The Power of the Retweet

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The Power of the Retweet

Sharing knowledge and ideas has long been one of the web’s best (and sometimes worst) functions. Global conversations have opened a floodgate of debates, leaks, protests, news, and conversations of almost every kind. Some of these conversations might be trivial, but the web houses some of the most interesting, categorically varied knowledge around. This basic premise has created a global stage for the sales, marketing, and entrepreneurial professionals who understand that knowledge and ideas are more lucrative now, on the web, than they've ever been. The only thing that’s changed is the way we get the word out.

Social media suites offer varying tools that inherently make them more or less effective at handling different types of posts and content. If there’s one of these services that specializes in sharing ideas on the fly and redistributing them to others, it’s undeniably Twitter. Even as other platforms mature and dig a little deeper into Twitter-like functionality, none currently come close to achieving the speed and reach of Twitter for small-scale promotions or large-scale trends. Feel free to dispute me in the comments.

For the professionals who make a living sharing and selling ideas, the power of Twitter’s retweet functionality is nearly limitless. Imagine a world where your own customers also play the part of your advertising and PR departments with word of mouth that can reach anyone. Though neighbouring services like Reddit are all useful in similar (though highly specialized) ways, this world is Twitter.

At its most basic functionality, a tweet geared for marketing is a push to content or product. It’s the sign that signals your readers where to go, what to consume, and the things you or your brand find meaningful. Here’s the catch: in order for these signs to be effective, they’re going to need to be endorsed by others. Lonely tweets are ineffective, and are little more than the first rung on the ladder to a viral marketing campaign.

Any brand marketing their own products will always appear biased. This is where the retweet makes a name for itself, by acting as a broad landscape for third party recommendations. Endorsements that are not only as widespread as the web, but are also self sustaining, meaning your tweet may be retweeted by a user with many followers who then retweet that retweet. The beauty here is that your post, and therefore your content, will drive itself once the social conversations build and the sharing inevitably begins. It’s marketing that’s absent bias, available to millions, and promoted by others - the trick is getting it right.

That trick is relationships. It comes back to the basics of marketing and sales: knowing the right people and creating or maintaining those meaningful relationships in your space. Twitter power users will tell you to capitalize on trending topics and to automate your posting schedule for optimal delivery times, and these are effective habits, but they leave you at the mercy of popularized topics. Build a network of reliable personalities in your industry, and share.

There’s no magic wand for viral campaigns. It’s going to require time and energy just to develop a list of contacts who are invested in sharing with you and sharing for you, but between building relationships and minding effective Twitter posting practices, you’ll soon find yourself positioned to capitalize on the power of the retweet.

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