How to Write the Perfect Tweet that will get retweeted

It’s kind of like writing an essay on a postage stamp.

Your tweets can only have 140 characters !

And to make it even more of a challenge, tweets only have minutes to get noticed!

So when you are trying to be heard. Trying to make yourself known. You have to make sure your tweets are perfect. Every character counts.

The following a couple of great infographics I have found on the perfect tweet and perfect retweet

So if you want tweets that will get retweeted, here are some tips on how to do it.

Building the Perfect Tweet

When you are writing your tweets, there are a few simple rules to keep in mind:

• Use Link Shorteners to save space (eg. Bit.ly or goo.gl)
• Leave space for retweets (ie. don’t go over about 120 chars)
• Add hashtags to extend your reach (either in the text or at the end – some hashtag tools to help)

Of course the content of your tweet is also very important, and the following should be considered:

• Use correct grammar and complete words – it’s professional (unless chatting of course – then u can go 4 it!)
• Add calls to action when appropriate (eg. please Retweet)
• Share content with links
• Test various headlines, link placement and hashtags (ie split test it)

These are all the things that are going to help you create tweets that get retweeted:

Going Viral with your Tweets

Ok, so now you know how you should be tweeting. Well, more or less. At least you know the kinds of things you can or should add to your tweet.

Now let’s take a look at what has been discovered about going viral with tweets and retweets.

Feel free to read the article I have linked to above, but to keep it short, the important points are:

• Discuss current events (people want to know what is going on – now)
• Include links to your site (without your content in the tweet, it won’t go viral)
• Understand your audience (write appropriately for your audience)
• Ask for retweets (makes it 4x more likely to happen)
• Consider the timing of your tweets (best times to tweet)
• Include influencers in your tweets (30 Influencers to follow)

And just to hammer a few points home, this article from shopify on viral tweets shows:

• 70% of retweets contain a link
• Optimal length is between 100-110 chars
• Tweets with hashtags have 2x the engagement

Constructing the Perfect ReTweet

The tweet and the retweet are very close friends. They have lunch together, go out for drinks on weekends….you know, best friends forever. But you need to understand that there are a few differences between them. So, when you are retweeting, the following are worth thinking about:

• Mention the source (either RT @thename: at the front, or via @thename at the end)
• Change the tweet to suite your audience (add a hashtag, change the title – but don’t ruin it :-0)
• Check the link that you are tweeting (don’t send you followers a dead link)
• If you want further retweets, keep it less than 120 chars

And general twitter etiquette for tweets and retweets:

• Thank people for retweets (if you get lots of retweets – thank in bulk, we don’t need to see 20 thank yous)
• Start or continue conversations with retweets

Summary

Tweeting is not rocket science, but there are a few things you need to learn and apply to make your tweets perfect.

Use the above tips when you see the opportunity and you will find you get more retweets and more engagement.

Images courtesy of MarketingThink