Twitter is better known as the place where you can post short but devastating (in a funny, perceptive, scary or boring way) messages for millions of people to see.
But over the years, Twitter has become a real tool for self-expression and marketing, and it has evolved to better suit the needs of users.
This is why many Twitter users now write not only individual tweets, but also threads!
In this article, you will learn what Twitter threads are and what makes them so valuable. We’ll also look at the top Twitter thread formats you should use to grab your audience’s attention, explode your Twitter growth and even potentially go viral.
- Why write a Twitter thread?
- The advice thread
- The complex topic thread
- The expert skill/knowledge thread
- The “how I did it” thread
- The story thread
- The visual thread
- The compilation thread
Why write a Twitter thread?
Twitter is more than just a platform for venting your random thoughts so you don’t have to sit with them alone!
Twitter is a marketing and networking tool. The best users understand the upside to having a powerful Twitter presence, and while some just use the platform to share their random daily thoughts, the pros are busy making a name for themselves and establishing themselves as authorities in their niche.
There are several ways one can build their online reputation as an expert – from sharing high-value tweets, giving insightful commentary on current affairs and displaying their knowledge — but Twitter threads are how they get everyone to stop and think “Wow, she knows what she’s talking about. I’m going to follow her!”
Writing a Twitter thread is the best way to show the extent of your knowledge and the depth of your wisdom.
On a platform where everyone is sharing platitudes and boring tweets you could easily scroll past, Twitter threads show that you have insight to offer, that you do your research and take time to clarify your thoughts, and that whenever you share something, there’s a lot of value to be gained in paying attention.
Threads display your unique style of thought and writing and they let everyone know what ideas you like, what interests you, and what you’re good at.
That’s the power of threads! Every day on Twitter, the people who get it are using them to build their audience, create opportunities, expand their networks, and signal to like-minded individuals that they could get together and do amazing things.
How exactly can you write your thought-provoking, scroll-stopping threads? Keep reading to learn about 7 Twitter thread formats you can use to make everyone stop and take notice.
The advice thread
The first type of Twitter thread the pros have mastered is the advice thread.
As the title indicates, this is a great thread with life lessons, realizations or some reflections. When an advice thread is good, finding it feels like stumbling upon that one revelation you’ve been waiting for to turn everything around. It makes you feel like scrolling isn’t a waste of time!
If your life has taught you a lot about various things, these are the types of threads you should be writing. The key is to have authentic advice that’s useful and anything but generic.
If that’s not you, you can also try to paraphrase Marcus Aurelius or one of the other stoics, but be warned! Accounts shilling ripped-off philosophy and sage zen wisdom are a dime a dozen, and you’ll have more success writing the other threads below than repeating the same old stuff.
Here is a stellar thread by Naval on “How to Get Rich (without getting lucky).” This thread was such a success for various reasons. First, who doesn’t want to get rich? Secondly, this thread offered actual, solid advice compared to your typical best-selling motivational book.
Share your tips genuinely and clearly to provide real value to your audience – they will thank you for it!
The complex topic thread
The next type of thread you can use to show off your brilliant thinking and your follow-worthiness is a Twitter thread on a complex topic or subject that you know something about.
This type of thread is a guaranteed winner because the world has no shortage of things people don’t or only partially understand. When someone comes along and so kindly breaks down something that’s been puzzling everyone, the Twitterverse has no choice but to pay attention — class is in session!
The best Twitter users grasp this fundamental concept and are always on the lookout for topics people can’t seem to wrap their heads around. When they find them, they are the first to make sense of what’s happening and share it in a detailed yet simplified way that everyone can appreciate.
Of all of the different kinds of Twitter thread you can use, this one gives you a relatively high chance of success. All you have to do is stay on the lookout for topics in the news that everyone is talking about – but not necessarily getting the full picture. When you find one, do your research and get a grip on what’s going on, then put it all in a thread and share it!
You don’t even have to wait for news topics – you can find subjects in your niche that people usually get wrong and go in-depth on them. That way you’re not only waiting for stories to find you, but you can actively seek them out for yourself.
With the rapid deterioration of the Russia/Ukraine situation, you’re going to hear a lot about SWIFT in the coming days…
Here’s a quick breakdown of what it is and why it matters:
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) February 24, 2022
Above is a great example of a thread explaining a complex current affairs topic so everyone can understand what’s going on. Notice how the first tweet of the thread starts by pointing out the complexity involved and ends stating that it does matter, letting everyone know to pay attention.
If you’re going to write a thread on a complex topic, don’t find random things no one couldn’t be bothered about. Find subjects people are talking about and act quick!
The same thread above doesn’t have half the success it does if it’s shared a week or a month after everyone’s forgotten about the topic or had it explained to them by their favorite news reporter.
The expert skill/knowledge thread
The use of unexpected camera height choices in this scene from THE GRAY MAN (Russo Bros, 2022) reminded me of what I still insist is the finest scene in any MISSION IMPOSSIBLE movie… pic.twitter.com/3RuCKp3w2a
— Devan Scott (@SadHillDevan) February 23, 2023
Another type of thread that does well on Twitter is a thread sharing your expert skill or knowledge. If you’re going to be known for something on Twitter, being known for doing one thing exceptionally well would be a great position to be in.
Twitter is filled with all kinds of experts – you probably know some – but the best ones are the ones that let everyone in on how they make the magic happen from time to time.
The expert skill thread is powerful because it lets everyone know what you’re about. That way, you create opportunities for yourself and you stick onto a lot of people’s radars once they know you’re legit. Plus, there’s the added benefit of building an audience that wants to learn from you!
If you have ambitions of one day monetizing your account, sharing expert knowledge is one of the best ways to build an audience that allows for that. You’ll have no shortage of people offering to work with you in some way, and if you ever release a course or a guide, there’ll be people ready to part with their money the moment it’s available.
To pull this thread off, you’ll need to have some skills or talent to show for yourself. If that’s not you, don’t worry, all experts start somewhere and you can begin by sharing threads on your journey to expert status!
Think about it: if you spend a month learning how to code, there is a lot a person that’s never tried it could learn from you, and you could write for them. In that sense being an expert is kind of relative! The point is you should be writing and actively building an audience whatever level you’re at.
Here is a great example of an expert skill thread from Dickie Bush. He is one of the founders of the Ship 30 for 30 Cohort, and if you follow him for any length of time you’ll quickly realize he is one of the most prolific writers on Twitter.
To write your expert thread, think about something your followers could do to get the same results as you. It could be a system you use, sources you rely on, or resources your followers could get to work as well as you do. Whatever it is, if it can help your followers get to your level, put it in a thread and share it.
The “how I did it” thread
The fourth type of thread format you could borrow from the pros is the “how I did it” thread. If you’re a creator or entrepreneur, one of the most powerful pieces of content you could make is a breakdown of how you accomplished something.
On Twitter, that takes the form of a thread!
And no, this type of thread is the same as the expert thread we mentioned above. The difference between this thread and the expert thread is that it is more specific to an accomplishment or a goal, whereas experts share niche tips, processes and general overviews of what it takes to get to a certain level.
The “how I did it” thread specifically relates to how a goal was achieved, which could be something like launching a business, landing a client, achieving a certain amount of revenue in a given time, getting a certain number of subscribers, or something of that nature.
Naturally, this thread requires you to have accomplished a goal you know your followers would like to achieve, too. In this thread, you would lay out a roadmap that if somebody followed and had the same bit of luck you had, would lead them to a similar achievement
This is a powerful thread to use because you’ll find that a lot of people in your audience follow you because they aspire to have the same success you’ve had!
The “how I did it” thread is how you help your audience achieve their goals, and if you share a lot of them in great detail, you’ll be rewarded with a loyal audience and the knowledge that you’ve truly positively impacted the lives of the people that look up to you.
The story thread
The fifth type of thread you should use is the story thread.
The story thread is an incredible asset because the stories you share don’t even have to be yours for them to be thread-worthy!
If you’ve got a talent for recounting stories, put it to use and write as many such threads as you can. They could be stories from your own life, from relatives, or even ones you read or heard about somewhere.
As useful as Twitter can be, it’s also just another place where people come to get entertained and a great story thread is always well-received.
Here is an example of an amazing story thread. This one gets bonus points for having unraveled in real-time, but the point is that a great story gets people engaged and invested, and that’s what you should aim for!
The last two kinds of thread are slightly different from the rest, but remain effective for growing your Twitter account and getting your audience engaged. They are particularly good if you don’t fancy yourself a master wordsmith!
The visual thread
If you’re a visual content creator, the visual thread is one of the best ways to share your ideas or even your work. The great thing about it is that visual content has been shown to generate 70% more engagement than a basic tweet – so don’t hesitate!
How to Get Rich (Without Getting Lucky)
One of @naval's most famous threads, visually explained.
🧵 👇 pic.twitter.com/J5NpwYoaQB
— shivsak (@shivsakhuja) May 24, 2022
In this example, Shivsak takes Naval’s thread we mentioned earlier and shares the ideas expressed in it through a thread of images.
Another way to use a visual thread is to do so to share your ideas. As you know, pictures are worth a thousand words, so adding images to your threads will help you get your point across even if you’re not the strongest of writers!
A great example of this is Alex using images to relate ideas about a topic he loves.
The compilation thread
All you have to do to make a compilation thread is find a lot of similar or related share-worthy things and put them together in a thread. You could do this with other people’s threads or tweets, with recommendations, resources, links, or any collection of things you’d like to share with people.
A compilation of threads like the one Hypefury CEO Yannick Veys made is one of the most popular ways to do this. In the thread, he shares a compilation of visual threads to show how powerful sharing ideas in a visual format can be.
Another great example of a compilation thread is this thread from the AngelList account sharing a compilation of blogs from founders Naval and Nivi, giving out startup advice.
The Twitter thread is a powerful tool if you want to establish yourself as an attention-worthy personality. By making Twitter threads a part of your strategy, you’ll be able to show your followers how valuable you are.
To learn more about how to use Twitter for marketing, check out Hypefury’s Ultimate Guide!
