Craft the Perfect Tweet in Four Easy Steps

Twitter has become a social phenomenon over the course of the last four years, and rightly so.  It is a fun spin on a social network, that has also morphed into a fantastic tool for professionals. Twitter is ideal for fast and short tidbits of information, and has become vital in the PR world.

Tweeting is both an art and a science, and all tweeters must understand the value of a tweet. With room for only 140 characters, each tweet must be carefully crafted to successfully relay a message. This is important real estate we’re talking about!  One’s presence on Twitter is absolutely affected by the quality, content, and crafting of their tweets. With that being said, here are four easy steps to craft the perfect tweet every time:

1. The Meat of the Tweet.  A tweet with a purpose is the best kind of tweet. What is your tweet about? Are you including content—a news article or a picture, maybe? Twitter is a great way to spread content around; you may have even found this blog post in a tweet! Share something interesting or thought-provoking with your followers. (Also, a great way to share links without using up all your 140 characters is to shrink your link. Bit.ly is a great resource for this and improves your chances of a RT!)

2. Be a Conversationalist.  Aim to create a conversation. You want people to reply to your ideas. Ask a question, encourage feedback, and connect with your followers. If you become an active conversationalist, you will inevitably expand your reach on Twitter. Remember to engage with the people you follow as well. Tip: include the @mention of whom you are talking to, and be sure to add a period before @mentions at the beginning of tweets. This will allow your followers to see the tweet, even if it is directed at one person.

3. Use Hashtags.  Include useful, meaningful hashtags in your tweets. A hashtag is used to connect like-minded people, ideas, etc. By including a hashtag in your tweet, others tweeting about similar things can find you, engage in conversation with you, and follow you. For example, a tweet that includes the tag #prssa might attract many Chapters of PRSSA from various schools, while a tweet that uses the tag #buprssa will be most helpful for addressing BU’s Chapter in particular. Know your audience. Who do you want to reach?

4. Improve Your Reach.  The most effective, and easiest, way to improve your reach on Twitter is to have a public profile. By keeping your profile private, you immediately shut down the ability for people to retweet your perfectly crafted tweets, cutting yourself off from the greater conversation. Allow your messages to reach the masses. The greater the reach, the more potential your tweet has for success.

Test it out, let’s see your perfect tweets. Tweet us @buprssa!