If you check the Twitter 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 Twitter profile? Let’s look at the facts and give you some advice.
What is a Pinned Tweet?
First of all, a pinned Tweet is one that has been stuck to the top of your Twitter 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 Twitter profile you would immediately see a tweet that I created sometime ago but pinned to the top for maximum exposure:
In Twitter land, 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. 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 Twitter as a way to spread the word about their latest content. Both pinned tweets and regular activity can do this.
Finally, even Twitter 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. First, you need to find the Tweet that you want to pin. Then, click on the inverted triangle on the top righthand corner of the Tweet. This opens a menu with different options for enhancing your Tweet. Within this menu, choose “pin to your profile page.” Finally, wait for the confirmation, refresh, and confirm that the pinned tweet is indeed at the top of your profile. If it isn’t, then repeat the steps above.
Keep in mind, the inverted triangle is only on the web version of Twitter. If you’re a mobile user, then how to pin a Tweet is slightly different. Instead of the triangle, you’ll select the three dots next to your tweet. In other words, the difference is primarily cosmetic. Either way, always check your work. It really is that easy!
How to Unpin a Pinned Tweet
Of course, our need for a particular Tweet to be pinned can and usually does change over time. For instance, public health officials in the recent 18 months or so have made frequent and varying announcements about what’s recommended to protect everyone. If they knew how to pin a Tweet, you can be sure that the pinned Tweet changed somewhat regularly. With that in mind, here’s how to unpin a tweet.
First, go to the pinned tweet at the top of your profile, and select the inverted triangle / three dots at the top righthand corner of the tweet. Within the menu, select the option to unpin the pinned tweet. Doing this will unpin the tweet and no tweet will now be pinned. If you want to simply replace the pinned Tweet, you’ll need to unpin the old one. Then, Pin a new one from scratch. It’s a simple process if you know how.
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.
Further Reading: Why Evergreen Tweets are Critical to Twitter Marketing Success
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 Twitter and include a link to the product or a press release. Then, you can pin the Tweet to draw people to your site.
Further Reading: Here’s How to Tweet a Link with a Preview Image on Twitter
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 will help you choose the right posts. Just remember to replace it when another top traffic-generating Tweet comes around.
Further Reading: How to Find My Top Tweets – and Those from My Competitors – on Twitter?
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. So, by pinning your Tweet you’ll increase the likelihood of a massively successful campaign. Win-win.
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 Twitter 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.
Further Reading: 7 Insanely Effective Ways How to Write Tweets that Drive Traffic
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.
For most of us, the sight of a pinned Tweet seemed odd at first. However, realizing that this technique is similar to sticky notices on forums and message boards means that the technique makes more sense. At the same time, it’s easy to see how pinning a Tweet boosts its overall effectiveness, at least past the first several hours from posting. Time to start pinning!
Hero photo by Amee Fairbank-Brown on Unsplash