---
name: twitter-thread
description: Create X/Twitter content across all formats - single posts, long-form essays, and threads.
---

# Skill: X/Twitter Post

Create engaging X content across all formats that educate, entertain, and grow your audience.

## Three Formats: Know Which You're Writing

### 1. Single Post (under 280 characters)
Quick insight, announcement, or hot take. Gets to the point immediately.

### 2. Long-Form Post (280-5000+ characters)
Deep dive on a single topic. Structured with clear sections. Teaches something specific.

### 3. Thread (5-15 tweets)
Multi-tweet sequence. Numbered, consistent structure. Sweet spot: 7-10 tweets.

## Specifications

| Format | Length | Best For |
|--------|--------|----------|
| Single post | Under 280 chars | Hot takes, announcements, quick wins |
| Long-form | 500-5000+ chars | Guides, breakdowns, stories |
| Thread | 5-15 tweets | Step-by-step, lists, deep analysis |

---

## The Hook Is Everything

The first line determines whether anyone reads the rest.

### Pain Point Hook
Lead with a problem people feel:
> Motion graphics were always the hardest part of making videos for me. Hours in After Effects for 10 seconds of movement.

### Contrarian/Surprising Hook
Challenge what people assume:
> Most WordPress speed advice is wrong. I've tested every major optimization.

### Scale/Numbers Hook
Concrete numbers grab attention:
> I cut our hosting spend by 94%. From $120/month to $7.
> 800+ client sites. Same 6 plugins on every single one.

### "Wait, what?" Hook
Create confusion that demands explanation:
> I stopped using caching plugins on my fastest site.

### Bold Claim Hook
State something big, then back it up:
> You don't need expensive hosting to get a fast WordPress site. I'll prove it.

### What Makes a Good Hook
- Specific > vague ("800 sites" not "a lot of sites")
- Surprising > expected (challenge assumptions)
- Personal > generic (your experience, your numbers)
- Complete thought > cliffhanger (X isn't clickbait territory)

---

## Hook Analysis: Why Some Posts Go Viral

Study what works by analyzing the hook, not just copying it.

**Example: same content, different hooks:**
- "this tool helps you build apps" = low engagement
- "I built an app in 10 minutes" = moderate engagement
- "how is this legal" = massive engagement

The difference isn't the content. It's the **implied emotion**. The third hook triggers curiosity and mild outrage. When writing hooks, ask: what emotion does this trigger in the first 2 seconds?

**The formula:** Hook emotion + specific detail + implied payoff

---

## Single Post Structure

### The Announcement
```
[Pain point or context - 1-2 sentences]
[Solution or news - 1 sentence]
[What's in it / what you get]
[CTA]
```

### The Insight
```
[Observation or data point]
[Why it matters]
[What to do about it]
```

### The Breakdown
```
[Thing that happened / thing you noticed]
[The pattern behind it]
[Specific numbers or proof]
[Takeaway]
```

---

## Long-Form Post Structure

### The Guide/Tutorial
```
[Hook: problem you're solving]
[Credibility: why you can speak to this]
[Overview: what you'll cover]

[Section 1: Problem context]
[Section 2: Solution overview]
[Section 3-N: Step-by-step with specifics]

[Results/Numbers]
[Caveats/Edge cases]
[TL;DR]
[CTA]
```

### The Analysis/Breakdown
```
[Hook: what happened]
[Context: why it matters]
[The thing everyone gets wrong]
[How it actually works - with specifics]
[What this means]
[Where this is going]
[What to do about it]
```

### The Personal Story + Lesson
```
[Hook: situation or decision]
[Background: how you got here]
[What you did - with specifics]
[Results - with numbers]
[What you learned]
[What it means for the reader]
```

---

## Thread Structure

```
Tweet 1: Hook (stops the scroll)
Tweet 2: Context/Setup (why this matters)
Tweet 3-N: Main content (value delivery)
Tweet N+1: Summary/Takeaway
Tweet N+2: CTA (follow, retweet, link)
```

## Thread Hook Formulas (Tweet 1)

### The Promise
```
I've spent 16 years building WordPress sites.

Here are 10 lessons that took me $100K+ to learn:

🧵
```

### The Story Start
```
In 2019, I lost my biggest client.

It was 40% of my revenue.

What happened next changed how I run my business:
```

### The Contrarian
```
Most WordPress speed advice is wrong.

I've tested every major optimization.

Here's what actually works:

🧵
```

### The Curiosity
```
The best-performing website I ever built broke every "rule" I knew.

Here's what it taught me:
```

### The List Preview
```
10 WordPress plugins I install on every client site.

Not the popular ones. The ones that actually matter.

🧵
```

### The Bold Claim
```
You don't need expensive hosting to get a fast WordPress site.

I'll prove it.

🧵
```

## Tweet Templates

### Context Tweet (Tweet 2)

```
First, some context:

[Brief background]
[Why you're qualified to share this]
[What they'll learn]
```

**Example:**
```
First, some context:

I've shipped 800+ WordPress sites since 2009.
Worked with IBM, Adobe, Canva, and 800 other clients.
Made every mistake possible along the way.

Here's what I know now that I wish I knew then:
```

### Content Tweets (Tweets 3-N)

**Numbered format:**
```
1/ [Point]

[Explanation]

[Example or proof]
```

**Emoji format:**
```
⚡ [Point]

[Explanation]

Why it matters: [Impact]
```

**Story continuation:**
```
Then [what happened next].

[What you learned]

This taught me: [Lesson]
```

### Summary Tweet

```
To recap:

1. [Point]
2. [Point]
3. [Point]
4. [Point]
5. [Point]

The thread in one sentence: [Key takeaway]
```

### CTA Tweet (Final)

```
If this was helpful:

1. Follow @[handle] for more [topic]
2. RT the first tweet to help others
3. Bookmark this thread for later

And if you want more: [Link or offer]
```

## Thread Templates by Type

### How-To Thread

```
Tweet 1 (Hook):
How to [achieve result] in [timeframe]:

A step-by-step guide:

🧵

Tweet 2 (Context):
This process helped me [result].

It takes about [time] and requires [prerequisites].

Tweet 3-N (Steps):
Step 1: [Action]

[How to do it]
[Common mistake to avoid]

[Continue for each step]

Tweet N+1 (Summary):
That's it. The TL;DR:

1. [Step]
2. [Step]
3. [Step]

Now go [apply it].

Tweet N+2 (CTA):
Want more [topic] threads?

Follow @[handle].

I share [frequency] about [topics].
```

### Story Thread

```
Tweet 1 (Hook):
[Dramatic moment or confession]

Here's what happened:

Tweet 2-3 (Setup):
[Background]
[How you got there]
[The stakes]

Tweet 4-6 (Conflict):
[What went wrong]
[The struggle]
[The turning point]

Tweet 7-9 (Resolution):
[What you did]
[The outcome]
[What changed]

Tweet 10 (Lesson):
The lesson:

[Key takeaway in 2-3 sentences]

Tweet 11 (CTA):
If you enjoyed this story:

[Follow/RT/bookmark request]
```

### Breakdown Thread

```
Tweet 1 (Hook):
[Company/Person/Strategy] [achieved result].

Here's exactly how:

🧵

Tweet 2 (Overview):
First, let's look at what they did differently:

[Brief summary]

Tweet 3-N (Analysis):
[Element 1]

[What it is]
[Why it works]
[How to apply it]

[Repeat for each element]

Tweet N+1 (Takeaways):
Key lessons from [subject]:

1. [Lesson]
2. [Lesson]
3. [Lesson]

Tweet N+2 (CTA):
[Standard CTA]
```

### List Thread

```
Tweet 1 (Hook):
[Number] [things] for [audience/result]:

The list you'll bookmark:

🧵

Tweet 2-N (Items):
1. [Item]

[Why it's good]
[Link or how to get it]

[Repeat for each item]

Tweet N+1 (Bonus):
Bonus: [Extra item or tip]

Tweet N+2 (CTA):
Which one are you trying first?

Let me know in the replies.

And follow @[handle] for more [topic].
```

---

## Voice & Tone for X

### Be Direct
Cut the preamble. Get to it.

Bad: "I've been thinking a lot lately about how WordPress hosting has changed, and I wanted to share some thoughts..."

Good: "WordPress hosting has changed. Here's what I'm seeing."

### Lowercase for Casual Authority
Drop capitalization for a conversational feel in insights and breakdowns:
> the formula is **stupid simple**
> no explanation. no tutorial voice. just pure results.

Use proper capitalization for professional/credibility pieces and announcements.

### Bold for Emphasis
Use **bold** to highlight key phrases readers should remember:
> **94% cheaper**. same performance. different host.

### Specificity = Credibility
Don't say "saved money" -- say "cut spend from $120/month to $7"
Don't say "it took a while" -- say "15 hours across a weekend"
Don't say "it worked well" -- say "TTFB dropped from 1.2s to 0.18s"

---

## Writing Rules

### Each Tweet/Section Should:
- Standalone (make sense without context)
- Deliver value
- Flow to the next
- Be under 280 characters (threads)

### Formatting:
- Use line breaks liberally
- One idea per paragraph/tweet
- Numbered when sequential
- Emoji sparingly (visual breaks)
- **Bold** for key phrases

### Voice:
- Direct and confident
- Personal ("I" not "one")
- Conversational
- No filler words

## CTAs That Work on X

### The Comment Trigger
> Comment "GUIDE" and I'll DM you the link

### The Connection Ask
> (Make sure we're connected so I can DM you)

### The Link Drop
> Check it out: [link]

### The Soft Invite
> If you're building in this space, I'd love to hear from you. Reply to this.

---

## Engagement Optimization

### Hook Matters Most
- Spends most time in feeds
- Determines if people click "Show more"
- Test multiple hooks for the same content

### Make It Bookmarkable
- Practical value
- Reference material
- Clear structure

### Encourage Engagement
- Ask questions in thread
- End with CTA
- Reply to comments

## Posting Strategy

### Timing
- Test your audience
- Generally: 8-10am or 12-2pm
- Weekdays > weekends (usually)

### Promotion
- Reply to your own thread/post with link
- Quote-tweet highlights later
- Cross-post to other platforms

### Follow-Up
- Reply to commenters
- Thank retweeters
- Answer questions

---

## What to Avoid

- **Thread bait without substance** -- Don't promise "10 things" then deliver fluff
- **Humble bragging** -- Either brag or don't, but pick one
- **Vague promises** -- "This changed everything" means nothing without specifics
- **Over-explaining** -- X readers are smart; don't patronize
- **Repetitive parallel structure** -- Avoid "No X. Just Y." patterns repeated multiple times (feels AI-generated)
- **Generic CTAs** -- "Like and retweet" is weak; give them something specific to do
- **Burying the value** -- Put the good stuff up top, not after 500 words of context

---

## Quality Checklist

- [ ] Hook stops the scroll
- [ ] Each section/tweet delivers value
- [ ] Numbered for easy following (threads)
- [ ] Flows naturally
- [ ] Summary included (threads)
- [ ] CTA at the end
- [ ] Under 15 tweets (threads, unless exceptional)
- [ ] Proofread
- [ ] Would I bookmark this?
- [ ] Would I retweet this?
- [ ] Sounds human (not AI)

## Performance Metrics

| Metric | Good | Great | Viral |
|--------|------|-------|-------|
| Likes | 100+ | 500+ | 2000+ |
| Retweets | 20+ | 100+ | 500+ |
| Bookmarks | 50+ | 200+ | 1000+ |
| Replies | 20+ | 50+ | 200+ |

Track what works. Double down on those formats.
