Boost Engagement on Twitter With These Simple Steps
Twitter has become one of the most prominent social media platforms, and one of the most important to brands. There are more than 360 million Twitter users worldwide and 230 million tweets posted daily. That is a lot of tweeting. But how can a brand leverage the conversations on Twitter to their advantage?
Just like other social media channels, one of the best measure of social media success is how much your network is engaging with your content. On Twitter, engaging could mean retweeting (RT), favoriting or responding back to tweets. These actions are similar to sharing, liking and commenting on posts published on Facebook.
When someone retweets on Twitter, they are sharing that tweet with their entire network. That tweet includes your original info and your Twitter handle. If the tweet is relevant and interesting to others, they will also share it, and potentially follow you, building your credibility, your audience and ultimately, your reach.
So how do you get people to retweet your tweets? Here are a few simple tips to increase your retweet potential:
1. Write Shorter Tweets
Although Twitter is already limited to 140 characters, the most effective tweets are even shorter, about 65-100 characters is the optimal range. Twitter users will often add their own comment on tweets when retweeting, so a shorter tweet leaves room for their own thoughts.
2. Ask for a RT
Put a call to action in your tweets by asking for a retweet. This may seem overly simple, but asking for an retweet motivates your audience. According to this infographic by Visu.ly, tweets with the phrase “Please Retweet” had a 51% retweet rate while “Please RT” had a 39% retweet rate, compared to tweets without which only had a 12% retweet rate. In many cases, simply asking for a retweet will result in a much higher engagement rate.
3. Tweet Links
Lots of Twitter uses are looking for information. Become a resource to your audience with good content, information, and relevant news by adding links to your tweets. Of the 28% of tweets containing a URL, 21% get retweeted. Tweet the latest info, relevant news, informative blog posts and surprising developments for more retweets.
4. Include a Hashtag
Hashtags started as Twitter’s simple keyword system and have since spread to take on a culture of their own. Certain hashtags are prevalent across Twitter such as #FF (Follow Friday) or #TBT (Throwback Thursday), but each industry has specific hashtags that signal certain kind of tweets or information being discussed. Even though only 10% of tweets have at least one hashtag, nearly 20% of retweets have at least one hashtag. Do some research and see what kinds of hashtags are being used in your industry by followers and competitors.
5. Include a Photo
Although Twitter started as a mainly text-based micro-blogging platform, it has evolved to favor added content such as photos and videos. Recently added features allow better visibility to tweets with photos in the newsfeed. This boosts engagement on tweets that include visual content. Social management tool, Buffer, found that their tweets with images contained 18% more retweets and 39% more favorites than without.
6. Tweet at the Right Time
Users have to see your tweets in their newsfeed to retweet them, so make sure to tweet when your users are likely to be online and active on Twitter. Although data suggests that Fridays between 12-2 p.m. is a peak time to tweet, the best is to test out when your tweets get the most interactions. Spread out tweets during different days and times to see when your tweets get the most retweets and engagement.
7. RT Others
One of the best ways to get more Twitter users interested in your tweets is to retweet their tweets. Keep an eye on users who follow and engage frequently to retweet their tweets as well as users you want to start conversations and potentially relationships with. A retweet is a great place to start.
8. Tweet More Than Just Yourself
Although it may seem counterintuitive, the most engaging tweets don’t contain self-references. Only about 1.5% of retweets contain a self-reference, meaning those are very few and far between. Instead, try tweeting things that your audience will appreciate. When asked what type of content they retweet, 80% of Twitter users asked said informative or entertaining.
9. Make Tweets Helpful
Just as your tweets should contain other information than just about yourself, engaging tweets offer value to their audience. To amplify the retweet potential of your tweets, post information, facts, tips, quotes and information relevant to your audience.
10. Build Your Network
Your tweets are mainly seen by your followers, so cultivate your following carefully and thoughtfully. Create a solid Twitter strategy and start with good content. Build your network by connecting with and following other users in your industry. Retweet their tweets, respond to their questions and start conversations. This will often prompt users to see that you have similar interests and to potentially follow you as well.
By creating a simple Twitter strategy and following these simple tips, your tweets will be more engaging and better suited to earn more retweets from your audience.
What tactics are you trying to gain retweets? Share your thoughts below or tweet me @ErinSRichards!
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