When it comes to crafting a Tweet good enough to earn you some extra followers, as well as those highly coveted retweets and favourites, it appears that style may trump substance.

According to a new research report conducted by Cornell University in the States, increasing one's Twitter popularity is all about wording, as opposed to the actual subject matter at hand.

Based on this research it is particularly important that people start paying better attention to how they write rather than what they write.

Arthur Goldstuck (MD of World Wide Worx), a local media/social media analyst and commentator on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) says, "Many Twitter users are focused on the impact they wish to make in gaining followers and getting retweeted, but they tend to underestimate the negative impact of poorly crafted Tweets. While a following isn't the only measure of success, active Twitter posters who grow their following slowly or not at all are probably oblivious to style in their postings.”

Goldstruck adds that, “it can be subtle, but in most cases bad Tweeting style is very obvious when one stops to look. For example, anyone can make a spelling error on Twitter, but to do so continually - which means you probably don't read over your Tweets before sending them - shows a lack of respect for both followers and your own Twitter persona."

Twitter has offered up some advice on crafting better Tweets and increasing one's social media popularity and influence. Here are four things to keep in mind when putting together your next Tweet.

1. Write engaging content that speaks to your audience

The first part of your Tweet should be around 90-100 characters. This text should be engaging, show off your brand personality, and include a call to action. Yes, Twitter’s character limit is 140; however, if you’re going to ask people to retweet your Tweet, make sure you leave enough room for them to add ‘RT’ to the body of the Tweet.

2. Include a URL (or a shortened URL)

For majority of businesses, Twitter is used to drive their followers to their website, or to a landing page. If this is your goal, make sure to include a URL in your Tweet. Better yet, include a shortened URL, using a URL shortener like ow.ly, so you can track click-through rates and save your character count.

3. Wrap-up your Tweet with a hashtag

Increase the reach of your Tweet by using a relevant hashtag. Hashtags will increase your Tweet’s visibility on the network, and help you join the bigger discussion going on around the topic. For example, if your Tweet is about social media, include the hashtag #socialmedia.

4. Include an image, a GIF or a video

Still images, GIFs, and now videos can dramatically increase the engagement rate for your Tweets. Make sure the images that accompany your Tweet are relevant and high-quality. Twitter recently did a test on Ryan Holmes, one of its CEO’s, Tweets. The Tweet that had the image had a 79% higher engagement rate than the one without one.