How to Find Your Best-Performing Themes

Random content produces random results. Themed content compounds.

The creators who grow consistently have identified which topics resonate with their audience,and they double down on those themes relentlessly.

The problem is most people never do this analysis. They post whatever comes to mind and wonder why growth is inconsistent.

The following sections explain how to systematically discover what actually works for your account.

What Theme Analysis Reveals

By analyzing which themes perform best, you discover what your audience actually wants (not what you assume), where you have unique perspective, what content to double down on, and what topics to de-prioritize. Research shows that for most creators, 20% of themes drive 80% of engagement, 20% of topics attract 80% of new followers, and 20% of content pillars create 80% of profile visits. Your job is to find your 20%.

Defining Your Themes

What Is a Theme?

A theme is a consistent topic area you return to repeatedly.

Examples include personal brand building, productivity systems, startup lessons, 𝕏 growth tactics, leadership frameworks, and industry analysis.

Theme vs. Topic vs. Post

Theme: X Growth (broad category)
├── Topic: Reply strategies (specific area within theme)
│   ├── Post: "The 2-sentence reply rule"
│   ├── Post: "[How to reply to big accounts](/playbook/reply-led-growth/replying-to-big-accounts)"
│   └── Post: "Why early replies get more reach"
└── Topic: Profile optimization
    ├── Post: "Bio that converts visitors"
    └── Post: "Your pinned post strategy"

Theme is the umbrella. Topics are subcategories. Posts are individual pieces.

Identifying Your Current Themes

Audit your last 30 posts by grouping them by general topic area, naming each group (that is your theme), counting posts per theme, and noting which themes you gravitate toward naturally. Most people discover four to seven themes in their recent content, even if they had not consciously defined them.

The Theme Analysis Process

Step 1: Categorize Your Content

Create a spreadsheet tracking:

Post	Date	Theme	Impressions	Engagements	Eng Rate	Profile Visits	Follows
"Thread on pricing..."	Jan 1	Business	5,000	150	3%	25	3
"My morning routine..."	Jan 2	Productivity	3,000	60	2%	10	1
"Why most founders fail..."	Jan 3	Startup	4,500	180	4%	30	4

Go back 30-50 posts minimum. More data = better patterns.

Step 2: Aggregate by Theme

Calculate theme averages:

Theme	# Posts	Avg Impressions	Avg Eng Rate	Avg Profile Visits	Total Follows
Business	12	4,200	3.2%	22	35
Productivity	8	2,800	1.8%	12	8
Startup	5	2,100	1.2%	8	4

Step 3: Rank and Analyze

Rank themes by average engagement rate (content resonance), profile visits per post (curiosity generation), and followers attributed (growth potential). Your best themes combine high engagement, high profile visits, and follower growth.

Deep-Dive Metrics

Engagement Rate by Theme

Shows which themes resonate most with your existing audience.

Calculate: Theme Engagement Rate = Total Engagements on Theme / Total Impressions on Theme × 100

If a theme scores higher than your average, it resonates. Lower than your average means it underperforms. Significantly higher indicates a theme to double down on.

Profile Visits by Theme

Shows which themes create curiosity about YOU.

Key insight: A theme might get high engagement but low profile visits if it's generic information anyone could share.

Best themes: High engagement AND high profile visits.

Follower Conversion by Theme

Shows which themes attract right-fit followers.

Calculate: Theme Conversion Rate = New Followers (attributed) / Profile Visits on Theme Posts × 100

Attribution is imperfect, but patterns emerge over time.

Secondary Metrics

Reply quality. Do certain themes generate deeper conversations? Themes that spark dialogue signal both algorithm favor and relationship building.

Bookmark rate. High bookmarks indicate "this is worth saving." These are your highest-value themes.

Quote tweet quality. Who's quoting you? Are relevant people amplifying certain themes more than others?

Building Your Theme Strategy

The Theme Portfolio

Recommended mix:

Theme Type	% of Content	Purpose
Pillar Theme #1	40%	Your main expertise, highest authority
Pillar Theme #2	30%	Secondary expertise, complements #1
Experimental	15%	Testing new areas, discovering trends
Personal/Personality	15%	Human connection, relatability

Theme Rotation Calendar

If you have four main themes and post four times weekly:

• Monday: Pillar #1
• Tuesday: Pillar #2
• Wednesday: Personal/Story
• Thursday: Pillar #1
• Friday: Pillar #2 or Experimental

No daily decisions about topic. The rotation is pre-set.

Doubling Down on Winners

When data shows a clear winner, increase frequency on that theme, create content series within it, go deeper into subtopics and nuances, and repurpose winning posts into new formats.

Managing Underperformers

When data shows consistent underperformance, ask why (wrong audience? wrong angle?), test new approaches within the theme, reduce frequency if it still underperforms, but do not abandon completely if it serves strategic purpose.

Theme Evolution Over Time

Seasonal Patterns

Some themes perform better at different times. Q1 sees goal-setting and productivity themes peak, while Q4 brings strength to reflection and year-end themes. Industry-specific patterns emerge around conference seasons and product launches. Track performance variation across months and quarters.

Theme Fatigue Indicators

Watch for declining engagement over time on the same theme, fewer replies and conversations, and audience feedback like "You always talk about this." Solutions include rotating themes more actively, finding fresh angles on established themes, and taking breaks before returning.

Trend-Aligned Themes

Some themes align with temporal trends. Tech layoffs create appetite for career resilience content. The AI boom drives demand for AI productivity content. Economic uncertainty increases interest in financial wisdom content. Balance evergreen themes (70%) with timely themes (30%). For guidance on chasing trends, see virality versus growth.

Common Analysis Mistakes

Too Few Data Points

Concluding from 3-5 posts per theme.

Fix: Need minimum 10-15 posts per theme for meaningful analysis.

Ignoring Context

Not accounting for timing, trends, or external factors.

Fix: Note context for each post. Compare like to like.

Optimizing for Vanity

Choosing themes that get likes but not follows.

Fix: Weight profile visits and follow conversion higher in your analysis.

Abandoning Too Quickly

Giving up on a theme after one week of testing.

Fix: Test themes for 4-6 weeks minimum before deciding.

Forgetting Your Goals

Optimizing for engagement when you want customers.

Fix: Define success metrics that align with your actual business goals.

The Theme Analysis Template

THEME ANALYSIS - [MONTH/QUARTER]

THEME PERFORMANCE SUMMARY
─────────────────────────
Theme 1: [NAME]
├── Posts: ___
├── Avg Engagement Rate: ___%
├── Avg Profile Visits: ___
├── Attributed Follows: ___
└── Performance: Strong / Average / Weak

Theme 2: [NAME]
├── Posts: ___
├── Avg Engagement Rate: ___%
├── Avg Profile Visits: ___
├── Attributed Follows: ___
└── Performance: Strong / Average / Weak

Theme 3: [NAME]
├── Posts: ___
├── Avg Engagement Rate: ___%
├── Avg Profile Visits: ___
├── Attributed Follows: ___
└── Performance: Strong / Average / Weak

TOP PERFORMER BY THEME
──────────────────────
Theme 1: [Post content] - ___% engagement
Theme 2: [Post content] - ___% engagement
Theme 3: [Post content] - ___% engagement

INSIGHTS
────────
Best performing theme: ___
Why: ___

Worst performing theme: ___
Why: ___

ACTIONS FOR NEXT PERIOD
───────────────────────
1. ___
2. ___
3. ___

The Theme Success Formula

Best themes = Topics you're passionate about + Topics your audience cares about + Topics you have unique perspective on

The intersection of these three creates content that's sustainable for you and valuable for them.

Find that intersection. Double down on it. Watch your account grow.