Bridget Willard | SaaS Marketing Agency

Author: Bridget Willard

  • Why I Don’t Use Twitter’s Retweet Button

    The retweet button is the worst button ever. It discourages conversations, robs you of data, and dilutes your branding.

    Let’s get some things out of the way first.

    Twitter existed before they made a Retweet button. Retweeting without the button is not plagiarism. Ripping off the text without crediting the user’s Twitter handle is plagiarism. 

    People copied and pasted the text, put RT in front, and the retweet was born. Twitter shot themselves in the foot when they took an organic, user-generated syntax and made a button for it.

    How Do You Old School Retweet?

    Watch the video here:

    Now, you can take my advice or not. I double-dog dare you to try it for a month.

    But my perspective is always to be a help.

    I’ll start with the benefits of the Retweet Button.

    1. People like to be able to say that their tweet was retweeted x amount of times.  Even I have fallen into this trap from time to time. 
    2. Some tweets are just too awesome or too long to edit in order to Retweet.
    3. People claim it curbs traffic on Twitter. I’m not sure if that’s actually true, but I’ll capitulate to the point for the purpose of this post.

    A Retweet Stops The Conversation

    The retweet is often misused when a reply is more appropriate.

    When a “reply” suffices as in a case where “You’re welcome” or “Thank you” are appropriate responses, the retweet makes you look lazy at best — rude at worst. Yep, I said it.

    Now, don’t get your feelings all hurt, I’m not going to call anyone out and show screenshots or anything. Just think before you press “retweet.” Is it the appropriate response?

    Remember, Twitter is for conversations, not just mirroring a statement back to the original sender.

    Users Can Turn Your Retweets Off

    Did you know any user can turn off your retweets? I do this often with serial retweeters. It is an option in the drop down menu when you go to a profile on Twitter right after “Report @User as Spam.” Do you want your retweets turned off? I’m guessing you don’t.

    The Retweet Button is Bad for
    Branding

    Yes, I said it. When you go to my profile, all you see is my avatar/logo/face. Why would I want to advertise someone else’s brand in my feed? Why am I working hard to build my business, spread my message, strengthen my credibility if I’m just going to mirror back tweets from twenty other people?

    Why are you?

    By using the “Retweet” button you are advertising another brand on your profile — for free. Whereas, an Old School Retweet (copy/paste with “RT”) is more like an introduction.

    Retweets Do Nothing for Your Data

    Brands like analytics. We all do. We like to see how our tweets have impressed others. Are they liking our tweet? Are they replying or clicking on our profile?

    When you retweet someone else, you’re part of their data. Should one of your followers also retweet that tweet, then it will not be reflected in your Twitter account’s analytics. It’s like you never existed.

    Read that again.

    Should one of your followers also retweet that tweet, then it will not be reflected in your Twitter account’s analytics.

    If most of your tweets are retweets, your analytics will show little engagement, if any.

    So, when I press the retweet button, I just become data on someone else’s account.

    Twitter Chats and Twitter’s Comment Retweet

    If you use this in a Twitter chat, add the hashtag to your comment. Otherwise, your comment retweet will not be seen by the Twitter client. At the time of this update, this is true of TweetChat and Twubs.

    Also, Hootsuite doesn’t reliably show comment retweets in mentions. I only see that on Twitter dot com.

    People Scan – They Don’t Read

    I know it’s hard to believe, but the more followers you have, the faster the home feed scrolls. The only way to avoid this is to make use of the list feature to filter the feed.

    The truth is people are scanning the feed for logos/faces/avatars that they know and recognize.

    This is also a compelling reason to avoid changing your avatar too often.

    When I see a face/logo I trust, I’m more likely to read the tweet, click on a link, and retweet or reply. The retweet button uses another user’s logo which may be unknown to me. Do you want me to ignore your tweets?

    The Old School Retweet Prompts New Follows

    I know that I am more likely to follow a new person via an Old School RT. Why? If the person retweeting is someone I trust, then I almost always click on the “new-to-me” account and follow.

    When you press the retweet button, I probably won’t even notice the tweet in the first place since that user isn’t familiar to me. There is a tiny footnote that “@ThePersonIFollow” retweeted it but the font is so small, I never notice it.

    Old School RT Allows Commenting

    I can’t help it, I prefer the comment at the front of the Tweet. This also can serve as the start of a conversation.

    Remember, Twitter is about the conversation, not just pressing buttons. You do want to talk to people, right?

    In this tweet, I added “So true” to the front of the RT of @24Intl’s tweet:

    And they wrote back thank you and what-have-you.

    Why Do People Love the Retweet Button?

    Simple: it’s easy. It’s harder to copy/paste.

    Reply instead. Replies are even more powerful than retweets. Why? They allow for the conversation to continue. Twitter is for building affinity.

    Affinity leads to loyalty; loyalty leads to sales.

    Your reply, instead of a retweet, could also take off.

    Here’s a case in point. On January 8, 2021, Rhonda Negard sent a reply to Representative Vernon Jones’ tweet. Stay with me.

    As of 8:00 PM Central Time on January 11, 2021, it has been liked 1,400 times. Mind you, she has 500 followers. Not 5,000. Not 50,000. Five hundred followers.

    Oh and she sent me screenshots of the analytics. That reply has over 100,000 impressions. I’m pretty sure I’ve never achieved that in my career. It’s amazing.

    Screenshot of Rhonda's stats for the reply tweet at 100,000 impressions

    I’ll Retweet If I Want To

    Yes, it’s your account. If that’s how you want to run it, it’s your prerogative.  I presume people don’t realize the implications of a retweet. If they’re new to Twitter, they made the button so it’s the way you should do it. Not necessarily. I’m here to give you a perspective of what Twitter was like before the button.

    Look at your own twitter feed, would you follow yourself?

    Retweeting Tools

    Tools in social media change often. Why? Twitter is always changing and the third party programs do, too.

    • I copy/paste when I use my phone or Twitter desktop.
    • But I spend the most time in Hootsuite with the “RT” type of retweet.

    This post was updated 1/11/2021.

  • The Value of Your Online Ambassador (Why It “Costs” So Much)

    Social media managers are your digital ambassadors. That’s why it costs so much. You’re asking them to be you and speak on your behalf.

    You’re a small business owner thinking you need to be on social media, not totally convinced of its worth (yet), but you know you need it. You may even realize you need help.

    So, you find and contact a social media manager and get a quote. But now you’re in a coma because you had an entirely different expectation of the cost.

    You think, “It’s just Facebook? Why is it so expensive?”

    Just like in any line of work, there are people with experience and people who tell a good story. In my experience, I’ve run into very few truly good social media managers. I am very picky on who I will refer when I’m asked to take on an account.

    Some thoughts:

    1. You don’t have time for social media. This is why you’ve sought help in the first place.  How much is your time worth?
    2. You don’t have the skills needed (yet) do do social media yourself. How much is it worth to you to get the accounts going?
    3. A good social media manager needs to brainstorm with you and come up with an overall strategy and ideas on how to tactically achieve that goal. Some people are naturals.
    4. A good social media manager shouldn’t be afraid to try new things, use humor, yet show discretion. This usually comes with age and experience.
    5. Many times social media managers are not permitted (because of non-disclosure agreements) to reveal their clients. Look at their Twitter and Facebook accounts.
      1. Is their account alive?  For example, when’s the last time they tweeted?
      2. Are they polite? Do they thank people? Do they retweet others? Do they respond to comments on their own brand’s Facebook Page?  This is known as “engagement” in the industry and “being a human being” in real life.
      3. Does their account feel professional to you. Read a sampling of the posts.
      4. Do they use proper grammar? Do they make a lot of spelling mistakes or overly rely on texting syntax?
      5. The truth is that you do what you practice.  If their own brand isn’t done well, then why would you think they’d do a better job on yours?
    6. A social media manager is your brand ambassador. They act in your place, as if they were you, online. This includes customer service, relationship building, passive (or active) lead generation, and public relations.
    7. When they meet you do they push their own agenda or have ideas that will specifically help your type of business? The truth is not everyone should be on Pinterest, for example. But if it’s good for your industry, you want to make sure the social media manager is competent on that platform.

    When you consider these factors, is the price they quoted to you really too high?

    If the price is still totally out of your reach, then start teaching yourself. Although, many of the people I refer offer scaled plans or coaching sessions to get you started. Additionally, have a list of “required reading” as well as my own “how to” posts scattered throughout my blog.

    There is a Chinese Proverb that says,

    “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”

    Your competition is online. What’s holding you back?

    rawpixel.com

  • Want Friends? Be A Friend. My Go-To Social Media Advice

    If you want to have friends, be a friend. Give without expecting. That’s how you rock social media. It’s really just that simple.

    If you want to have friends, be a friend

    Social media, by its very nomenclature, is social.  For a relationship to exist there needs to be reciprocity.

    Do you have a Facebook Page? Log in as your page and like other pages.

    Do you have friends on Facebook, blogs you read, friends on Instagram? Spend some time reading and commenting on other posts and photos.

    Why comment when you can just “like” a post?

    In many ways, clicking “like” is akin to seeing a friend across a room and smiling and waving.

    There’s nothing wrong with it; it’s rather pleasant.

    But you won’t grow your relationship unless you start talking to each other. In fact, the other person may even come to resent or just ignore you.

    That’s where commenting comes in.

    Why not just try it?  What could you possibly lose? I believe that you’ll notice a spike in activity as a natural, organic result of “friendly” behavior.

    Guru Lesson: If you want friends, you have to be a friend.

     

  • What are Hashtags And How Do I Use Them?

    You keep seeing the pound sign (#) and hearing people talk about hashtags. What are they and how do you effectively use a hashtag?

    But let’s start with this video below. Stop using stupid hashtags just because you keep seeing other people use stupid hashtags.

    Stop Using Stupid Hashtags

    What is a hashtag?

    The short answer to what is a hashtag is that it is a word or a phrase with the pound sign in front of it used for search and filtering on social media. There. you can stop reading the post now.

    This makes any term (without spaces or punctuation) searchable on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

    On Twitter you can use numbers in a hashtag like #Year2012 but the hashtag can’t only be a number like #2012.

    Although hashtags generally function on Facebook and LinkedIn now, they are only relevant if the audience actually clicks on them.

    They’re generally only seen there from cross/auto-posts. However, since they bought Instagram, there is an infusion of hashtags and I read rumors they’ll be usable in the future.

    Why would you use a hashtag?

    It helps give you exposure on Twitter by making terms searchable outside of your following.

  • Ten Ways to Be Retweetable

    If You Want to be Retweeted, Be Retweet-able

    It never ceases to amaze me how technology cripples our ability to communicate.

    (Wait. What?)

    Yes, you would think it should be the opposite.

    This post lists ways to remind you that you are still a human being even when you have a computer in your pocket.

    1. Stop Tweeting from Facebook

    Yes. Automation. Specifically, “Tweeting from Facebook” is very easy and popular. But is it the best way to get your message out on Twitter? I say no.

    (Save your outcry for politicians or the comment section.)

    Listen, I’ve been tweeting since 2007. I’ve seen a lot of new people take up Twitter lately, thinking it will give them instant results like the promise of Sea Monkeys on the back of cereal boxes.

    You don’t build relationships by pushing buttons.

    I always tell people, just because you “can” doesn’t mean you “should.”

    I see a lot of tweets from Facebook. They often lack context, relevance, or even text (yes, when you post a photo on Facebook it “tweets” a link – just a link).

    However, if your tweet is a fragment of a long, run-on sentence which, out of context, makes no sense, then people will ignore it in their feed.

    Not only that, but when on my mobile device, why should I have to go to Facebook to see your photo? Or go through Facebook just to go to the original link?

    The biggest argument I encounter to this advice is “I don’t have time.”

    It takes all of forty seconds to copy the text and paste it into Twitter. It might take a minute to upload a photo to Twitter. You’ll have to edit the tweet, too. But you do have time.

    You don’t book U2 for a coffee house; consider the fact that certain venues are appropriate for different styles of communication.

    Also, it looks like you don’t know what you’re doing. (Yes, I said it.)

    Even Carol Stephen, the nicest lady on the internet, said,

    “One post across all platforms seems lazy.”

    I realize your feelings are hurt, but is this what you want people to think about you and your personal or business brand? The best-case scenario is that people just think you are lazy. I’d say the advice is more important than your feelings.

    Yes, it is possible to manage your Twitter account with a minimum of five minutes a day. If you don’t have a lot of followers (10,000), this is achievable.

    2. Tweet more than once a day.

    Do you really think people are going to actually go to your Twitter profile every day? I hate to disappoint you, but they will not. Do you?

    They might go check out your profile when they decide to follow you. Otherwise, they will, most likely, never see it again. Make sure it’s compelling enough that people will follow you.

    (See: Baby Steps to the Tweet)

    3. Use Hashtags.

    Politicians can use their office as a hashtag, businesses can use their industries, people can use their hobbies, etc. This is a great way to find like-minded people.

    Don’t go hog-wild. Three hashtags per tweet (max) is a good rule of thumb. Otherwise, you not only look like spam, but your tweet is difficult to read.

    Set up a search for that hashtag and use a column-format platform to take advantage of this like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck. (This is also good for the lists you make, but that’s another blog post.)

    (See: What is a Hashtag?)

    4. Thank the people that retweet you.

    What a concept. Sure, it takes work to do this. Don’t retweet their retweet. Just reply to them and say “Thank you.”

    Expressions of gratitude are how people will become endeared to you. Don’t you like to be thanked?

    5. Retweet other people.

    Yes, it’s social media and reciprocation is part of the unspoken rules of anything social whether it’s online or in person. Think about it for a moment.

    If you’re a pastor, retweet other pastors.

    If you’re a business, (follow and) retweet similar industries, even competitors.

    If you’re a politician, (follow and) retweet other politicians that are tweeting. (Specific advice – click here.)

    The retweet can include a reply like this:

    Bottom line:

    Regardless of your industry, brand, or organization: show some support to your peers. My friend Amy Donohue always says: “It is called social media for a reason, people.”

    6. Make the tweet 120 characters or less.

    Yes, some of us still “old school retweet.” It’s a good way to reply with context. Admittedly, this is highly debated. (@UnMarketing, for example, prefers replies.)

    I like to mix up replies and retweets. However, there are stats out there that the shorter the tweet, the more likely people will engage.

    Do some of your own experimenting.

    (See: Marketing Week “Keep tweets short to boost engagement”)

    7. Content is king.

    Content matters. You have it, you probably just don’t realize it yet.

    (See: “Content, Just Elbow Your Way In“)

    8. Grammar Matters

    Whether it’s the text of the tweet or the blog you’re posting grammar matters. If you want to be seen as a professional, you have to be professional.

    If you can’t remember the difference between homophones, for example, either put a sticky note by your computer or avoid the expression. For example, instead of typing, “You’re welcome,” you can say “sure thing” or “no problem” or “anytime.”

    (See” Copyblogger’s 15 Grammatical Errors That Make You Look Silly and 10 Grammar Mistakes that Can Keep Your Content from Spreading)

    If, however, I feel that the tweet is too good to pass up, I will correct the grammar before retweeting. This is another reason why I prefer old-school RT’s over the “retweet button.”

    9. End the Mindless Repetition

    Okay, you understand that no one on the face of this planet has bookmarked your Twitter page and so you want to get your message out. That’s good. But it can’t be the only thing you tweet. Think about it for a moment.

    Go sign into Twitter, not a third-party app, Twitter.com. Look at your profile. Would you honestly follow yourself? That’s a good indicator of how you should modify your Tweeting behavior.

    10. Shorten Your Links

    Bitly.com shortens links as does Hootsuite.com.

    With this, I add the advice to check your links (to make sure they work) before tweeting. This is especially important when recycling tweets.

    Challenge:

    As with most of my advice, it comes from the perspective of a user and enthusiast. You can check out my “street cred” and decide for yourself.

    I double-dog dare you to change your tweeting habits for one or two weeks. I believe the proof of the pudding is the eating.

    (My favorite tool to see popular retweets is Crowdbooster.)