The Best Way to Get Retweets, Just Ask!
Ask and you shall receive! Does that phrase sound familiar. Yup twitter works just like that. I have seen many different retweet guides on the web, but this is the simplest and by far the most effective technique in my books. The best way to get retweets is by simply asking.
Here let me give you an example:
Take this article that we wrote at WPBeginner – 55+ Most Wanted WordPress Tips, Tricks, and Hacks (has 944 tweets)
This was the example text I wrote 6 days ago when I first tweeted it:
55+ Most Wanted #WordPress Tips, Tricks, and Hacks – http://bit.ly/7EfP1W (Pls RT)
You see the magic word at the end. Pls RT, got the article tweeted many times. Now because it was a quality article, it took off and people started retweeting it left and right. I cannot emphasize enough how important the content really is.
But I did not just stop there. I have some very close friends on twitter which everyone should. There is no way that you can follow 3000 people. I have a group of 40 friends that I really keep track of and chat with. I sent out messages to each of them asking them to retweet this. It got retweeted more times.
Again, all I am doing is just ASKING. It really depends on how you ask because some of these top guys get hundreds of requests daily, so you have to be smart. Don’t make your article spammy, always ask nicely, and acknowledge them in your tweets. You absolutely CANNOT go ask someone you do not have a previous relationship with. If you do you will just come off as a spammer.
Use twitter the right way and you will have plenty of friends that actually know you, and you actually know them.
But all to all, it is a really simple formula.
Quality Content + Ask = Tons of Retweets
Hey, I am Syed Balkhi, The guy who is behind Balkhis Inc. I entered the industry back in 2002 not knowing a single thing. I barely spoke English at that time. In the past six years, my language barrier has been eliminated. Aside from English, now I also speak html, and php. Along with the languages I have also managed to master a few arts. Art of web-designing started when I first entered. Messing around with photoshop, I learned how to create my first web design. Now I founded a web designing firm Uzzz Productions. After running numerous amount of websites in various niche, I have mastered the art of web-development. Now I am compiling a resource of what I already know, and what I am learning on this blog. This resource is to help me if I ever need a guide to look back to, and it is help my fellow webmasters.
Well, I agree on the fact that asking (and this works for everything in life I believe) is a powerful tool… and I agree also that you indeed need to have great content otherwise no one will ever RT, no matter how well you say “please”… great post!
I can get what you are saying but I am beginning to think that twitter is just not working out for me. I am in real estate so the tweets I send out are mainly about property. I think general tweets get more re-tweets. I have started to write articles and tweeting them but then I am still thinking that I will get useless traffic to my website.
I really want to drop twitter but every blog I go to recommends twitter to be the best thing since sliced bread. Could it just be that it does not suit every niche perhaps?
I agree in your article. By creating killer sentence that meet to market niche will generate lots of re tweet. If you will survey your market and audience, then according to create post which will be more benefit.
It’s not for every niche..
I get way better response when I personally write a tweet to someone with the @name than just writing a tweet and posting it.
Since you are close with the 40 people on your list, you will get much higher response rate as well.
-Kai Lo
Twitter @lomak1985
What a post! The sheer simplicity of it is mind blogging and that it is effective is even more so. Great advise. Thank you.
I can’t imagine someone saying no if you ask them and you genuinely are friends with them.
But asking strangers is a little trickier unless they are in the same niche as your website or genuinely like you as a person.
Good post
Nicely said, twitter is simple as is looks and works, and therefore promotion should be the same. The only glitch is to have good viral friends and also to have quality content to share. No secrets there.
It’s funny how the simplest things are often the most effective. I’ve read post after post about complex and intricate ways of getting retweets but why bother??
Thanks! You’ve saved me hours!
I don’t think Oprah will respond to me even I ask
That is because Oprah is not in your niche
and she is not your friend either.
Asking a stranger requires a very convincing article. I have been retweeted by mashable, GuyKawasaki but those articles were quality. These users have a combine 1 million + audience
Yet again another great post. The other time I was wondering how can I get my tweets retweeted. Seeing what you said above really makes sense because it’s after asking for something that you get it. Of course, as you said it’s crucial to know the people who you are asking from. Thanks for the share.
Great Tip. I am just getting into Twitter and was unfamiliar with “RT”. Simple is always better in my book, and how much simpler could your tip be. Sometimes we try to make marketing too hard! Great job.
I wish people would wish I retweeted their stuff, then I’d feel important.
maybe I should try this. this is a good idea. thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the tip. I NEVER would have thought of this. It simple and I have a nasty habit of complicating things.
do you get a lot of referral traffic from these RT’s?
I wouldn’t share a technique here if it doesn’t provide results. 944 retweets mean about 15k views on the post. I will let you be the judge whether it is a lot or not