Skip to main content
· 1 min read

The Science Behind Retweets

Lexi Lewtan
<a href="http://lexilewtan.contently.com/">Lexi Lewtan</a> is a New York-based blogger. She has written for NYLON Magazine, and writes about entrepreneurship, culture, and the Internet. · January 18, 2012

Researcher Nick Diakopoulos  wanted to apply some science to what headlines get retweeted most. So he analyzed  5,101 @nytimes tweets that ranged from July 1 to Sept. 30.

Some interesting facts to note –

  • The most passed on tweets were on average seven characters shorter (75.8 vs. 82.8) than average.
  • The most viral tweets “were more likely to use words relating to crime, natural hazards, sports, or politically contentious issues
  • Lots of verbs were a plus

Read more about the research on Poynter.

Lexi Lewtan

<a href="http://lexilewtan.contently.com/">Lexi Lewtan</a> is a New York-based blogger. She has written for NYLON Magazine, and writes about entrepreneurship, culture, and the Internet.

Related