How to Get More Retweets on Twitter

Retweeting is how Twitter users share information they find valuable with others they’re following. We all want more retweets because the more you receive, the greater the reach of your message. In short, your message is exposed to a lot more people. Plus, let’s face it, it feels good when people share your messages. It makes you feel like what you’re sharing is valuable, at least to that person.

While I don’t think there’s any secret formula to getting retweeted more frequently, other than knowing your audience and understanding why they’re following you (aka: what they expect and need from you), there are some methods you can use to make RTs more likely. Here are a few ways you can get more retweets:

Write tight

Short tweets are more likely than longer ones to get retweets. Since tweets are only 140 characters anyway, you have to be super concise to give people space to add their own message. Customizing the RT slightly so that it fits their audience or reflects their views is a good way to get people to share your content.

Grab attention

There are a ton of tweets going out, with Twitter reporting 500 million Tweets sent each day. This makes it really difficult to stand out and get people’s attention.

Some ways to help your Tweets make your followers pause and read are to add a photo, include a quote or include stats and facts.

Just do me one favor. If you include this type of information, make sure you get it from a trusted, verifiable source. There already is way too much bad information online. Spread truth, not ignorance.

Be useful

People are online because they want to read content that interests and benefits them. They’re likely to share the information if they think it will help their followers. Provide value and you will get more RTs.

Ask

This is my least favorite method of getting more retweets, but it generally is understood that people who ask for information to be shared get the results they’re seeking. So, if it seems acceptable to you, go ahead and ask for the RT.

Retweet others

The social web is reciprocal. If you retweet others, chances are good that they’ll do the same for you.

Use hashtags

Including a relevant hashtag or two in your tweet means that those outside of your followers who are interested in your niche also will see your tweet. This will result in retweets outside of your regular audience. It also may help you make further connections.

I did, however, read somewhere (I’m sorry, I can’t remember where.) that more than two hashtags actually results in fewer people sharing your content and makes you look spammy (I think I may have just made up a word there, but I’m a journalism professor, so it’s ok.). I advise you to keep your hashtags per tweet at a minimum and make sure only to use those that are most relevant to the tweet’s content.

Tweet links

A tweet referring to a credible online source, whether it be a news agency or a blog, is likely to get more attention and retweets than a tweet without a link. The ability to share and consume this type of information is what makes Twitter my favorite social medium.

Tag others

Don’t forget to tag those who you specifically think will be interested in your tweet or are mentioned in its contents. This guarantees that they will at least look at your tweet. If they like what it says about them, they also are likely to pass it along to their audience.

Don’t forget weekends

The total number of tweets declines during the weekend, but there still are plenty of people on social media who are willing to share content. In fact, several studies I found said retweets increase during the weekend, specifically on Sundays.