We can’t believe it’s been 10 years. I guess we could say that time flies while you’re tweeting.

In honor of Twitter’s 10th birthday, we’re reviewing the recipe for the perfect tweet. Twitter is evolving, as you may have heard lately, with a new algorithm-based feed (which you can opt-out of, BTW!) – but that doesn’t mean it’s going anywhere anytime soon! Twitter is still a major social media platform that even the biggest and most popular brands use. A well-crafted tweet is now as important as ever and we’re giving you all the ingredients to engage your Twitter audience.

Keep it short:

While the 140 character limit is here to stay, it’s important to keep your tweets even shorter and even sweeter. Around 100-120 characters is ideal. The less your audience has to read, the better.

Check your grammar & spelling:

Never sacrifice spelling or grammar for the sake of 140 characters. Change your wording before you start messing with your grammar! Always proofread and check your spelling before sending your tweet out into the world. Spelling & grammar mistakes are unforgivable!

Add a visual component:

Add a photo or video to your tweet. As we know and continue to stress to our readers, visual content is key for engagement. A bright, eye-catching image is always going to win the attention of your users over a text heavy tweet.

Always be consistent:

Twitter feeds move FAST. Your tweet can get lost so easily in someone else’s feed. If you consistently tweet and tweet often, your chances of being seen increase greatly. If you ever look at the Twitter feeds of viral websites like Elite Daily or Mashable, you’ll see just how often they send out a tweet.

Only use relevant hashtags:

#Don’t #overload #your #tweets #with #irrelevant #hashtags! All you are going to end up doing is pissing off your followers and inviting them to unfollow you. Use trending and relevant hashtags to your industry. Are you a wedding planner? Use #WeddingWednesday! Stick to three hashtags in your tweet, maximum.

Call your users to action:

A call to action and a sense of urgency, like a sale, will raise your tweet engagement. If you’re advertising something within your tweet, like a new schedule for your pilates studio, always be sure to add the link to the schedule to your message.

Check your image sizes:

The ideal image size for an image within the Twitter feed is 220×440. Anything too big or small will be difficult for your followers to read – and ease is key.

Analyze your data:

After a month of following our recipe, use an analytics tool like Sprout Social to see how well you did. Tools like this will show you informative data on what worked and what didn’t as far as engagement. From there, you can alter your Twitter strategy and switch it up for the next month if needed.

As you can see, the perfect tweet takes careful consideration and crafting. While it may seem daunting at first, Twitter is a great tool for your business or brand – and soon all of this will be second nature. Happy tweeting!