Recently, a research team from Cornell University data-mined Twitter to see if they could discover what makes a tweet popular. The research team looked at pairs of tweets that were on the same topic, in a similar time frame, and from the same user. They discovered a variety indicators pointing to which tweets will be retweeted more; here are some of the findings:

1. Ask your followers to share. Tweets including phrases such as “please retweet” helped the spread of the tweet.
2. Be like the community and true to yourself. Messages that conformed to expectations were more easily accepted and therefore, shared.
3. Imitate headlines. Headlines tend to be informative and attention-getting, resulting in increased popularity.
4. Write clearly. Brevity is the soul of wit; the easier a tweet is to read, the better.

Still not sure you can create that great retweetable tweet? Well, the researchers didn’t stop with their findings, but used them to create “Retweeted More,” an online tool where you can write, compare, and optimize the retweetability of your tweet based on their algorithm. Here’s an example:

Can data mining help you create the perfect tweet? Retweeted More thinks so.

Leveraging Retweeted More’s online tools can help you maximize retweetability.

As you can see the tweet on the right is predicted to do better. Think you’ve got it now? Are you ready to go out and craft retweetable tweets? Test your skills by taking this quiz to see if you can spot which tweet is more likely to be retweeted.

Now, this is just one tool you can use to optimize your reach on Twitter. If you have more questions about developing your Twitter presence and getting your message to your audience, please leave your questions in the comments section or contact us to see how Interprose can help you tap into the retweetable you.