Are you looking for a powerful way to reach users on Twitter? Maybe you should consider writing a Twitter thread.
With Twitter’s 280-character limit, sharing everything you have to say in just one tweet can be difficult. But with a Twitter thread, you can join several tweets to tell a story, build intrigue, or create suspense.
Here’s how to make Twitter threads your followers will love.
What Is A Twitter Thread?
A Twitter thread is a series of connected tweets posted by one creator. Instead of limiting your message to 280 characters like regular tweets, you can create a thread to tell your story or pass important information throughout several tweets. Users will see a “Show this thread” button on the first tweet that invites them to open the thread to reveal more content.
Twitter allows you to add up to 25 tweets in a single thread. You can use this opportunity to elaborate on an idea that cannot be expressed in a single tweet or to showcase your expertise on a particular topic. Each tweet in a thread can feature images, polls, GIFs, etc., to allow you to communicate your message effectively and start conversations.
One Tweet vs. Full Thread
There are two ways to publish a thread – publishing one tweet at a time or publishing the entire thread at once.
Publishing a thread one tweet at a time gives your followers the excitement of a developing story. This method hooks your followers to your page, as they’d want to hear what you have to say next. The one-tweet-at-a-time format is ideal for a live event, announcing a competition winner, or launching a product.
The other option is to publish the whole thread at once. This method gives your followers the benefit of reading a fully-formed story. Content creators can use Twitter thread stories to share their expertise in a particular niche with their followers.
Figure 1: Tweet format for a message you want to control a bit more, like a nuanced company announcement, as done by @TwitterBusiness while launching a test of Professional Profiles. Source: Twitter business
It has been found that Twitter thread stories receive more engagement than single tweets. Twitter users are happy to read threads and engage with the creators. For this reason, you need to focus on creating Twitter threads if you want to generate more content views and become a Twitter influencer.
Why tweet in a thread?
To tell a story, build intrigue, or create suspense
The history of influencers is proof that storytelling always works. The 280-character allowance may not be enough for you to share everything you want to say. You might want to provide an explanation for something or tell a story in great detail. You could be at an event and want to share your learnings with your followers.
Twitter threads 2021 are helpful in all these situations. They are perfect for creating intrigue and building up the climax of a story. Entertained users will be hooked to the end, and they will gladly share your content with their followers.
When using the one-tweet-at-a-time format, it’s advisable to wait at least one hour after publishing the first tweet to publish the second one. Wait for another 15 minutes to publish the third tweet and so on. This staggered format keeps your messages popping up your followers’ timeline, but users begin to lose interest without a large time gap.
If you’re publishing a longer or ongoing campaign, you can always add subsequent tweets several days after the first one. One of the best Twitter thread examples, in this case, is Twitter’s #AlwaysProud campaign in celebration of Pride.
In their first tweet, they published a video about a personal journey. The video was followed by another personal journey video that was part of the series. While each video could stand on its own, threading the tweets helped to strengthen the message.
Figure 2: #AlwaysProud series. Source: Twitter
To follow up on a tweet
If you live-tweeted a thread during an event, you could reply to it, later on, to ask people what they thought about it. This will help you gather actionable feedback that will help you improve the event in the future. Following up on Twitter threads also shows that you’re listening to your audience and driving the conversation with them.
How To Start A Thread On Twitter
We’ll show you how to create a Twitter thread in this step-by-step Twitter threads how-to tutorial.
Let’s get started!
Twitter’s built-in thread feature lets you build a thread with numerous tweets and publish it at once. Here’s how to go about it.
Quick note: The process of creating a thread is the same for the app and the web platform.
Step 1: Compose your first tweet
Open the Twitter app on your Android or iOS device. Alternatively, you can launch the Twitter website at twitter.com. Click the ‘Tweet‘ button to create a new tweet.
The button looks like a floating blue circle with a quill on it. On the website, tap the ‘What’s happening’ box to write your first tweet.
Figure 3: Writing your first tweet
The first tweet introduces your thread to readers, so make it objective and targeted.
Step 2: Add your second tweet
Click the highlighted plus (+) icon to add your second tweet. This will open a text box to let you write your second tweet. The icon gets activated when you start typing your first tweet.
Figure 4: Adding your second tweet.
Step 3: Write the rest of your tweets
Repeat step 2 above to write the rest of your tweets. Click the plus icon to open a text box to create more tweets. Don’t limit your tweets to words. You can add images, graphics or even create a poll to make your tweets engaging. To do this, click the image, GIF, or poll icon below the text box.
Step 4: Publish your Twitter thread
Once you have composed your final tweet, double-check the entire thread for typos. You can move to an individual tweet within the thread and edit it.
If everything is okay, click the Tweet all button to publish the entire thread at once.
Figure 5: Publish the whole thread.
4. Tips For Writing Great Twitter Threads
With this information fresh in your mind, it’s time to create your first thread. But before you do that, study these tips to find out what you need to do to make your thread stand out.
Hook readers with the first tweet
The first tweet in your thread is the most important. This is the tweet your followers see when scrolling their timelines. As such, it should be interesting enough to grab their attention and stop them from scrolling. Otherwise, they will move past your post without reading the rest of the thread.
That’s too much pressure to deal with when you only have 280 characters to express yourself. But don’t panic! Use these tips to create an irresistible first tweet:
- Don’t disclose everything at the start. Give users a reason to open your thread to find out what it’s all about.
- Tell people it’s a thread. Use the thread emoji, or “1/n,” or say “Thread” to let people know that there’s more to read when they open the tweet.
- Avoid clickbait headlines. Write clearly without veering into clickbait territory.
Make it shareable
Like influencers on other platforms, even Twitter influencers leverage off the shareability of posts for a wider reach. These influencers are always known for a few viral tweets that made them popular with the masses. Threads have a high chance of going viral because of the informative content they share. But to pull this off, the thread should contain useful information worth sharing.
Make sure whatever you are publishing resonates with your audience to encourage them to share it. The more people share it, the more engagement your thread attracts. And before you know, you will have thousands of people following you for your amazing content.
Tell a story
People love stories, and they will click to read your thread if you have a nice story to tell. With the help of a Twitter threads app, they will unroll your thread to access the content easily.
Experiment often
Lastly, remember that nothing is set in stone when it comes to creating Twitter threads. Experiment with different styles and content formats to find the best way to connect with users. Read as many threads as possible to learn what to do to make your content stand out.
Cheat Sheet: Notes & Pro Tips
So, you’ve seen how it’s done. Here’s what you need to remember to create a great Twitter thread story.
- Pique interest at the beginning but don’t reveal everything!
- Don’t forget to highlight that it’s your first tweet in a series. Tell people it’s a thread.
- Vary tweet length. Think about how you want people to read. Can you add pauses and breaks in the text?
- Use pictures and emojis.
- Give people a good ending.
- Read as many story threads as you can. Try writing your story out and experiment with it!
Success Story: Twitter Thread by @hey_ciara!
Looking for inspiration for your next Twitter thread? Then you should take a look at Ciara Johnson’s (@hey_ciara) thread that blew up in 2018. Ciara had just quit her corporate job and embarked on a full-time travel journey. She didn’t have a huge following back then. But from a single thread, Ciara managed to score the following: 47,000 retweets. 131,000 favorites. 13,000+ new Twitter followers. 6000+ new Instagram followers…. 10x the blog views and her first affiliate sales!
Figure 6: @hey_ciara’s viral thread. Source: Twitter
The reason Ciara’s thread went viral is that it was incredibly simple and relatable. The thread was about finding cheap flights, but each tweet was loaded with tangible tips that add value to readers. People were excited to test out what she had shared, and they were relieved to discover that the tips actually work.
Ready For The Perfect Tweet(Storm)?
Twitter threads are a powerful tool for influencers to connect with their followers. Without being restricted to 280 characters, you can tell more stories, engage your users, and share valuable content with the world.
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