Increasing your engagement on Twitter is important for any business or individual because it creates a valuable relationship between you and your followers.
When your followers trust you and see that you are providing them with valuable information they are more likely to retweet you.
Gaining more retweets is a great way to reach a wider audience, gain new followers and increase your brand awareness.
Here are some tips to help you get more retweets and increase your engagement on Twitter.
Increase your engagement
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.
Retweet generously, respond to mentions where relevant, thank your followers when they retweet you, and when you're in need of some instant exposure, ask your followers to retweet you - if you've treated them well in the past, they're more than likely to return the favour.
Stick to what you know
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 retweeted.
Provide valuable content to your followers
Before you start sending messages out to your community of Twitter followers, ask yourself why are they 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.
Time your tweets
Depending on the nature of your followers, certain times of the day and week will have higher Twitter traffic than others. 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.
And finally, remember to keep your tweets shorter than 140 characters so that your followers are able to retweet them.
About the author
Catriona Pollard is the author of From Unknown To Expert, a step by step framework designed to help entrepreneurs develop effective PR and social media strategies to become recognised as influencers in their field. www.unknowntoexpert.com
Catriona is also the director of CP Communications, which merges traditional PR tactics with cutting-edge social media strategies that engage consumers as well as business. www.cpcommunications.com.au
Follow Catriona:
Twitter: @catrionapollard
Facebook: www.facebook.com/catrionapollard
Blogs: www.catrionapollard.com | www.unknowntoexpert.com/blog
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