How to Retweet

The common syntax starts off with the use of a label. “Retweet:” - the label “Retweeting:” and “Reading:” work as well.

Next comes the crediting. You can credit the original poster by simply using the @reply syntax, for example: “@originalPoster”.

Lastly, you should add the link along with a quick note about the link and why it is relevant. Here is a full example of retweeting:

Retweet: @originalPoster The 5 Best Blog Tips http://is.gd/56f - great tips

Now that you understand how to properly retweet, lets move on to some basic concepts of retweeting.

Retweeting Provides Value to Your Follower

There is a reason why people follow you, value. If you can provide value to your follower you will not only make that individual happy, but you will most likely attract more followers. Providing quality content is always a great way to provide your followers with value. The first thing that comes to mind is writing up a great blog post, and linking the post in a tweet. While this is one way to approach this concept, it is not the only way. Another way to provide your followers with great content is to link to other relevant and interesting content.

Retweeting Will Benefit Your Personal Brand

Retweeting will most likely build your personal brand as well as your follower’s loyalty. If you point a reader to an external source that is truly relevant and beneficial to them, the amount of trust that individual has in you will increase. The next time you post a link, whether it be to your blog or to another source, the chances of that individual clicking that link are higher than before.

Retweeting Will Help You Build Relationships With The Original Posters

As mentioned previously, the likelihood of being on the other end of a retweet increases as you retweet. Retweeting someone else’s content is an act of kindness, and for the most part bloggers like to return such acts. This isn’t to say that you should expect someone to retweet your content just because you retweet theirs. Again, retweeting is all about providing value to your followers, and an individual isn’t going to retweet a post of yours if it is not top notch.

A Concern: Doesn’t Retweeting Steer My Followers Away From Me?

Actually no. In my opinion retweeting will never lose you a follower or reader. Why would someone stop reading your blog or following your twitter because you sent them off to another website? Keep an open mind when it comes to your readers, they are usually smart and good people.

Conclusion

Retweeting can help you educate your followers, build your personal brand, increase future traffic, and connect you to other bloggers / content creators in your niche.