Beating a Hasty Retweet? Benefit Your Status Through In-Depth Socialization

Beating a Hasty Retweet? Benefit Your Status Through In-Depth Socialization
By Kathryn Lively

The latest Twitter buzz involves the new “retweeting” feature accessible on user’s Twitter home pages. If you read your follow feed through the main Twitter.com site, you have the option now of clicking a simple button to automatically repeat a favorite post without having to cut and paste and add the obligatory “RT @…” prefix. What is unique about this function is that once a post is retweeted, you have the choice to undo your action, too.

This functionality, however, is not entirely new to the tweeting world. Users of TweetDeck, a popular social media client that allows users to keep track of Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace feeds, are able to retweet with ease. Those with the ability, who use Twitter mainly as a promotional tool, may wonder why retweeting is important at all, and does it really apply to them?

In truth, taking the time to share information parsed by the people you fellow can benefit your status with the social network. If you haven’t considered sharing third-party information via Twitter, now is the time to familiarize yourself with the retweet function as a necessary part of your social networking strategy.

Retweeting = Visibility: With the ability to integrate Twitter into other social networks, thereby allowing one to post once and distribute to many places, you benefit by maxmizing your social media marketing. Consequently, you also run the risk of having a network appear stale and robotic. Followers may get the sense your Twitter profile serves no other purpose but to drive-by with advertising. Taking the time to read the feeds of those you follow, and retweeting something relevant to your work (or not) aids in the viral nature of the medium. Twitter etiquette often calls on a user to publicly thank another for repeating their information, and this allows for more exposure of your brand. A Twitter user who follows somebody you follow, but not necessarily you, now knows you exist. He could be inspired to follow you as a result.

Retweeting = Authority: It’s nice to say you were able to scoop big news on Twitter first. It doesn’t always happen, however, and if you happen to follow users close to your business model you’re certain to find posts relevant to your work. Retweeting the news lends you status in the way that you establish the type of news you want to relay through your profile. If somebody searches Twitter for that particular topic, there’s a chance your post will show in results, and that may prompt users to follow.

Don’t think that refraining from repeating posts will hurt your standing in Twitter. Social media is all about socialization, and it’s important to approach the way your market yourself in a social manner. Lend your expertise through this medium and don’t be afraid to share the spotlight.

Kathryn Lively is a social media specialist assisting clients with Virginia web design and social media optimization.

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