If you check the X accounts of many reporters, influencers, and business leaders, you’ll see that they have pinned a Tweet. Just like “pinning” a computer program to your task bar, when you pin a Tweet it means that the content is always available. For that reason, many people choose to Pin their most memorable or important Tweet. But what are these pieces of content, and do you know how to exactly pin something to the top of your X profile? Let’s look at the facts and give you some advice.
Key Takeaways
✅ A pinned tweet sits at the top of your X profile, so it is the first post anyone sees when they land there. That makes it the highest-visibility slot you control on the platform.
✅ You only get one slot on your profile, so the pinned post is worth choosing deliberately rather than defaulting to your latest tweet.
✅ The 12 ideas below sort into four jobs: promotion, social proof, audience building, and traffic. Pick the job first, then pick the tweet.
✅ Likes and reposts keep accumulating on a pinned tweet for as long as it stays up, so the social proof on it builds over time in a way a one-off tweet cannot.
✅ I keep a tweet pinned on my own profile, and it is the first thing you see if you visit my account on X.
What is a Pinned Tweet?
First of all, a pinned Tweet is one that has been stuck to the top of your X profile. This is similar to the “sticky” notices that used to be on old message boards. By making them sticky, administrators could make announcements that everyone would see. Otherwise, the message would get pushed down with new postings, just like other content.
For instance, if you were to go to my X profile you would immediately see a tweet that I created sometime ago but pinned to the top for maximum exposure:
In X, we talk about Pinned Tweets. These have the same effect as a sticky notice: no matter how much someone tweets after Pinning, that particular Tweet will always be at the top. So, if you have an extra quotable saying, or need people to know more about you than you can put in a profile, Pinned Tweets are really valuable.
Why are Pinned Tweets Important?
Simply put, they have the most visibility of any tweet: Everyone who visits your profile and checks out your timeline will first see that tweet. In some sense, they are a nice extension of your profile, and the slot works best as one piece of a wider Twitter marketing strategy rather than a standalone post. However, there’s more to it. You can use the Pinned tweet for a strategic CTA for maximum benefits. Many authors use them for links to a sale page for their book, as an example.
In addition, because of the likes and ReTweets that pinned tweets acquire over time, they also show social proof. For influencers, this feature is especially important. Most social media influencers do most of their work on a single social network. However, they can use X as a way to spread the word about their latest content. Both pinned tweets and regular activity can do this.
Finally, even X says that they will help you gain more followers.
How to Pin a Tweet
With that in mind, it’s important that you know how to pin a Tweet. Start on your own profile and find the Tweet you want at the top. Click or tap the icon at the top of that Tweet to open its menu, then choose Pin to your profile. X asks you to confirm, so click or tap Pin. Those are the steps in X’s own help documentation, and they are the same on the web and in the mobile app.
Once you have confirmed, open your own profile in a browser and in the X app and look at it the way a visitor would. That takes about ten seconds and it is the only way to be sure the pin actually took. Taking one down is the same process in reverse.
How to Unpin a Pinned Tweet
Of course, your need for a particular Tweet to be pinned changes over time. A launch ends or an event passes, and the Tweet that earned the slot last quarter becomes the first thing a visitor sees about something that is already over. That is the usual reason to take one down, and here is how to unpin a tweet.
Go to the pinned Tweet at the top of your profile and open the same menu you used to pin it. Select Unpin from profile, then confirm. Your profile goes back to showing your most recent Tweet at the top until you pin something else. The harder question is what belongs in that slot in the first place.
What Tweet Should You Pin? 12 Ideas for Pinned Tweets
The most obvious answer to this question is a standout Tweet. One that you want everyone to see if they visit your profile. However, along with how to pin a Tweet, you need to know how to pick the perfect one. Other popular Tweets can be altered for use as evergreen Tweets. Here are some ideas to help you choose.
1. You receive an award or some recognition
This one should almost go without saying, but if you win some special recognition for excellence, brag about it. Then, pin the Tweet for all to see. It’ll really help your credibility with both fans and the casually curious. We see notable people do this on a regular basis. Why not you?
2. A strategic marketing campaign / call to action
If your company is doing a major campaign, such as a product rollout or brand awareness initiative, then this is a time you’ll be happy to know how to pin a Tweet. It’s quite easy to make a great announcement via X and include a link to the product or a press release. Then, you can pin the Tweet to draw people to your site.
3. A recent blog post, podcast episode, or YouTube video
While I typically recommend that thought leaders and influencers regularly create and post content, this isn’t always realistic. If you publish infrequently, then your content distribution efforts are more important than ever. After all, there are fewer opportunities to show off your knowledge and talent.
4. Choose one of your most popular tweets in terms of ReTweets or Likes
Another great option is to show off a popular Tweet. Whether people Like, Quote, or ReTweet it, these pieces of content greatly add to your social proof. After all, people don’t interact with just any content, and the bar for sharing it with others is much higher. Knowing how to pin a Tweet can go a long way towards building your influence.
5. One of your most popular tweets in terms of traffic generation
If a particular Tweet is generating a lot of traffic to your website, then it is a prime candidate to be placed at the top of your profile. This is similar to running an advertisement again, or keeping it up, because it’s giving you excellent ROI. However, with pinned Tweets you’re getting free advertising. Smart use of Google Analytics, paired with your Twitter analytics, will help you choose the right posts. Just remember to replace it when another top traffic-generating Tweet comes around.
6. An affiliate product
Likewise, if you are a brand affiliate, then pinned Tweets are a great way to promote your affiliate link. Regular Tweets obviously land in the feeds of people who are following you, your hashtags, or both. However, you’ll always lose a percentage of potential sales from this channel from other Tweets pushing yours farther down the list. When you include your link in your pinning, you’ll reduce this shrinkage.
7. When announcing new products or services
Here’s the thing: people might not see your announcement if it is crowded out by other content. And in addition, you want anybody who visits your brand profile to know what you have to offer. Knowing how to pin a Tweet, and using that skill regularly, will increase exposure. It also has the possibility to increase your ROI from this almost-free distribution channel.
8. A sponsored tweet for maximum exposure
Brands sponsor Tweets because doing so gets results. Whether they want to boost sales or increase brand awareness, your ability to do this well is the key to getting further sponsorships. Pinning the sponsored Tweet also keeps it visible after the paid window closes, which is something promoted tweets cannot do once the budget runs out. So, by pinning your Tweet you’ll increase the likelihood of a massively successful campaign.
9. A client testimonial
Client testimonials are a part of word-of-mouth marketing. This in turn is arguably the oldest form of influencer accolade that there is. Even in the early days of civilization, as soon as more than one craftsperson had a skill there would be competition. For that reason, the more honest or skillful one would grow that business faster. Let these testimonials work harder for you by pinning the Tweet.
10. Announcements of an upcoming event
Everyone should be posting on their blog/website and social media about any upcoming events they’re involved with. This is true whether they are participating, organizing, or helping to sponsor the event. And while most companies distribute this kind of corporate news through email newsletters, smaller players might not have one. Even if there is a newsletter, posting announcements on X increases their visibility. If the Tweet is also pinned, so much the better.
11. Advertising free resources / lead magnet tweets to build up your email list
Lead magnets are a good thing. But if people can’t find them, then they are much less effective than the ones which are front and center. To that end, when there are new resources for customers you should Tweet about them. Then, since you know how to pin a Tweet, you should apply that knowledge.
12. Conduct a poll
Finally, Twitter is a great way to conduct a poll. So long, that is, as your Tweet remains visible long enough for people to see it and start responding. Therefore, you’ll boost the number of responses and accuracy of results when you pin the related Tweet.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pinned Tweets
X puts it in the menu at the top of the post itself. Open your profile, find the post you want featured, tap or click the icon at the top of it, choose Pin to your profile, and confirm. The same menu carries Unpin from profile when you want to take it down.
No. X only lets you pin posts from your own account. If you want to feature someone else’s, quote it in a post of your own and pin that, which also gives you room to add your take.
Change it when the goal changes rather than on a schedule. A launch, an event, or a new lead magnet each earn the slot while they are current, and a strong evergreen post is a reasonable default for the stretches in between.
No. Pinning holds a post in place on your profile and does not push it back into anyone’s timeline. Its reach comes from people who visit your profile rather than from the feed.
Put Your Best Tweet at the Top
Pinning takes about fifteen seconds and most accounts still leave the slot empty or stale. Pick the one Tweet that matches what you are working on right now, pin it using the steps above, and set yourself a reminder to look at it again when that campaign, launch, or event ends. A pinned Tweet only does its job while the thing it points to is still live.
Your pinned Tweet and your bio are the two things a visitor reads before deciding whether to follow you, so it is worth fixing both in the same sitting. My guide to writing a Twitter bio covers the second half of that job. And if you want the wider picture of how one social profile fits into a digital-first approach to growing a business, grab a free preview of Digital Threads.
