Ten years ago, a young entrepreneur named Jack Dorsey changed Internet history with five words: “just setting up my twttr.” It was the first of billions of tweets that have been posted on Twitter ranging from the mundane to the momentous.
Dorsey’s tweet has racked up an impressive 103,000 retweets since it was posted, but that figure pales in comparison to the most popular posts on the platform. Here we look back at the 10 most retweeted-tweets of all time, according to the retweet-tracking website Favstar. (Twitter declined to provide an official list.)
The list outlines the many ways Twitter is often used—as a place for political proclamations, celebrity musings and, of course, selfies.
Use the share icon ( on iOS, web, and Android) from the top right of the List’s detail page, and choose from: Copy link to List; Send via Direct Message; Tweet this; To view Tweets from a List. Go to your Lists tab. Click or tap the List you'd like to view. You'll see a timeline of Tweets from the accounts included in that List. Type your Tweet (up to 280 characters) into the compose box at the top of your Home timeline, or click the Tweet button in the navigation bar. You can include up to 4 photos, a GIF, or a video in your Tweet. Click the Tweet button to post the Tweet to your profile. Tweet with a location You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. The memes and jokes to come out of the interview on Twitter were frankly legendary. Here are 30 of the best. Michelle Collins @michcoll.
10. Andrew Malcolm
A lot of tweets that go viral claim that amassing retweets will cause some actual good in the real world. So it was with this tweet, which said the dog food company Pedigree would provide a meal to a canine for each retweet.
Pedigree did indeed have a #tweetforbowls campaign last year, but the company said it reached its goal of donating 210,000 bowls to dogs in need three days before Andrew Malcolm’s tweet was actually sent. So it’s not clear these RTs actually accomplished anything. Pedigree didn’t respond to an email seeking clarification, but even today Twitter users regularly use this message and image to rack up RT’s.
9. Harry Styles
The One Direction member gave fans an uplifting message the day former member Zayn Malik announced he was leaving the group.
8. Adam Saleh
Popular YouTuber Adam Saleh made waves after posting this video claiming he was removed from a Delta flight after speaking Arabic on board. But it was later revealed that Saleh often makes prank videos and may have sparked the incident to get the footage.
7. Barack Obama
The departing President left office with a series of tweets thanking his supporters for their work over the last eight years, and encouraging them to stay active in the future.
6. Barack Obama (again)
There are a few famous people who use Twitter besides One Direction, including the President of the United States. On the night he was reelected in 2012, Barack Obama’s staff posted this image of the president embracing First Lady Michelle Obama. It became the most retweeted-tweet ever at the time.
5. Camila Cabello
Camila Cabello, a singer and then a part of girl group Fifth Harmony, originally racked up more than a million retweets with this simple message. However, Twitter’s now showing just 51,000 RTs on the tweet, though it’s unclear why.
4. Denny Januar Ali
A pair of tweets by Indonesian political analyst Denny Januar Ali have racked up a combined 2.5 million retweets. In one, he is backing Indonesian presidential candidate Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. In the other, he is calling for an end to discrimination and pictured with a group of adorable kids in the accompanying photo whose shirts spell out “love.”
The popularity of these tweets is a reminder of Twitter’s global reach. Eighty percent of social network’s users reside outside the United States.
Top Tweet Finder
3. Louis Tomlinson
One Direction member Louis Tomlinson embraced his bromance with fellow member Harry Styles in this 2011 tweet. As the band’s stature grew, the tweet kept being recirculated and has now racked up more than two million retweets.
2. Carter Wilkerson
Carter Wilkerson is a man on a mission: A mission for free chicken nuggets. Twitter, occasionally a wonderful place, is trying its best to help.
1. Ellen DeGeneres
It took half of Hollywood to topple One Direction on Twitter. This star-studded selfie from the 2014 Academy Awards includes Bradley Cooper, Lupita Nyong’o, Jennifer Lawrence, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey and literally half a dozen other extremely famous people.
Within hours it became the most-retweeted post in Twitter’s history and spawned a Simpsons parody. But the feeling of spontaneous exuberance at the heart of the image’s appeal was sullied when The Wall Street Journal reported the picture was in part product placement for Samsung’s Galaxy phone.
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For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.Looking for good tweet examples for your Twitter marketing? Good tweets are super easy when you have a great resource to get your ideas flowing!
Most of my posts are just so I have my research handy to use wherever I am…this one is no exception. I spend A LOT of time crafting tweets (and blog post titles) that I think will be “tweetable” or “sharable”. This list is what I use to get the creative juices flowing.
if you are an author of one of these tweets and would like it taken down, please just let me know…if you have a great tweet example that I have not included, please leave a comment and I will review it for inclusion!
Using Unique Characters
- T.W.I.T.T.E.R = Tweet With Integrity To Then Earn Respect. – Milana Ryan (@PfPioneer10m)
- •• Wanted — Ambitious – Hard Working Individuals! ••>>> http://dk-rec.info/PTS (@Davy_robot)
- This. Is concerning. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/radioactive-ground-water-under-fukushima-nears-sea … #radioactive (@JimDuncan)
- If It Fits, I Sits: A Supercut Of Animals Sitting In Small Spaces (VIDEO) http://huff.to/1d7AP6L via @HuffPostComedy (@JodyZimmerman)
- [Denver Weather] Your Weekend Forecast For Denver, CO (80247) http://dlvr.it/3rcC6F (@DENSmallBiz)
- $CRMwow! Shorts be scrambling. Maybe wait a bit now to start a new position. (@jimcramer)
- TAKE NO MORE @Seb_Kirby ★★★★★ review ‘NEVER would have guessed who the culprit was.’ http://ow.ly/osCYo Pls RT #BYNR (@Seb_Kirby)
Free Offers
- #helpeve ASK QUESTIONS. GET ANSWERS. give a little, get a little. Its free. http://buff.ly/1d2rjmm (@projecteve)
- 50 Free Fonts, Part 1 http://bit.ly/1201LiF (@terrinakamura)
- [REPORT] Strategy checklist, how to organize your business for social & more from @wildfireapp. #WFbyGoogle http://goo.gl/dJKcB (@wildfireapp)
- Free White Paper: 50 Best Practices to Go Beyond Landing Pages. Get your free 25-page guide today! (@ioninteractive)
- Did you get your free P&G coupon book yet? If not, get it here: http://ow.ly/obKTj (@drugstoredivas)
- Hey guys, we've prepared something for you. http://www.topeleven.com/fan-kit/#!fankit-twheaders … ← Click the link and download FREE #topeleven headers for your profile! (@topeleven)
Intriguing Posts That Are Hard Not To Click
- How One Brand Switched A Million URLs & Lived To Tell About It: 5 Questions With @HomeAdvisor http://selnd.com/18WkBZg (@sengineland)
- Can a single word make your subject line more effective? http://bit.ly/14IheVF (@effectiveemail)
- The Change in Quality Score Reporting: What REALLY Happened? | WordStream http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2013/08/26/quality-score-reporting-change … (@WordStream)
- (So gosh darn amazing!) London Panorama Drawing – the view from the Shard: http://vrl.ht/176F #creativity (@avinash)
- If you aren't using the new Facebook Ads reporting, you're missing out. A huge improvement from the previous version (@glenngabe)
- This Louisville #startup @collabramusic may have found the missing piece in music collaboration http://ow.ly/o9ppB (@startuptechguy)
- The cure for hating the gym is this!! http://bit.ly/IirNGi #Health #Fitness #fitnessKit #physicalHealth #music #musculartraining (@hipmomjulie)
- SEO Tactics You Think Are OK, but Are Really Just Spam http://nblo.gs/Oyqp3 (@mayrabor)
- Just warning you… this book has real life dialog. The characters drop the F-bomb on occasion 🙂 COWBOY TAKE ME AWAY http://ow.ly/lKwx5 (@PenelopeChilds)
- Why Kendall Jenner Is the Hottest Kardashian. These hot pictures are proof. #2 is out of control!! http://bit.ly/16FiBpP (@high_on_glitter)
Cliffhangers
- 2 Chainz arrested following a nine-hour standoff over tour bus access: Rapper and his entourage refused t… http://bit.ly/1bZH7Cv #TBR (@TrueBornRecords)
How Tos
- How I got published on Amazon! http://r.ebay.com/ogdiZ5 (@toyourhappiness)
- Tying the knot doesn't have to cost a fortune. See how this #bride saved over $20K on her #wedding: http://po.st/IbpZyg (@davidsbridal)
- Learn the differences between a chipotle and an ancho with this video from America's Test Kitchen: http://lifehac.kr/MzCjosw (@lifehacker)
Using Numbers
- The Day the Knowledge Graph Exploded (+50.4%) by @dr_pete (@Moz)
- Drive traffic with Pinterest. It is exploding. Watch this 7 minute tutorial http://bit.ly/UsePinterest (@PowerLineTrain)
- 13 Tweets a Real Estate Agent Should Have Answered, Not Me … real estate peeps PAY ATTENTION, pass on! http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130829164107-10486099-13-tweets-a-real-estate-agent-should-have-answered-not-me (@garyvee)
- 10 Powerful “Before” And “After” Pictures Of Rescued Animals http://bzfd.it/14H0w9A (@BuzzFeed)
Top Tweets From Women
Examples… One of my best number posts 100 Ways To Make Money Online From Home!
Asking Questions
- 6 questions about ads in the gmail tabbed inbox. What's your opinion? http://wttw.me/14hztAT (@wise_laura)
- What The Heck Is AdWords Quality Score And Why Does It Matter Anyway? http://bit.ly/12lHLap (@WordStream)
- A new trend for online retailers? The New J.Crew Catalog Is a Pinterest Page http://ow.ly/oaTap #trnews (@toprank)
- Are You Really Going to Wear That? Learn more about dressing for the casual workplace in my new book. http://bit.ly/19kDHMF (@BarbaraPachter)
- Can Groupon win back small businesses? http://bit.ly/1d69bId (@OPENForum)
- What do you think of Rihanna's mullet? http://bit.ly/192ndom (@BritishVogue)
Funny Or Clever Posts
Top Tweets By User
- Do you think Ninja's sneak up on their family members just for fun? #FunThoughts #MyBrain (@JohnLusher23)
- Don’t be such a potty mouth! Introducing @virgintrains magic new talking toilets (honestly!) http://virg.in/tlh (@richardbranson)
- Bam-BOOO: More Bad Press for Pandas http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/bam-booo-more-bad-press-for-pandas_b71206 … (@abeautyfeature)
- I'm becoming convinced that the more hashtags a person uses, the less money that person makes… (@Chris_Smth)
Number Posts
- “Your idea is probably not new.” 5 lessons every startup founder should learn: http://trib.al/TsMKKjO (@FastCompany)
- Fun fact. MT @RecallElections #Filner is the 11th official nationwide to resign in the face of a recall this year. http://bit.ly/16Xbha5 (@LisaHalverstadt)
- 7 Ways to Wow Prospects on Social Media http://ow.ly/o3wxA Research & examples #socialmedia #smchat #some (@heidicohen)
- 8 Common Grammar Mistakes You Should Never Make Again http://ow.ly/omSNZ (@brianmoran)
Capitalizing On A Current Event Or Trending Topic
- Small Business: Do You Have A Dream? http://ow.ly/ocZE1 #smbiz #usguys #mlk (@heidicohen)
- The wagging tongue according to dream analysis. 4 Subliminal Symbols You Missed in Miley Cyrus's VMA Show – http://bit.ly/17m7Q9l (@cracked)
- THREE DAY WEEKEND IMMINENT 15 Awesome Things to Do in Dallas this Labor Day Weekend, August 29 to September 2 http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/mixmaster/2013/08/13_awesome_things_to_do_in_dal_4.php …(@Dallas_Observer)
- Martin Luther King, Jr. ’s Most Tweeted Quotes In 2013 #twitter http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/martin-luther-king-most-tweeted-quotes_b48707 … (@tweetynerds)
- Nike ‘Get Drenched' NFL Jerseys (PHOTOS) http://bit.ly/16Vh35Z #Nike #NFL (@TDdaily)
- 12 Reliable Sources to Follow on Twitter for #Syria News http://on.mash.to/12PeXan (@mashable)
- How To Get Back Into A Healthy School Routine http://nblo.gs/OyqQY (@familyfocusblog)
- Reduce acne, prevent future breakouts & #battleblemishes as you head #backtoschool with Natural Acne Solutions. http://brtsbe.es/AcneCoupon (@BurtsBees)
Hospitality Posts
- “30 years of marital bliss, celebrated at the Bistro bar” Thanks John and Chris for celebrating with us! – and… http://fb.me/2lN5tUouD (@beachbistro)
Professional Services – Dentists
- If #celebrities are #wearing #Braces , why shouldn't you? http://bit.ly/16QqTIt (@cyberdentistry)
- So U know when u get home and see green veggie stuff stuck in ur teeth and wanna curse everybody that didn't tell u (@tyrabanks)
- Miley Cyrus had braces the whole time they filmed Hannah Montana. They were glued to the back of her teeth so we couldn't see them. (@Fact)
- 19 Ways to Wreck Your Teeth. Be good to your teeth, and they'll be good to you. Avoid these known teeth wreckers! (@MIHealth)
- Throughout its lifetime, an elephant goes through six sets of teeth. The elephant starves to death once the sixth set of teeth falls out. (@OMGFactsAnimals)
- You are like dentures, because I could not smile without you ~~ @notseongyeol (@fakepcho91)
- #FACTS The acid in Coca Cola is called phosphoric acid which is known to dissolve teeth, metal N it can eat away your liver. (@incarceratedbob)
- Drinking beer actually helps strengthen your bones and teeth because it gives you a healthy dose of silicon. (@UberFacts)
Professional Services – Financial
- “I can't believe this financial advisor – who moonlights as a wedding singer – would rip me off!” http://www.investmentnews.com/article/20130829/FREE/130829917 (@ReformedBroker)
- Is a ‘Practical' College Major Necessary to Make a Living? – MainStreet http://shar.es/zzgLv (@jimcramer)
- How to take control of your #debt https://personal.vanguard.com/us/insights/saving-investing/debt-management … #Best advice for #family #financial #success (@PrepareToWin)
- Become a negotiating pro with Dave's quick tips: http://www.daveramsey.com/blog/how-to-negotiate-a-bargain … (@RamseyShow)
- Why SMU never recovered from its scandal and Penn State likely will by @davidwhitford http://ow.ly/onx5v (@FortuneMagazine)
- Murdoch divorce on front page of NYTs? Or not? What's your vote? (@serwer)
- 43% of Americans pay zero federal income tax. http://on.mktw.net/19TgWwr (@Jonnelle)
- The startling statistic behind America's top 25 highest-paid CEOs http://on.mktw.net/14H83VT (@MarketWatch)
- In an attempt to not look cheap, this generation of Americans is going broke http://aol.it/14m8Z42 (@daily_finance)
Health and Beauty
- Gatsy-inspired hair by Dez at Hair Therapy for Women! #TBBJBWOTY pic.twitter.com/6Ykna1sWtC (@MereCensullo)
- Holy heart stopping coat love batman: http://nym.ag/184yNOT #wishlist http://ow.ly/i/2ZUG5 (@TheCut)
- YOU WILL READ THIS HILARITY NOW: Madonna’s Diet Is the Hardest I Have Ever Tried – The Cut http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/07/madonnas-diet-is-the-hardest-i-have-ever-tried.html … (@TheHanBurger)
Sales Tweets For Twitter Marketing
- Shoe Carnival Back To School Sale – BOGO50% OFF + $5 Coupon! Divine Savings – http://bit.ly/15EY8li (@DivineSavings)
- Oh man… I want this!! The new Wacom Cintiq Hybrid tablet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw7kDOQ4k2o … (@baekdal1h)
Personal Recommendations
- I recommend this for ANY business that lists #SEO among their top marketing goals: (@RachelStrella)
- Wait! You're on Instagram and you aren't following me? Then how the heck are you keeping up on all my adventures? Just do it, it's a total of, what, two mouse clicks? http://www.instagram.com/d1taylor (@DaveTaylor)
- I don't know how I ever lived without these life tips. Never get a mosquito bite again! http://bit.ly/1dqqIds#sp (@relatabIemsgs)
Using “Big Names”
- Going #Green with #Emeril Lagasse http://dld.bz/b2zFm (@denverfoodguy)
- *chef gordon ramsay leans in and whispers in your ear* today im going to show you how to prepare my world famous Vienna Sausage Sushi Rolls (@rad_milk)
- Quite a remarkable story on Seattle's Seahawks: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9581925/seattle-seahawks-use-unusual-techniques-practice-espn-magazine … embracing empathy & being the exception (@randfish)
Good Tweets For Realtors
- Your clients will appreciate these 10 tips to spruce up their outdoor space, from @realtormag: http://ow.ly/onToY (Go ahead and RT!) (@REALTORS)
- Commercial Investments Rise 24% in First Half of 2013: http://economistsoutlook.blogs.realtor.org/2013/08/29/commercial-investments-rise-24-in-first-half-of-2013/ … #CRE (@NAR_Research)
- 7 Luxury Homes for Sale in Bearpath Golf and Country Club in Eden Prairie, MN http://ow.ly/objv8 Great course and club too! (@Agentopolis)
- 20 Amazing Kitchens, Each One Is Dream Home Worthy (PHOTOS) http://pinterest.com/pin/200269514652830258/ … (@Christophechoo)
- Photo: Hard not to love all the sunlight in this home office loft near Boston!… http://tmblr.co/ZuEDqxtVqOg2 (@ColinStorm)
Notes:
You should leave room for retweeting. What you need to do is count the numbers in your Twitter name (@taradactyl has 10 characters), then you want to add 4 for the “RT, a space and then the @ sign before your name). So my posts should never be longer than 126 (140 available MINUS the 14 for the retweet characters).
100 Great Twitter Tweet Examples is a compilation of good tweets that I have seen across the Twitterverse. I tried to make them relevant to all industries but KNOW that there are more Twitter marketing tweets than anything else…that happens, I am a marketing gal through and through!
Additional Copywriting Resources:
I LOVE Funnel Scripts for all my copywriting. Makes it so fast and easy! (#promo)