I confess, the first time I was retweeted it was tiny thrill. A little Sally Field moment – You like me, you really like me! – in the Twittersphere. OK, so maybe it wasn’t quite that over the top, but it still was (and still is) very cool.
When I was a n00b to Twitter, the retweet was part of every primer I read – share and share alike all the good stuff you come across. Once you start up an account, you will soon realize that the good stuff often comes from others that you are following.
So for other n00bs and nay sayers out there who cover their ears and chant “la-la-la” every time someone tries to convince them to get on Twitter already, let me share the good stuff so to speak about retweeting.
If you are relatively new to Twitter, or are starting to think it’s time to give it a twirl, first be sure to check out this essential Twitter 101 guide. Put together by the very smart people behind the site, you won’t find reams of leaden copy that only encourages to discourage. What you will get is a bunch of great information that’s very easy to plow through. The guide defines the retweet this way:
To help share cool ideas via Twitter and to give a shout-out to people you respect, you can repost their messages and give them credit. People call that retweeting (or RT), and it usually looks something like this: “RT @Username: Original message, often with a link.” Retweeting is common, and it’s a form of conversation on Twitter. It’s also a powerful way to spread messages and ideas across Twitter quickly. So when you do it, you’re engaging in a way people recognize and usually like—making it a good way to connect.
Yes, yes and yes to all that. Although a part of you might at first question: Aren’t I supposed to be sharing all my pearls of wisdom, links I found to helpful posts and snappy 140-character comments that help brand either myself, or my company and its new job opportunities? Why am I making the “other guy” come across as the expert?
You aren’t doing that, trust me.
My top three tips on retweeting break down like this:
Use the Retweet to Gain Followers: A retweet is often reciprocal. Remember that tiny thrill I mentioned above? People do take note of who retweets their posts and are more apt to return the favor. A simple retweet could lead to lots of new followers who liked what you had to say. Remember, when you get retweeted, their audience becomes your audience.
Keep it Real: In that same vein, reweet items that genuinely hold real value. Only retweet something you found helpful or interesting. Don’t start retweeting with one goal in mind: the goal of getting yourself retweeted. By keeping it real, your Twitter feed will consist of interesting content that shows people you are worth a follow.
Get to Know Others in the Know: When it comes to networking, many of us are already using and are quite comfortable with LinkedIn. Twitter offers a highly personalized way to get to know others out there that you want to connect with. The conversational style and topical nature of tweets opens the door to friendly dialogue with industry leaders you may have admired from afar, a potential applicant, or others who share your common interests.
You’ll soon find, or maybe already have, that you will gain just as much (information, connections and fun) out of it as you put in.
