Why your pinned post matters
Most people who visit your profile arrive from a single post. They liked one thing you said and want to know if the rest is worth following. Your pinned post is your best answer: it sits at the top of your profile, above everything else.
It's also the one post whose context you control. Everything else on your profile runs newest first, so a visitor sees whatever you posted last: a joke, a reply, a link. The pin makes sure they see your best work first, whatever happened yesterday.
A good pin does one of two jobs. It shows what you post, or it moves people to the one thing you want them to do next, like join a newsletter or try a product. Decide which job before you pick.
Seven things worth pinning
- An introduction. Who you are, what you post, why. Best for new or relaunching accounts.
- Your best thread. The one that's still useful months later. It shows the quality of what's coming.
- A resource index. A thread that links your best posts by topic.
- A product or offer. What you sell and who it's for. Best when the account exists to support a product.
- A story. How you got here, told well. It builds connection quickly.
- A result. Concrete proof that you know your subject: a milestone, a case study, a before and after.
- A current announcement. A launch, an event, a hiring post. Pin it for its window, then swap back.
Examples
- Y
Your name@you
Hi, I'm Maya. I coach busy parents to get strong with three short workouts a week. What you'll get here: - Home workouts under 30 minutes - Simple food rules, no meal plans - What I've learned from 8 years of coaching Follow along if that sounds useful.
- Y
Your name@you1/2
Everything I've written about pricing a SaaS product, in one place:
- Y
Your name@you2/2
1. How we picked our first price, and why it was wrong 2. Raising prices without losing customers 3. Annual vs monthly plans: what changed for us Each one is linked in the replies below.
- Y
Your name@you
My reading tracker app is live on the App Store. Free for 3 books a month, $3/month after that. Built solo over 8 months. If you read on your phone, I'd love to hear what you think.
Starting points: the introduction tweet template and the product announcement template.
How to choose
| Your goal | What to pin |
|---|---|
| Grow followers | Your best thread, or an introduction |
| Get newsletter subscribers | The best idea from a past issue, plus the signup link |
| Sell a product | A product post: who it's for, what it does, proof |
| Win clients | A case study or result thread |
| Build trust in a new account | An introduction or a story |
When in doubt, pin the post you'd want a stranger to read first. How many likes the post got matters less than whether it represents you.
What makes a pinned post work
Whatever type you choose, the strongest pins share a few traits:
- The first line works alone. Visitors decide from the opener whether to read on.
- It says what readers get. “Threads on pricing every week” beats “thoughts on stuff”.
- It shows proof. A result, a number, a story with detail. Something that says you know your subject.
- It has one next step. Follow, subscribe or try the product. Not all three.
- It's current. Old prices, finished launches and last year's job title undermine everything else on the page.
Pinned posts for company accounts
A company account's visitors usually want to know one thing: what does this product do, and is it for me? Pin a short explanation with a demo image, or your latest launch while it's fresh.
- Y
Your name@you
We make project tracking for construction crews: schedules, site photos and sign-offs in one app that works with bad signal. Built for teams of 3 to 300. Free for 14 days. Link in the reply.
Swap in a launch thread on launch week, then return to the evergreen explanation once the launch is over.
When to change your pin
- Your focus changed and the pin no longer matches what you post.
- A newer post does the same job better.
- An announcement expired: the event happened, the launch week ended, the role is filled.
- The pin mentions numbers, prices or plans that aren't true anymore.
A quick check every month or two is enough. Put it on the same list as reviewing your bio, since the two work together. How to write an X bio covers the rest of the profile.
How to pin a post
On X, open the menu (the three dots) on one of your own posts and choose Pin to your profile. Only one post can be pinned at a time, so pinning a new one replaces the old.
If the best pin is a thread you haven't written yet, Extudio's thread maker drafts one from a topic in your voice, and the tweet preview shows how the opener reads on a phone before you post it.