What’s your strategy to get people to open your blog via Twitter?

I have seen several methods used on Twitter and have tried most of them. There is the good old “Hit them hard and hit them fast” method.  This method consists of sending 4 – 5  different tweets all with different texts, but very leading as to what the article is about. You hit these tweets 4 to 5 times in a row right after each other, with the same link to the same article. Each tweet says something different. For instance:

Article is really titled “Only 2 days left to buy a pair of Cashmere Gloves for $2”

Your tweets read like this:

Are your hands cold from frostbite? Read this http://yourblog name

Always wanted cashmere but thought you couldn’t afford it? You can now! Read this http://yourblogname

Woman caught red handed with these Read this http://yourblogname (okay that one is really mis leading…but the point is to get them to open the link)

So you get the point from this hit them hard hit them fast method right?  I have used it many times on some of the accounts that I manage for clients and had a lot of success, however I cannot be sure if it is because the clients I represent have such loyal followers or if it is because of the leading tweet I use.  I would like to think it is my leading tweet. But in reality, if your followers are loyal, or if you are a well known brand, then it may not be as easy to figure out why they are clicking. Side note on this method: This can be extremely annoying to some tweeters to have their feed clogged up with your tweets, keep that in mind and do not over abuse this method.

The next method I have seen is the …method. The …method consists of telling part of the story and then cutting the reader off just when it’s getting good. For instance:

Tiger Woods caught cheating with another new lady. This time its….. http://yourblogname

If you want to learn how to move a couch without lifting a finger all you have to do is…. http://yourblogname

This method has been used many times and is probably one of the more successful ones (assuming you are cutting the reader off at the right moment). You  want to give them enough data to get them interested enough to click. This holds true with your blog posts as well. You never want your blog to show the entire post. If you do, your analytic’s software won’t be telling you real data. Your analytic software on your blog should tell you exactly what posts are being read the most and exactly how many people are stopping at the home page and then leaving. If you have the entire story on your home page…well then you really aren’t giving the reader a chance to click on the story. Your blog content management system probably has a code that will allow you to stop the story at a certain break point and then auto insert the words “read more.” Try looking in your help menu if you cannot find it. In WordPress it is called the “Insert More” tag and it is on the visual page not the HTML page.

The last method I thought I would mention is the “Engage with tweeters and then ask them if they have visited your blog” method. It’s probably a lot more work, however once you begin engaging, you will find that you get more quality followers and more loyal followers that will want to retweet your blog posts. I know on my blog, most of my retweets come from my more engaged Twitter users (thank you very much to all of you!).

So, my question to you is what method are you using and how can you see Twitter helping your blog? Do you prefer another social network to Twitter for blogging? Leave a comment and let us know, so we can get the information out to the masses!

And remember, don’t stop blogging!