How to compose tweets to promote blog posts

In the previous post in this series, I described how Twitter is our main source of traffic here at The Masquerade Crew. What I didn't describe is exactly how I use Twitter to accomplish it, namely how to compose a tweet that will stand out and encourage people to click.

You see, anyone can advertise a blog post. Lots of people simply say, "Check out my latest blog post." I'm not saying this doesn't work, because you might have some very loyal fans that jump anytime you tweet something to that effect.

How, though, do you reach all of your other Twitter followers?

By the way, the following tips can be used to promote anything on Twitter, but since this is how I compose tweets to promote posts here on this site, that's why I'm gearing the tips to blog posts. But you can certainly apply these tips to advertise books on Amazon, for instance.

Catch their attention.

Which would most likely encourage a click from someone who doesn't know you?

Here's my latest blog post.
Frogs, turtles, and my 5 year old.

Sounds like there might be an interesting story with the second one. The first one could be anything and that means boring.

Ask a question.

What do frogs, turtles, and my 5 year old have in common?

I state this because it does work, but I often add something like this: details here, or check out the answer here ... because people don't see the link and answer the question on Twitter.

If they do answer the question, that means a conversation has started ... so it's all good.

Of course, if your question is the above, I would highly doubt you'd get any real answers directly on Twitter, though there's always that one guy, you know.

Ask a question in the form of a statement.

This is the What, When, Where, Why, and How situation, but instead of simply asking a question, put it in the form of a statement, which could encourage people to click to find out.

When my 5 year old first encountered frogs and turtles in our backyard.

And as a side note, you'll notice that the above tweet adds more info about the blog post...

More than one tweet per blog post ... Diversify.

I lot of blogs don't promote on Twitter at all, though they do have an account. Others put out one tweet per blog post, which is only slightly better.

I say the more tweets the better. Well, up to a certain point. But there's nothing wrong with composing 5 to 10 tweets for a blog post and spreading them out throughout the day.

But don't forget to use different tactics for each tweet: ask a question, ask a question in a statement, and so forth.

Now, it's your turn. What do you like to do on Twitter to direct attention to your blog posts?

By the way, I have more tips, so stay tuned. Plus, I'll share some of your tips as well, so please, comment below.