Twitter is an amazingly fun channel, but it can also be a frustrating one as well. But it is also one of the strongest channels in terms of networking and creating your brand’s voice. Often, brands will simply automate tweets and then ignore the channel. While keeping a steady stream of content is vital, it can’t be your primary focus. Interacting with your audience will yield results, and that means learning how to use every tool in the Twitter toolbox to get the most impact.
Responding to Direct Messages (DMs) and replying to tweets are obvious actions you should be taking. What many people tend to trip up on are Retweets. Originally, Twitter simply had a retweet (RT) option. With their addition of quote retweets, the process became somewhat more confusing. Which is more effective? Which do you want to use for the best engagement? Which offers the best experience for your followers? Mastering RTs will help push your channel to greater heights.
Retweets vs. Quoting
Retweeting means you are sharing the exact post from the user you’re RTing. Your audience will see the tweet as it appeared on your timeline. The advantage to retweeting is multifaceted. By sharing valuable content, you are aligning yourself with the content shared, and the user or company the tweet is coming from. It shows your audience that you are diligent in keeping up with your industry, and it will catch the attention of the person who originally shared the information. That increases the likelihood that they will follow you and share your tweets later on. Finding that connection will help bring new eyes to you.
Quote retweeting is your chance to add your mark on sourced content. Quoting a tweet works similarly to retweeting, but the function allows you to comment above the tweet. Your audience will see your name and comment first, with the original tweet in a box below your comments. The character limit is the exact same, but typically you want to help the original content stand on its own with a small sample of why you think it’s valuable. It is also a chance to help the original content by adding relevant hashtags they may have missed, or tagging other users that may be interested in the content.
Which Option Is Best
Like most questions about social media, the option is, “it depends.” Keeping your content varied is vital, so you need to find the right balance between the two. Retweets are great for a quick show of support of an account or sharing great information, and it can be done in a few seconds. However, if you fill up your feed with tweets from other people and not you, your audience will start tuning you out or considering you a spammer. Using quote retweets lets you tell your audience why they will like the content, or what you can offer that relates to the content. It shows that you are engaged and educated. Learning how to best use retweets requires practice, so make sure you keep an eye on your metrics to see what your audience prefers. Once you learn the balance, you’ll see a huge increase in your audience, reach, and success.
Twitter has over 300 million users, and sees 500 million tweets a day, meaning you need to stand out from the crowd.
Do you need to start marketing your company on social media, but aren’t sure how to get started? Or maybe you’ve been posting content, but can’t seem to get the results you want.
CLICK HERE to schedule a complimentary 30-minute digital marketing audit.
Or
CLICK HERE to join us for Social Media Bootcamp
