If you’re following the Twitter scene at all – especially, as we’ve discussed here, in the wake of the ‘Twilight’ movie release – then you’ll know that the ‘grammable British actor’ has been very active on the platform in the months leading up to and since the movie’s premiere. In fact, between May 13 and May 30 alone, Pattinson tweeted over 40 times. Of those, 14 of them were in English (as opposed to his native tongue of British), and all of them were about ‘Twilight.’ So, what exactly is Robert Pattinson doing on Twitter, and why are his ‘Twilight’-themed tweets so important? We’ll try and answer those questions below.
Why Is Robert Pattinson On Twitter?
Well, at this point in his career, Pattinson has pretty much confirmed that he is a Twitter addict. The ‘Twilight’ star has said that he checks his phone on the reg, and it seems that he is unable to stay off the platform. But, even before ‘Twilight,’ Pattinson had been active on Twitter. In fact, he started using the platform professionally back in 2012, when he followed then-British Prime Minister David Cameron on the service. Since then, he has used Twitter as a way to promote his projects, connect with his fans, and (perhaps most importantly) to engage with other professional people in theindustry. And, as we’ve seen above, he has been very active since May 13.
Why Should We Care About Robert Pattinson’s ‘Twilight’ Tweets?
In the months leading up to and since the release of ‘Twilight,’ Pattinson has been active on Twitter promoting his upcoming projects and sharing his thoughts on ‘Twilight’s’ premiere and the critical response that surrounded it. His tweets have followed a certain rhythm, with a spike in activity on the 13th of every month, and a sharp decline in activity as we move closer to the 30th. So, not only is he consistently active on the platform, but he has also harnessed this predictable monthly schedule to create a story around his tweets and draw in more attention to them. To wit:
On May 13, the day of ‘Twilight’s’ premiere (and three days before the premiere), Pattinson tweeted to his 92.7 million followers that he was “honored to have been asked” to take part in the movie’s premiere. He went on to say that he had “never seen such an amazing response to a movie before” and that he “couldn’t be more grateful.” Since then, he has continued to share his excitement about ‘Twilight’s’ success with a series of informative, entertaining, and attention-grabbing tweets, often (but not always) surrounding news or events that are relevant to ‘Twilight’s’ world.
What Did Robert Pattinson’s ‘Twilight’ Tweets Have In Common?
If you look at the timeline above, you’ll see that almost all of Pattinson’s ‘Twilight’ tweets can be classified into one of three categories: (1) informative, (2) entertaining, or (3) attention-grabbing. Below, we’ll discuss each type of ‘Twilight’ tweet in more detail.
Key Facts
As we’ve established, not only is Robert Pattinson consistently active on Twitter, but he has also used this platform to create a story around his tweets. And it seems that this story is garnering a lot of attention. For instance, as the story goes, a fan of the ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ TV series named @sirius_mellie sent Robert Pattinson some flowers after the actor tweeted about how much he loved the show. The fan then proceeded to follow Pattinson on the platform and send him multiple gifts (including an expensive bottle of cologne) in an effort to show his gratitude and appreciation for the ‘Buffy’ tribute. (Twitter, Twitter)
The fact that ‘Twilight’ is one of the most followed movies on the platform (currently at 148.7 million followers) likely has a lot to do with the fact that it is one of the most talked-about movies of the year and that it seems to have touched a nerve with audiences. Additionally, the movie’s Twitter accounts have an impressive 18.3 million followers, largely due to the fact that it is run by the incredibly popular director, Bill Condon. Finally, since ‘Twilight’ is now a major movie franchise, it seems likely that its success will continue to fuel the interest in the brand on the platform in the years to come. (Twitter, Twitter, Twitter)
Informative
If a tweet is informative, then it will almost certainly benefit from some degree of background information. In fact, many professional tweeters like Cameron and Patton will share some sort of intriguing tidbit about a featured movie or TV show or will give some helpful tips or tricks. So, even if you don’t care about ‘Twilight,’ it is likely that you’ll find a tidbit of information in one of these tweets and be inclined to click through to the source to learn more.
Take a look at this tweet from Robert Pattinson, which contains an interesting tidbit about ‘Twilight’:
The thing about this tweet is that it provides information about a movie that most people (including myself) probably didn’t know about. Namely, that ‘Twilight’ was originally supposed to star comedian and writer Mike Myers as the vampire Louis.
This was supposed to be part of a larger plan by Myers and director Kevin Smith to make a series of spoofs based on classic horror and science fiction films. Unfortunately, Smith committed suicide in 2002 before ‘Twilight’ could be made, which led to the project being shelved. And, although Louis was supposed to be a vampire, he never appeared in any of the movies, with the exception of a 2006 episode of ‘The Simpsons,’ which was dedicated to his character. (Twitter)
Entertaining
If a tweet is entertaining, then it will almost certainly contain some humor or will be used as a way to make the reader or viewer laugh. And, although we should approach every facet of our lives with a sense of humor, it seems that ‘Twilight’s’ success is having a positive impact on audiences’ attitudes towards the platform and its inhabitants. After all, it is human nature to be drawn to things that make us smile or laugh. So, instead of being discouraged by the amount of mean tweets that people will inevitably throw your way, why not embrace the attention and use it to your advantage? Instead of hiding from trolls, as some may do, find the funny side of the situation and use it to your advantage.
Take this tweet from Taylor Lautner, for example, which is a tongue-in-cheek response to a particularly vicious Twitter troll. (Lautner plays the werewolf Jacob in ‘Twilight.’) The actor responded to the hateful troll by calling him out on various absurdities, but he also provided some great comic relief on the platform:
The thing about this tweet is that it contains a great deal of information while also being very entertaining. This is the kind of combination that makes a good tweet. (By the way, for best results, always find and link to the best version of a tweet. Sometimes, especially when replying to a troll, Twitter will delete your original tweet and replace it with a version that looks very different. So, it is always best to visit and then return to this tweet at a later time to find and link to the best version.)
Attention-Grabbing
An important part of any good story is a good beginning, a middle, and an end. And just as a story needs a beginning, middle, and end, so does a tweet. If a tweet is attention-grabbing, then it will almost certainly be used as a way to stand out among the hundreds of other tweets that users will see every day. After all, nobody wants to read a bland, uninteresting tweet from an account they don’t follow. So, if you want to gain some unfollowers and, perhaps, some new followers, then consider using your Twitter account in a way that will make people want to read and engage with your content.