Using the social media platform Twitter is a great way for writers to build their audiences and gain fans. But the marketing experts at Web Design Relief know that the key to success on Twitter is to make sure every tweet isn’t a “buy my book” promotional push—you need better tweet ideas! People want to engage with you as a person and a writer, not as a pushy salesperson. You’ll grow your fan base more effectively if you tweet about what you’re reading, the causes you support, articles you’ve enjoyed, and even some photos of your pets (#caturday is a popular social media hashtag!). If you need some inspiration to get started, we have some fan-growing tweet ideas that will organically build your audience.

20 Fan-Growing Tweet Ideas Especially For Writers

#1. Actively locate your fans—don’t wait for readers to find you among the millions of accounts on Twitter! Use the search tool in Twitter to check hashtags relevant to your interests, find the followers of some of your favorite accounts, and locate people to follow who might be interested in you and follow you back.

#2. Tweet about the books you love! And if the authors of those books are on Twitter, don’t be shy—tag them in the tweet!

#3. Mention your favorite TV shows. There are lots of diehard TV fans on Twitter, and many of them enjoy reading too. Check out some accounts and hashtags that deal with popular shows, and start interacting!

#4. Retweet other people’s tweets. There’s power in the retweet—you’ll make your timeline something your followers will genuinely enjoy sifting through. Be sure to add a comment when you retweet to take the engagement one step further.

#5. Use memes. Humor is a great way to connect with your fans and followers. Reading- and writing-related memes are excellent tweet ideas and will best engage your audience, but anything you find funny will work! Just be sure to use memes the right way by crediting the creator.

#6. Ask for recommendations. Requesting advice from your Twitter followers is a great way to get them to interact with YOU. Ask for recommendations on which book to read next, binge-worthy TV shows, recipes, etc.

#7. Post photos. Having a photo in a tweet boosts engagement. You can tweet photos of book-related events, what you’re currently reading, the cover of the latest journal to publish your work, or the old standby: cute pets!

#8. Start a hashtag. Have something specific you want to discuss or do with people? Start your own hashtag. People have started small writing challenges, book clubs, and more with a hashtag on Twitter.

#9. Be funny! You don’t have to have the skills of a professional comedian—even a bad pun or “dad joke” will work. Humorous tweets are some of the most popular and offer the best odds of going viral.

#10. Tweet about literary journals. The majority of literary journal social media followers will be writers and readers, so the Twitter accounts of literary magazines are great places to see and be seen! Tweet about something you read in a recent issue and comment on the journal’s tweets! If you get published in a literary magazine, be sure they have your Twitter handle. Most will happily tag you in tweets about the issue your work appears in when it’s published.

#11. Know the writing hashtags: #amwriting #amreading #writerslife #amediting #writing #writingprompt #WIP #writingcommunity are some examples.

#12. Offer praise. If you enjoy a tweet you’ve read on Twitter, tweet about it, retweet it, and tag the person who created it in your tweet. You’ll boost your odds of getting your own retweets.

#13. Give shout-outs. Boost some of the accounts you follow by giving them shout-outs on your Twitter account. In this way, you’ll encourage your mutual followers to do the same for you!

#14. Use threads. If you have a funny or interesting story that is longer than the character limit of one tweet (currently 280 characters), utilize threads! Just keep replying to your previous tweet so that your audience can see/click on any of them and immediately read the entire story.

#15. Share interviews. Post a link to any interviews about you or your work. It’s a great way to usher people into learning more about you and your writing. Also share any interviews you conduct.

#16. Post about what you’re reading right now. Give your thoughts on how the plot is progressing, but don’t give away any spoilers!

#17. Play with polls. Conducting a poll is a fun, simple way to engage with your followers and encourage them to interact with you. HINT: Use a popular hashtag in your poll tweet so that more people will see it and participate, since polls are only active for a short while.

#18. Humble-brag about your successes. Don’t be shy about mentioning your accomplishments! Did you get an acceptance in a dream magazine? Win a contest? Speak on a panel? Appear on a list of some sort? Get into an awesome writing retreat? Share the good news! Just be careful to sound grateful, not pompous.

#19. Follow the best-known literary Twitter accounts. Here are just a few: @NewYorker, @WritersDigest, @StephenKing, @writing_tips, @thewritelife, @rgay, @JoyceCarolOates, @parisreview, @MargaretAtwood, and of course, @WritersRelief! Here’s how to use Twitter like a best-selling author.

#20. Join in on trending topics. Find ways to connect what’s trending with writing and reading—the topic doesn’t have to directly connect to you. By thinking outside the box, you’ll reach more potential followers and fans.

Remember, Twitter can definitely be a powerful marketing tool, but you won’t grow a strong follower base without showing your audience your genuine self. If you scroll through your favorite authors’ Twitter accounts, odds are you’ll see more than just promotional material—you’ll see some engagement featuring their interests and opinions too.

Question: What’s your favorite Twitter hashtag?