and liking it of course. It’s a really handy tool for writers, or anyone really, who like to create a space for all things they can seek inspiration from.
3–Moments
Using the “More” link, you can find your “Moments”
You can make some fun moments on Twitter. You can access it by clicking on the “More” in the left hand sidebar, and then clicking on “Moments” once a tab pops up. Twitter Moments are like Instagram Stories. You can create a story consisting of tweets, complete with a picture to wrap it up nice and pretty.
I personally have only used this feature once, a few years ago. I created some tweets about, well, me. That is, I wrote various, random facts about me.
In the future, I plan to use Twitter Moments to highlight inspirational writing advice or the best blog posts. Another way to use Twitter Moments would be to ask a question to the Twitter community and then make a story with the answers that you receive. There’s a lot you can do using Moments to get the community talking about your brand.
4–Topics
Under the “More” tab, you can find “Topics”
It’s common knowledge that the tweets that you see in your homepage are the tweets that you follow. Well, twitter has a way that you can personalize these tweets and even ads further.
You can choose to follow certain topics that you are interested in or not interested in. For example, you can follow the “Books” topic or the “Health & Wellness” topic and you will see tweets in those niches. Or, you can choose to not follow those topics and you will stop seeing book related or health & wellness related topics in your feed.
I think this feature can help to make your twitter feed truly your own. You aren’t just seeing tweets that your followers post but specifically tweets that you have an interest in.
Even though there aren’t any Grammar Nazis on Twitter (at least, I don’t think so ), it is still a good idea to use correct grammar in your tweets. If I were to wite lik this, then what would your first impression be of me? It wouldn’t be very good, right?
Using good grammar with correct punctuation tells so much about you. For one, it says that that you can read and write English correctly. For another, it shows that that you are credible and coherent.
By writing well, the audience has already formed a good impression of you. And that is all from just using correct grammar.
2–Don’t Give Out Personal Contact Information
This is a given, but I feel like I should mention this here. You should never give out your personal address, phone number, or even your real name. The internet is a very public place, filled with a variety of people, so it is always best to be safe.
Many people use a nom de plume or a username in place of their real name. But if you do have to use your real name because of your account being affiliated with your job or your published works, then please be safe. If you must give out an address for the fans, then please consider getting a P.O. Box. As for a phone number, consider getting a secondary phone, to keep your “work” and “personal” contacts separate.
It pays to be cautious and safe on social media.
3–Don’t Be Rude
In the real world, we are expected to be polite and have decorum. The same rules apply online, even though we can’t see or hear the people we are communicating with. If anything, we should be even more mindful of our behavior and words when we are online because of the permanence of the Internet.
Being rude in your replies or tweets will only cause further animosity. It will cause people to block you. And that will make for a very lonely Internet existence. And who wants that?
4–Don’t Follow Mindlessly
However tempting it may be to go on Twitter and start clicking “follow” next to every username that you see, I advise you to not do that. For one, it is frowned upon by Twitter. For another, following people mindlessly means that you are not giving each person careful consideration. You are just following them for the numbers and not for them, as people.
Even though Twitter is online, it is more important than ever that you give each person basic courtesy by getting to know them. After all, making strong connections is what social media is all about.
5–Don’t Overuse Hashtags
While it is common knowledge that you can use hashtags to help connect your tweets to particular niches or communities on Twitter, it is still not a good idea to use too many. Personally, I don’t know about anyone else, but I am put off by a tweet that has too many hashtags. It sends the message that that person is trying too hard to make connections. I feel that two, or three, good, strong hashtags are sufficient for helping to promote your tweet, account, and ultimately, your brand. Never overuse a good thing.
These are the five things that you should never do on Twitter.
What do you think? What is a big no-no when it comes to social media?
Twitter is a “special” kind of social media platform. I use the word special rather loosely because it is different from Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, or Instagram. While all of these platforms have the common purpose of connecting people all over the world, Twitter doesn’t focus on just images or videos or connections. Instead, it focuses more on delivering concise snippets of news or messages to millions — billions — of people.
Twitter is a breathtakingly fast platform with 280 character tweets buzzing through. It is impossible to go through and read every single tweet that is posted (believe me I’ve tried). That means it is extremely vital that you make your tweets stand out. Or else, they’ll get lost in the world that we like to fondly call Twitter-verse.
Twitter-verse is huge, gigantic, ginormous … there are so many tweets zipping through. There are so many twitter users competing for your attention.
So, how do you do it? How do you gain attention and get enough traffic onto your twitter page and beyond?
1–Follow People (Back)
In order to get people’s attention, you have to first seek them out. First, ask yourself what niche or industry you plan on tweeting about. If you are a writer, then use hashtags #writerslift #writingcommunity #amwriting to help you find and connect with other writers. I personally have found the #writingcommunity very supportive.
Follow the people in these groups. Follow people who seem interesting. Follow people you’d love to sit down and have a cup of coffee with at your local Barnes and Nobles. Don’t just follow people for the sake of following them. Instead follow people you geniunely see yourself being friends with. Take a look at their profile, tweets, and retweets.This should give you an idea of who they are and what they are interested in.
2–Participate in Tweet Chats
One of the ways that you can engage with people on Twitter on a shared topic is through tweet chats. There are so many tweet chats out there. Some tweet chats are for nurses, some are for technology gurus, some are for millennials. Check out this page to find a list of tweet chats, which currently boasts over a 1000 chats. With that many, you are bound to find more than a couple that peaks your interest.
I’ve found tweet chats a great way to chat with like minded people who share some of the same interests as I do. Some of the tweet chats that I’ve participated in are #MillennialTalk (for millennials), #writeandwine (for writers), and #SNHUcareerchat (for students and alumni of Southern New Hampshire University).
Remember to take note of the time and date so you won’t be late to the tweet chat!
3–Create Engaging Content
In order to attract followers, you have to create engaging content. Write tweets about what you did that day. Give advice or words of wisdom. Ask questions. Use polls for multiple choice questions because some people just like to click. Use GIFs and emojis. Have fun with it. Make the tweets your own.
But above all, be authentic and honest. Be you. Let your true self come out.
4–Hashtags Are Your Best Friends
When tweeting, remember to use at least three hashtags. Try to make the hashtags relevant to the tweet. Remember that people find your tweets using hashtags. So take extra care to think of a few well chosen hashtags.
For example, let’s say I tweet this: “I just wrote 500 words!”
I would use the hashtags #writingcommunity #amwriting #writerslife. I am tweeting about writing so I would want to connect with other words.
Once you post the tweet, you can then click on the hashtags and check out the communities that exist there. Read what other people have tweeted about under that hashtag. Go to their profiles. Follow the people that you are interested in.
5–Like, Retweet, and Reply Your Heart Out
Once you have a couple of followers, you’ll start to see some tweets on your feed. While you scroll through them, take a moment to like and reply. If it’s a tweet that you find interesting and want to save, then retweet it.
This is your chance to create relevant, engaging conversations with your followers. Get to know them. Learn what they like and what makes them tick. The more you get to know them, the easier it will be to create more content that will have your followers coming back for more.
If you follow these five steps, you will without a doubt increase your traffic on your twitter account. The most important thing that you can do is to be yourself. Be yourself when creating fun, engaging content. Follow people. Participate in tweet chats. Use hashtags. Read and reply to other people’s tweets.
So, go to twitter and have some fun! Maybe I’ll “see”you around!
I first signed up for a Twitter account back in 2010 but I only ever started using it as an undergraduate student at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). As a Communications major grad with a degree in Communications, I have taken a lot of courses that emphasized the importance of using social media to increase brand awareness and establish long-lasting, powerful connections. As a student at SNHU, I fully immersed myself in many of the major social media sites, such as Google+, YouTube, and, of course, Twitter.
But it is only in November that I really started to use Twitter. Why, you may ask? One word: Nanowrimo. In addition to the wonderful forum offered on the Nanowrimo site, I found a thriving community of writers on Twitter. Hashtags such as #amwriting, #Nanowrimo, and #Nanowrimo2015 allowed me to connect with other Nanowrimo writers.
But it soon became more than that: I not only connected with other writers, I learned more about Twitter, a social media site, I admit, that I was initially confused about. I am going to highlight four main things that I learned from using Twitter…
4.) Hashtags are King in the world of Twitter. Hashtags are used to categorize tweets. Hashtags help your tweets reach people they wouldn’t ordinarily reach. And let’s face it, it’s interesting to see what the world on Twitter is talking about at any given moment. I am, of course, talking about the Trending Tweets that are updated/posted on Twitter.
3.) Trending Tweets are a quick way to learn what is going on in the world. It’s almost like a cheat sheet. Instead of reading the daily newspaper or checking Google News or the New York Times, you can just check out the Trending Tweets and found out what people in your area, your state/country or even the world are talking about. And then, you can join in on the conversation. Though, of course, you should read up on key issues before tweeting or contributing to the conversation.
2.) Follow people in your industry. Follow people you are genuinely interested in. Follow people you want to network with. These are the people (and their tweets) that you will see in your personal feed when you log on to Twitter. Don’t just follow people just for the sake of gaining followers. Glance at the person’s Twitter page and come up with at least one good reason for following them. Are you following a company that you would love to work for one day? A fellow classmate? Someone who you lost touch with over the years? Or were you inspired by something that they tweeted?
And, finally, the biggest thing that I learned on Twitter:
1.) Engage with your followers. Tweet. Respond. Be interested. Keep them interested. Continue the conversation. Twitter is instant and breathtakingly fast. But that doesn’t mean that you have to be. Show each of your followers the level of care and devotion that you’d want to be given. In short, the golden rule applies here… treat your followers the way that you would want to be treated.
Do you agree? Disagree? I’d love to know your thoughts on Twitter. Comment below or tweet me at @hhensell.
