How to Tweet Like Trump [INFOGRAPHIC]

Donald Trump dominated headlines from the moment he entered the 2016 presidential race.

He rarely gave interviews or held press conferences, but instead used Twitter as his megaphone to publish his message.

In this blog post, you'll learn how to "tweet like Trump" and dominate the media using Twitter for your personal or business brand.

Let's start with the infographic:

1. Make it Simple for Everyone

Trump doesn’t use email or a computer, but does use his Samsung Galaxy smartphone and Twitter. Why? Because it’s the device he’s always got with him and Twitter is fast: tap out 140 characters and boom — he’s done.

He keeps his routine simple and it works for him . . . and the media.

Why does the media report so much on his tweets?

Two words: lazy journalism.

Journalists love Twitter because:

it doesn’t require them to read, respond to or delete lengthy messages, as does email
they don’t have to attend a press conference or schedule an interview: instead, they can look at Trump’s latest tweet, and build a story around it

The easier you can make it for journalists to cover your brand, the more media coverage you’ll get.

Trump loves Twitter because:

it doesn’t require him to hold a press conference, where he’ll be questioned by journalists
he can tweet early in the morning (we’re talking 3am here), so he’ll be covered by morning news shows in the U.S.
every important political, corporate, financial and media influencer is on Twitter, so he reaches his audience with one tweet

The easier it is for journalists to cover your brand, the more media coverage you’ll get

Click to Tweet

After Meryl Streep's speech at the 2017 Golden Globes, in which she criticized Trump, he took to Twitter at 6am ET the following morning to denounce her. The New York Times ran a story that same morning with the headline, "Donald Trump Say's He's Not Surprised at Meryl Streep's Golden Globes Speech," referring to his tweets, as shown below:

The New York Times included Trump's tweets as a source in their article

Trump has "trained" major media outlets to look to his Twitter feed as sources for their latest stories covering him and his presidency.

2. Use Twitter as Your Main Social Network

Trump uses Twitter as his social network of choice, excluding the rest. While his campaign staff does use other social networks, Trump consistently uses Twitter to publish his message.

In doing so, he’s trained journalists, governments, and CEOs to watch his Twitter feed for his positions and steps he’ll be taking in his presidency.

Trump's consistent use of Twitter has built a habit for himself and for those covering his presidency: Twitter is the Trump News Network (TNN).

@realDonaldTrump uses @Twitter as his Trump News Network (TNN)

Click to Tweet

Do a simple online search for "Trump Twitter" and you'll see a plethora of major news outlets covering his positions, all originating from his Twitter feed:

The Washington Post, Elle, Entertainment Weekly are just a few of the news organizations using Trump's Twitter feed as a source

3. Tweet Early in the Morning

The Washington Post showed the global effect from one week of Donald Trump's tweets on world markets, companies and internet searches. How did they open their article?

"The threat arrived before dawn."

Donald Trump often tweets early in the morning to get coverage in morning news shows

Trump often tweets in the wee hours of the morning, ensuring his message gets out well in advance of the major morning news shows. By doing so, he enables journalists to report on his latest tweets, their meanings, and what they can hold for the U.S.

Trump is a master at dominating headlines: getting ahead of the U.S. news cycle is one of his most effective tactics in ensuring he's the top story of the day.

4. Declare Your Position Boldly

Trump doesn't mince words: he makes his point assertively, often in a brash style and across multiple tweets.

There is no mistaking Trump's position on a topic: he declares his opinion in simple language and no-nonsense terms (one of the reasons many political analysts say his message resonated with so many Americans).

Here is Trump's tweet about Toyota building a new manufacturing plant in Mexico:

You know exactly where Donald Trump stands with this tweet: he uses simple language and cause & effect positioning

Toyota took notice and responded, also on Twitter:

Toyota responded to Trump on Twitter — what I call the Trump News Network (TNN)

5. Build a Newsroom from Your Tweets (BONUS)

Want to make it even easier to get media coverage for your brand from Twitter? Build a newsroom from your tweets.

During Trump's campaign, his staff saved important positioning tweets on a website page titled "Content Center," which served as his newsroom for the media:

Trump's staff built a newsroom on his website by displaying important positioning tweets

Again, this made journalists' jobs easier, as they didn't even have to search Trump's Twitter account for his tweets. Instead, they go could to his website newsroom and get exactly what they needed.

You don't need a staff do this: you can embed your important tweets on a website page easily, then call it your "Media Center" or "Newsroom." The impact it will have on getting media coverage for your brand will be exponential.

Summary

Notice how simple these tactics are? Trump focused on his strengths, kept his messaging simple, and let his team do the rest.

Don't have a team? No worries: skip the newsroom and use the other four tactics. Soon you'll see your brand in the headlines, just like Trump.

mariapeagler

Maria Peagler is the founder of Maria Peagler Digital, a serial entrepreneur, and award-winning author/publisher of nine books. She is an award-winning artist in both watercolor and quilting. She is married to her husband of 30 years, mom to two adult sons, and enjoys hiking in the north Georgia mountains.