Retweeting can be a powerful tool *if used correctly*. The problem is many people are not sure how to it effectively and correctly do so. Often times when someone retweets they simply press that “Retweet” link that sits below an update – DON’T PRESS THIS BUTTON! While this is a great way to promote a page you really like and it offers the convenience of quick posting, the issue here is that the link is now directing your reader to someone else’s page and providing nothing new or unique for them to take away.
What Do You Lose When You Hit The Retweet Button?
You might not realize it, but when you hit that button you lose something very important: Connection. You’re losing the opportunity to connect with whoever you are retweeting. The person may recieve a notice that they have been retweeted, but you gain nothing if they favorite the post (since it’s their tweet) or comment on it (the comment will show up on their page not yours). But when you mention that person in a tweet using @USERNAME the person will be notified of the mention. That user now has a post that you wrote (so it is on YOUR page, not theirs) that they can favorite or comment on, opening new lines of communication!
How Do You Effectively Retweet Content?
Effective retweeting follows these three simple rules:
- Give Credit
- Engage Your Viewer
- Add Value
First Rule – Give Credit: You want to make it known that what you are tweeting is a quote or a blurb from someone else’s tweet. Start by placing the text you would like to use from the original tweet in “quotations” and add “RT” before the quote (see below for examples). Then, make sure you give credit to the original poster by including their username “@USERNAME.”
Second Rule – Engage Your Viewer: Pick tweets that will engage your viewer. This engagement can be something entertaining or something informative, but the key is to make sure whatever you are retweeting provides your fans something they can take away.
Third Rule – Add Value: Make sure you include something unique to the retweet by providing your thoughts, opinions, or feedback to it. You want to make sure you are engaging with what you are retweeting and providing value to the tweet.
Examples of effective retweets:
Want to eat healthy? You MUST read this! “5 Cancer causing foods you might not know about somelink.com” RT @USERNAME
WOW – great information for business owners @USERNAME! RT “Check out this article for some business management tips somelink.com”
Happy “Tweeting”!
The above post was previously shared on SangerMarketing.com
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