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Make People WANT To Read Everything You Tweet About Because They Think You’re Cool

07.6.2009 in Tools That Make Growing Your Business Easy, Even If You Don't Have Much Experience!, Tricks To Generate Infinite FREE Leads Through Social Media by Josh

If the measure of a man is what he does in private, then the measure of a Tweeter is how interesting he’s found to be by the public.

The public will praise you in many ways. Throwing you a mention on Follow Fridays. Giving you a shout out. Telling their followers that you’re an interesting Tweeter. Some may even give you money. But the greatest praise of all starts with “RT @.” Yah, that’s the stuff.

Think of your re-tweetability like Twitter street cred. When you consistently post things that are worth re-tweeting, others will take notice and begin seeking you out on Twitter. Everyone thinks that your follower count is what elevates you above the pack on Twitter. While your count is important for social proof, it’s really how often you’re being re-tweeted that tells you how relevant and interesting your tweeps find you.

So how does one get re-tweeted? Simple. Just be more re-tweetable. <– In case you’re wondering, that right there is why I get paid the big bucks. Genius, I know. But seriously, here are a few things you can do right now to move towards re-tweetability perfected in human form.

Turn off your TweetLater and TwitterFeed. These services are fantastic, and I’m not suggesting we storm their offices with pitch forks and torches…necessarily. Heck, I’m not even suggesting you never use them again. What I am saying is that these little time savers quickly become a crutch. I say this because I’m guilty as sin of doing this myself. It’s like having that 13th cookie when you know you should stop at 12. “If they add tweets for me, I can focus on people and whatever.” Lame. Don’t by it. People won’t care that you’re focusing on them because they don’t care what you’re saying. If Google’s doing your posting, then why do they need you? Fewer, RELEVANT posts will go a lot farther toward developing a solid (don’t necessarily read HUGE) following than filling your wall with crap. Get off your butt and find something cool to tweet about.

Ask good questions that demand answers. How often are you asking questions in your tweets? Questions are like catnip for the brain. They’re irresistible, and once they’re rattling around up there, they get the brain running around in circles trying to chase down answers. You want this. This gets you remembered, and it also gives you something to talk about so you can…gasp… ACTUALLY converse on a social network site! So then, the trick is in what to ask. “What’s your favorite color?” is a stupid question. Who cares? Think of something provocative. Something that gives people something to talk about. Something a little polarizing is always good. A little example from my own life. I’m a staunch Creationist. One of my best friends in life is a staunch Evolutionist. We have titanic battles over the merits and challenges in each theory. We’re totally polar. But you know what, we’ve grown to know and respect each other’s view point while simultaneously strengthening our positions in our own minds. Controversy isn’t a bad thing. Provocative isn’t a bad word.  Ask questions that people will be forced to answer, and you’ll be more memorable and more read.

Advertise that you’re the most amazing person on this planet. Now, I know what you’re thinking, but you’re wrong. I share our culture’s openly venomous reaction to the braggart. What I’m saying rather is that you need to impress your amazingness on me through your tweets. Believe it or not, your bunion surgery isn’t all that amazing to me. Telling me about the weather is just so much fluff. Give me something of substance to read. Rock my world at least 70% of the time. That’s tough, I know. Even the guy who invented Twitter probably can’t do that. I can’t sing either, but that doesn’t stop me from singing my heart out every morning in the shower in preparation of my big debut. You need to make me want to know more about you because you must be the coolest cat around. Once you do that, I’ll start paying attention. Perception defines reality every once in a while.  Mold my perception of you and your greatness.

Quote yourself like you’re the only narcissist in a room full of monks. The person most likely to quote you is you. Period. I want to know what’s going on inside that 3lbs of miracle in between your ears. What thoughts go through there? Engage me. Say something meaningful, or whimsical, or funny, or even crude. Crude is the new black. It’s always in style so long as it’s not overdone. Overdo it though and you’re just goth. Goth isn’t funny, or whimsical, or even particularly interesting…but I digress. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and see what happens. Here’s a little secret your mom never told you because 1)there was probably no Twitter when you were a kid, and 2)she wanted you to turn out nice: In the 9 million+ people on Twitter, chances are you’re not alone in ANY belief you hold. Don’t be afraid, be honest, and put yourself out there like you believe you’re the most interesting person tweeting in this or any other age.

Don’t make every post a link to something else. I’ve been guilty of this one for sure, but think about it. What percentage of the linkage you’re sent are you actually reading? I’m guessing somewhere between hardly any and next to none. You’re not alone. So before you send me that link, think about it. Will I actually find this useful? Some things you gotta share. For instance, I once found a YouTube video on a full scale Gundam model that was built in Japan. I had to share that because Gundam is freakin’ cool. But if you’re linking to something else in every post, then why am I reading what you’re saying in the first place? I can go to Google myself, look up some key words, and get the same thing if I care, which I don’t, statistically speaking. Use links for marketing, getting people to visit your blog, or for things of great interest to your target market. The rest should be your words.

Channel your inner Barry White and facilitate some love. People want to feel good about themselves, so help them do that. They’ll love you back. You can do this by re-tweeting their thoughts and telling them why. It gives them the exposure they want, and it makes you look like a sweetheart. Win-Win. When you help people to feel good about what they’re doing, they WILL respond in kind. The one caveat is probably that you want to make sure you’re spreading the love to people you actually like. If someone re-tweets you often, and they club baby seals on weekends, other tweeps may assume you also like to club baby seals on weekends. If you do actually like clubbing baby seals, then this example was not for you. Oh, and what’s the matter with you? Anyway, inspire people and encourage those around you, and you’ll get a return on that in spades.

Mind your P’s and Q’s. When someone pays you the courtesy of re-tweeting something you offered, you owe them a thank you. Period. I don’t care how many re-tweets you get. Re-tweets are a gift, and we always say thank you for gifts. When you show your gratitude, it makes people feel special, which will then compel them to re-tweet you more often. It’s a vicious cycle of manners, I tell ya. Watch out!

The final, and arguably most important component of being a re-tweet superstar is…

DON’T USE ALL 140 CHARACTERS! If you don’t leave room for people to add “RT @JoshNikle ,“ then how will you ever get re-tweeted? It’s a simple thing, but it gets missed all time. We’re a verbose society, and it’s tough to fit a thought into 120 characters, but you need to do it. You have 120 characters to bare your soul, convince me you’re awesome, or whatever it is you’re trying to do.

I hope this has been helpful for you. Throw me a follow on Twitter. I’m always looking for something that is actually interesting to read. Hit me with your best shot.

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