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Are you interested in getting your content distributed to a wider network? Of course you are. In an earlier post, I advised on the need for sharing widgets. How you construct a link for sharing on Twitter can make a big difference on how often it's distributed. You won't be surprised to hear I have an opinion on how that should be done.

1) The title of the article or post
The very first thing you'll want a reader to see is the name of your post. Your title should have relevant keywords and entice people to open the link. (No one knows better than me that's easier said than done.) Do not put your company name, Twitter ID or any other information in front of the title. Remember, it's not about you, it's about the content.

2) A link to the post
Directly after the title, your reader should be able to click on a link and go to your article. It's not so important the link is shortened because Twitter will do that for you now.

3) The source
After the link, you'll want to identify the source of the article. This separates your content from SPAM and encourages people to click. You don't, however, need more than one identifier. If your Twitter ID easily describes your website, don't include the name of your website.

Good examples

How to silence noisy neighbours http://bit.ly/uch4rM via @smh

[color=blue]Need a resume? We can help: http://bit.ly/ussM1Z via @MiningOilGasJob

Not so good

RT @HarvardBiz – Job Seekers: Get HR on Your Side – Amy Gallo – Best Practices – Harvard Business Review: http://s.hbr.org/uNUREl

[color=blue]Study reveals youth are stressed | Sunshine Coast Health | Fitness and Medical News in Sunshine Coast | Sunshine Coast Daily: http://bit.ly/rqlkRe via @AddThis – This tweet is already 19 characters over the 140 limit on Twitter!

The Take-Away
Take it from one of the pack, readers are a fickle, lazy bunch. The urge to share your content is fleeting, especially if it's too hard. Make sure your Twitter sharing widget is constructing short, sharp tweets leaving plenty of room at the end for a personal endorsement from the reader. People like me are just waiting to share your content with the Twitterverse.

How do you like to see a Tweet constructed?

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