10 Simple Ways to Get More Retweets

So, you are tweeting and tweeting regularly, but you are seeing no or very little engagement in terms of favorites, link clicks and follows. You have a small amount of followers, so getting the retweets you want and need seem impossible, or perhaps, you have many followers who aren’t retweeting (or you just want more). Let me tell you 10 simple ways you can get more retweets.

1. Adjust Your Tweet Character Size

Twitter allows you to tweet up to 140 characters, but that does not mean you should actually use 140 characters. You should leave room for others to retweet using RT in front of the tweet or add their own comments before or after your tweet.

So, how many characters should you use? Approximately 80–110 characters.

Your tweet should be short and sweet, but not to short that others are like “so what” or not engaging.

2. Add Photos

When Twitter examined verified accounts, photos gave a 35% boost in retweets.

While, these are verified accounts, such as celebrities, we can guess that normal accounts may achieve a similar result.

We can guess this because…

Photos are worth a thousand words.

It is also important to say that photos are instant and can speak volumes, as it gives the viewer the ability to create their own idea and thought, which may lead to more retweets.

3. Add Videos

Similarly to photos, videos gave verified accounts a 28% boost in retweets.

Videos show something that is real, invoke thought and can give answers to questions — think about the news.

4. Add Hashtags

You should add at least one hashtag to every tweet and no more than three (3) hashtags. It allows your tweet to be easily searchable, as your tweet is categorized based on a topic.

When using hashtags, make sure the hashtag is relevant to your tweet and you should search that hashtag to see how popular the hashtag is and how often it is being used.

5. Tweet at the Right Time

You should tweet at the right time, when your viewers are most active. This will depend on what you tweet.

Think about it, if 90% of your audience is located in the USA and have a 9 AM to 5 PM job, does it make sense to tweet at 2 AM in the morning?

6. Tweet about a Trending Topic

On the lower left side of your Twitter page, you will see a list of trending topics. Trending topics are topics that are currently being talked about the most on Twitter.

These topics are also tailored for you, as Twitter puts it…

“Trends tailored just for you.

Trends offer a unique way to get closer to what you care about.

They are tailored for you based on your location and who you follow.”

So, why not take advantage of topics that you must likely can have a voice about and gain retweets that way.

7. Ask a Question

Make your tweet a question. It invokes engagement. It allows your followers and other potential followers to be a part of the tweet. Example:

*”Have you ever visited the Blue Mosque in #Istanbul? I just did. It was beautiful.”

Why not throw in a photo or a link to your blog at the end of the tweet? Perhaps, add another related hashtag, in this case travel, tourism or photography.

8. Tweet with Links

Adding links to a tweet can provide the viewer with more information, particularly if it’s from a reliable resource. It also adds engagement to the tweet, by getting the viewer involved.

Make sure you are not just tweeting the links title with the link, i.e. “Hong Kong Protests http://somelink.com” This is an example of something you shouldn’t do because you should make sure that the tweet has your voice!

9. Speak to Your Audience

As I touched on in a previously way to get more retweets (see #8), your tweet should have your own voice and in a way that you would normally talk.

Your followers will not be your twin, but will most likely have similar personality, opinions, and thoughts, so speaking how you would normally, would allow others to connect and relate.

10. Ask for Retweets

Just ask for retweets politely, i.e. “Please Retweet.”