Thread Starter
Compelling opening posts designed to hook readers into a thread or long-form discussion.
Overview
I read 500 viral threads. The first tweet did all the work. Here's what they share: a specific number, a promise of payoff, a 🧵 cue. Get this single tweet right and the next ten write themselves. Thread Starters are the most under-rated tweet on X.
How to write a Thread Starter
Create massive curiosity in the very first line.
Promise specific, valuable information you'll deliver below.
Include a number (e.g., "7 lessons", "5 mistakes").
End with a thread indicator (🧵) or "thread below".
Open with a specific number: '7 patterns', '500 hours', '50 landing pages'. Numbers signal 'here's what I learned' and 'this is finite'.
Promise the payoff explicitly. 'Here's what they all share' tells the reader exactly what they'll get if they keep reading.
Always end with 🧵 or 'thread below'. Without the cue, readers don't know there's more.
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Reply
Engaging replies to viral tweets — written in your authentic voice.