How To Write Tweets That Get Clicks.
If you are using Twitter to send tweople to your blog or website you need to write tweets that get tweople clicking on your links.
I approach writing these tweets like writing a headline.
A hot and compelling headline will promise benefit or reward for the reader, in exchange for the valuable time it takes to click through and read more.
Now, I use this headline type in between other types of tweets. If I was receiving just headline tweets linking to a tweeps own site, I would see this as spammy, and unfollow the tweep. So, I continue to chat, ask questions, suggest interesting articles and most importantly help other tweople. Then, when I have a new blog post up, I will encourage my followers to take a look using a headline tweet.
Recently I came across an excellent piece on writing great headlines, over at Copyblogger. Brian Clark used a section of the Copywriter’s Handbook by Bob Bly, high lighting eight time-tested headline categories that compel action. Carfully adapted and used sparingly, with a little testing and monitoring these headline type tweets will almost certainly encourage your followers to click through the links in your tweets.
Copywriter supreme, Bob Bly suggests these eight, time-tested headline categories that compel action:
(I have edited some of these slightly to fit our needs on Twitter)
* Direct Headlines hit straight at the heart of the matter, without any attempt of subtlety or cleverness. For example “Skittles – 30 Percent Off” A direct style tweet could read “Free SEO E-book For All My Followers”.
* Indirect Headlines take a more subtle approach using curiosity to raise a question in the reader’s mind, which the linked copy answers. You can make the most of a double meaning for this type of tweet. An indirect headline type tweet might be “Fresh Bait Works Best” and yet have nothing to do with fishing, it’s actually about writing timely content that acts as link bait.
* A News Headline is pretty self-explanatory. A product announcement, an improved version, or even a content scoop can be the basis of a compelling news headline style tweet. Think “Introducing Flickr 2.0″ or “My Exclusive Interview With Steve Jobs”.
* The How to Headline is everywhere, online and off, for one reason only – it works like a charm. Bly says that “Many advertising writers claim if you begin with the words how to, you can’t write a bad headline.” I have found this to be true of tweets also. After all, if you found this post via a tweet, it probably included the words “how To”!
* A Question Headline must do more than simply ask a question, especially used as a tweet. It must be a question that the reader can empathize with or would like to see answered. Bly gives this example from “Psychology Today: Do You Close the Bathroom Door Even When You’re the Only One Home?” An example Brian Clark suggests is used way too much in Internet marketing guru-ville (and we are increasingly seeing more of on Twitter) is, “Who Else Wants to Get Rich Online?”
* The Command Headline boldly tells the prospect what he needs to do, such as Exxon’s old “Put a Tiger in Your Tank” campaign. Bly indicates that the first word should be a strong verb demanding action, such as “Get Your Twitter How To Questions Answered Today!”
* The Reason Why Headline. Your tweeted link leads to text consisting of a numbered list of product features or tips, which you then incorporate into the headline tweet, such as “Two Hundred Reasons Why Open Source Software Beats Microsoft.” It is not even necessary to include the words “reasons why.” For example, “10 Ways To Boost Your Twitter Following.”
* Finally, we have the Testimonial Headline, which is highly effective because it presents outside proof that you offer great value. This entails taking what someone else has said about you, your product or service, and using their actual words in your tweet. Quotation marks let your followers know that they are reading a testimonial, which will continue in the linked to page. An example is, “I Turn To @twtr_gator To Maximize My Tweetin’ Efforts” admits Barack Obama. (That one is not true, but a good example)
There are two more points you should also consider.
Firstly, if you are linking to your latest blog posts, a great post headline often makes for a great tweet.
Secondly, always mix these traffic grabbing tweets in with your regular conversational tweets. It does not matter how amazing the content you are linking to is, if all you do is broadcast headline style tweets, you are not interacting with your fellow tweeps. Remember, Twitter always works best when you give more than you look to take.
As I mentioned earlier, if one of your reasons of being on Twitter is to drive traffic to your site, you really should be monitoring the click through numbers and I will show you how I do it in a future post.
If you have any thoughts on this post please do let us know in the comments below.
If you found this post to be useful and interesting please tweet to let your followers know about it.
Love the post. So simple. Then again most really good things are. Keep it up.
I am new to social media and this is very helpful. It is god solid marketing advice and well written. Thanks.
WOW. i’m going to try these tips.
This is very helpful. I write headlines to imitate what I see, but I never knew why or exactly what I was doing. Now I do. Thank you.
Thank you for addressing the issue of getting clicks. We certainly write tweets because we want to make a difference. Often that difference requires sharing information that can’t be delivered in 140 characters. Clicks are the solution. Your information is quite helpful.
Shallie Bey
Smarter Small Business Blog
Simple, helpful comments. Thanks.
Thanks for that! Always looking for fresh and great ideas to get the blog out there.