Networking: 2 Minute Training (special): Top 10 Ways To Get More ReTweets with Twitter!

Networking: 2 Minute Training (special): Top 10 Ways To Get More ReTweets with Twitter!

If you need to network with social media, or are looking to the internet to get your message spread far and wide on Twitter, attracting ReTweets (RT) is a must. When your followers ReTweet your content, it can create a snowball effect.—Your followers ReTweet it, then their followers ReTweet it, and then their followers RT it, and so on. Well, if you’re lucky they will. Talk about networking and getting your message out!

But to enjoy that networking snowball effect, you must start by knowing how to attract those initial ReTweets. Here are the top 10 tips for getting more people to ReTweet your content.

1. Give unto others—Givers Gain. ReTweet those posts that you find important. It is networking after all, and you are trying to go above and beyond. Truth is, you’ll get more ReTweets when people take notice of you, and they will take notice of you if you help people notice them.You have to give if you want to receive. And you should always give more than you ask for in return.
2. Send a message to your friends and ask them to ReTweet—I assume you have at least a few close friends on Twitter. To get that network snowball rolling, shoot them an email, Twitter DM, or an IM asking them to ReTweet your content. Most times, they’ll be happy to help. Just make sure you don’t constantly bombard them with ReTweet requests. Once a month might be too much. Moderation is the key.
3. Include “Please RT” on your tweet—It might seem a little desperate, but adding “Please RT” at the beginning or end of a tweet can help you get some good ReTweet action. Again, this is something you don’t want to overdo as your followers will begin to ignore you. I prefer only using “Please RT” for important causes, rather than something that just benefits my business or networking group.
4. Install a Twitter button on your blog—Placing a Topsy or TweetMeme button on your blog makes it easy for your readers to instantly share your content on Twitter with only a single click. Make sure the button is placed above the fold so readers easily see it.
5. Include @mentions to those referenced in the post—Sometimes, you might quote or reference someone else in your post. In fact, from a marketing and networking standpoint, doing this is as important to gain followers as getting ReTweets. In further fact, you should plan to do this at least once a week as a Friday Follow, etc. Whenever you do this, include an @mention of that person. For example: “Dockery Design creative lead @tyler_dockery is meeting with @bluebarnhouse.” These @ mentions put you on the radar of those people, and it could lead to them ReTweeting your content.
6. Don’t just drop a link. Add something to it—Take a look at the 50 most recent Tweets from your followers. I bet probably half of them are links to articles or blog posts. We’re constantly being bombarded with links on Twitter. To stand out, you need to add something to your link drop that makes it more intriguing. Special offers are good, but an endorsement is far better!
7. Repeat the Tweet a few different times—I like to repeat certain Tweets a few different times to ensure all my followers have an opportunity to see it. For example, repeating a Tweet in the morning and at night ensures people on both coasts will see it. Again, just don’t overdo it. Three tweets in 5 minutes is too much. Space them out by a few hours.
8. Thank those who ReTweet you—Whenever someone ReTweets you, @reply them with a simple thanks. It’s a small, simple gesture that can go a long way to getting them to ReTweet you again in the future.
9. Take part in Midnight Moguls—Need a little extra social media love? Check out Midnight Moguls. This growing community meets up every night from 12 am ET to 1AM PT to help each other get more ReTweets, blog comments, links, etc.
10. Keep Tweets short to allow room for RT—Don’t fill up all 140 characters in your initial Tweet, or else there won’t be room for someone to ReTweet you (unless they edit your initial Tweet, which is usually too much work for most people). Aim for 120 characters or less to allow for easy ReTweeting.
11. Use relevant hashtags—I’m not going to lie, hashtags can be a little annoying at times. But when used properly, they allow people who aren’t following you to see your Tweets they might be interested in.
12. Leave yourself some breathing room between Tweets—A lot of times, people sabotage their own efforts by binge Tweeting. Whenever you drop a flurry of Tweets all at once, things get watered down, and all your Tweets run together. If you’re trying to get something ReTweeted, leave a little space around that Tweet so it’s easier for your followers to focus in.
13. Tweet interesting content—It’s simple really: People ReTweet content that they find interesting. So, you need to know what interests your followers, and Tweet about it.

How do you get more ReTweets? Tell us how you do!.