How to Get More Retweets On Twitter

Twitter has become a global sensation.  It is growing at a phenomenal rate, more than 300,00 new users daily! More and more people are sharing content, quotes, daily happenings using Twitter. Getting retweets is a sign that your followers are indeed following you and that they find your tweets interesting enough to retweet.  What is a retweet you may ask? Retweets are posts by your followers based on the original tweet posted by you or someone else.  Retweets are usually reposted starting with “RT” which means retweet followed by the twitter name of the person it originated from. For example; here is a tweet that I posted this morning and it was retweeted many times in this format; RT @kimgarst: Got negative people in your circle of friends? Tighten the circle! Don't let others dictate who you are. Stand up and be YOU!

What is the value in getting more retweets on Twitter?  First, your exposure increases when someone retweets your posts. Your original tweet will be shown on the feed of the person who retweets you and all those that follow that person will also see your tweet. If your content is something of interest to them, chances of them following you are very high. It increases your reach as well as the number of your followers.  For example, if you have 50 followers, you would have a reach of 50 without the value of retweets.  If some of them or all of them would retweet your posts, your exposure will increase expotentially based on the number of followers your followers have. If you expand this one more level; suppose one of your followers followers retweets the same message? You have increased your reach even more! The viral power of social media is extremely explosive! 

How to Get More Retweets on Twitter?

1. Great Content

How to get more retweets on Twitter starts with posting messages and content that will be of interest to your followers and have a high probability of being retweeted.  It is pretty simple; people retweet info they find interesting. Find out what your niche market is interested in and then give it to them.

2. Retweet Button

Place a retweet button on your site to give your followers an option to retweet it if they find it interesting enough to share it with others. TweetMeme is a great plugin for your blog site and it makes it very easy for your visitors to share your post on Twitter with one click. Make sure that you place the button at the top of the page so that your visitors see it and act on it.

3. Hash Tags and the @

You can also use the @ sign to tag people in your network so that they would be notified of your new post.  For example; @kimgarst I appreciate the info! A hashtag may be a keyword that is utilized often. For example, I use #TWITTERTIPS to identify all my Twitter tips. You can even start your own hashtag! Using these two items increases the chances of your message gaining attention and to possibly get retweeted.  Some people overuse hashtags so use them sparingly. Hashtags help others identify quality content quickly; again increasing your chances of obtaining more followers.

4. Ask for the Retweet

You can also simply ask your followers to retweet.  Most people are willing to do favors by retweeting if they are asked to do it.

5. Be a Retweeter Yourself

You can start by retweeting your followers content.  Many of them will reciprocate by retweeting your content as well. If you always look to give more to others than you expect in return, the return is always greater in the end.

6. Reaching Other Time Zones

If you would like to reach people in different time zones, you can schedule some of your posts to be posted while you are away or sleeping.  This is a great way to broaden your reach and have an opportunity for retweets in other areas of the world. You can schedule your retweets using SocialOomph or Twufer.com.

7. Show Appreciation

Do not forget to thank the followers who have retweeted your messages.  People appreciate the recognition so posting a message thanking the people who have reposted your messages goes a long way in building the retweet relationship.

8. Short Tweets

Make your posts as short, but meaningful, as possible.  Short messages are easier to post and the retweeter would be able to add some comments as well.  A good rule of thumb is to keep your tweets to 120 characters leaving 20 characters for those who retweet you to add a comment. There are approximately 55 million tweets posted daily to Twitter.  Your aim is to make your tweet as interesting as possible to those that follow you.

9. Don't Flurry Tweet

Somtimes tweeters post multiple tweets in one fell swoop. They dump 10-15 tweets into their feed all at once. Whenever you do this, it makes it hard for people to concentrate on your post simultaneously. Additionally, some view this as spam when they see someone posting multiple tweets on the hour every hour. To maximize your retweet chances, space your tweets out.

10. Be Social

After all it is called "social media' for a reason. Respond to direct messages, retweets and interact with others who share content that you find engaging. Building relationships is my ULTIMATE retweet tip.

Kim Garst has been a Mompreneur for almost 20 years and has built a 7 figure income from her home.  Currently she shares her business and marketing savvy through coaching and consulting with clients around the world. Kim specializes in helping you get more sales, more leads and more clients utilizing social media and the Internet as a whole. Her systems are easy to implement and get quick results for small businesses as well as new and established solopreneurs.