As everyone is rushing to establish their online influence before their competitors, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out from the crowd. Getting re-tweeted is a great way to establish credibility and expand the reach of your Twitter handle to a broader audience.
Here are some tips on how to make sure your tweets don’t go to waste and get the re-tweeting they deserve.
Find your niche – Whether you tweet for yourself or your business, identify the topics you specialise in and stick to them. By tweeting on a particular issue, you are positioning yourself as a thought leader in that field and building upon your credibility among the online community. Just as one would get quoted in a newspaper or magazine, the more people trust what you say and believe in your expertise, the more likely you are to get re-tweeted.
Understand your followers – Before you start sending messages out to your community of Twitter followers, ask yourself why they are following you. Do they know you personally? Are they looking for advice? Do they read your blog, or are they a fan of your Facebook page? Once you understand what they are looking for, shape your Twitter content to meet their expectations and demonstrate that you are dedicated to building a relationship and providing value.
Choose your timing wisely – Depending on the nature of your followers, certain times of the day and week will have higher Twitter traffic than others. Statistics show that Thursday and Friday are the most active days (16% of total tweets), with 10-11pm being the most active time of day (4.8% of total tweets). Linking back to the previous point, it is important to gain an understanding of the Twitter habits of your followers. Consider whether they can tweet during work hours, or whether the majority of them are overseas in different time-zones. Then you can schedule your tweets to match their routines.
Engage with your community – Being an active participant in online conversations will not only help build your online profile, but will strengthen the relationships between you and your online community. Re-tweet generously, respond to mentions where relevant, thank your followers when they re-tweet you, and when you’re in need of some instant exposure, ask your followers to re-tweet you – if you’ve treated them well in the past, they’re more than likely to return the favour.
