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• Tweet: A Tweet is a message posted on Twitter that can contain text, photos, links and videos.
• Reply: Click ‘reply’ to respond to anyone’s Tweet. Replying to a Tweet is a way to show you’re listening and provide helpful answers.
• Retweet: A Retweet is sharing a Tweet from someone else with your followers. Click the Retweet button to share the Tweet as is, or quote the Tweet to add a comment of your own. 
• Like: A like is a simple way to acknowledge a Tweet. It can also be useful to use as a bookmarking tool if you want to easily find a Tweet again. Tap the heart icon to like a Tweet and the author will see that you appreciate it.
• Hashtag: A hashtag is any word, or phrase without spaces, beginning with the # symbol. People use hashtags to organize conversations and make it easier to find all content related to a given topic. Click on a hashtag to go directly to the search results for that term. Hashtagged words that become very popular are often Trending Topics (e.g. #MotivationMonday, #TravelTuesday).
• Mention: Bring a Tweet to another person’s attention by including their @username in your message. You could use it to ask someone a question, to thank them, or simply to highlight a piece of content. 

•  What to Tweet?
  • Keep it short. With only 140 characters, a tweet can’t be too long, but tweets less than that can grab more attention. If you have a longer message, link to a blog post or website that helps complete your message. Plus, Twitter doesn’t count links, GIFs or images anymore as part of the 140 character count.
  • Make it visual. Use photos and videos to make your tweet stand out. Tweets with images received 150% more retweets than tweets without images, according to Buffer. Use hashtags. See what’s trending and if it applies to your company or brand join the conversation (i.e. #ThursdayThoughts). Don’t overuse hashtags, usually 1-2 is best practice on Twitter.
  • Be direct. Include a call to action in your tweet. Ask people to retweet, click on your link or ask a question. For instance, @discoverboating’s tweets that ask for a retweet see a large number of retweets over those that don’t.
  • Mention influencers. Strategically mention influencers, such as celebrities or news outlets, if it makes sense for your brand or company. For example, check out this @discoverboating tweet highlighting a vintage Sears catalog that sold boats in Apartment Therapy, a top interior design blog. Mentioning both @AptTherapy and @Sears grabbed their attention. @Sears liked our tweet and @AptTherapy retweeted it to their 210k followers, bringing more attention and engagement to Discover Boating.

• When to Tweet?
  • Businesses receive 14% more engagement on weekdays, according to this infographic. Check out best times to post on Twitter and other social networks.
  • Every Twitter account differs. You need to see what times resonate most with your followers and helps attract new ones. Here’s a quick how-to guide on finding these analytics through Twitter Ads. All Twitter accounts should have access to basic features with or without advertising.

For more information on Discover Boating’s Twitter efforts, contact Colleen Richardson at [email protected].