BellaOnline Forums Computers Blogs & Social Networking Retweets - Do You Retweet?

I re-tweet other people often, if they share something I find interesting or funny I'll re-tweet it and pass it along to my followers as well!

that button is a good idea for RT. I dont use tweet deck just post right on the web, easiest for me

Up until now I haven't been reading "incoming" Twitter posts because there was too much, so I never retweeted since I wasn't reading in the first place. I never thought about people retweeting my info because it wasn't at all on my mind. I only thought about my tweets getting to my followers, like a newsletter.

I'm still not really sure about filling my personal stream with external content. I think if 2% of the Tweet world is retweets, and 98% of it is fresh content, that I must fall deep into that 98%

I do notice that the vast majority of people I follow are

1) providing URLs
2) providing personal content (not retweets)

Only a tiny number of posts in my feeds are URL-less. An even tinier amount are retweets. So maybe it's just the people I'm following, that are doing things the way I do them? Maybe like-brains attract each other?

Lisa, that is probably it about like brains.

I go to blogging conferences and tweet-ups and other social media events, which puts me plainly in the 2% of very active social media consumers. I Stumble, Digg, Tweet, use Facebook, Linked In, Squidoo and everything else I can think of to stay on top of the pulse in social media. I follow the hashtagged events of people at things like Comic-Com, BlogHer, TypeAMomConference and IzeaFest to get real-time updates from the blogging/tweeting community.

So my advice is going to be slanted towards two-way directions in these media. It's very exciting! But as you are seeing, totally not for everyone.

The truth is, most people in the world are just looking to put up links to their articles, which is fine! - or to just use Twitter as it was incepted at the first, ie, to tell others "what are you doing?"

So the What Are You Doing people are saying, "just had a latte and got cream on my nose"...and I do that also. I try to ensure I have a well-rounded mix in my timeline - that i have status updates, links, responses to people, RTs and things I find amusing. I want someone to look at my timeline and say, "hey, this girl would be fun to follow!"

If I see someone with only one sort of tweet, say only outgoing links to articles, then I prolly won't follow them. One way streams are not 'social' and not useful to me.

My POV of course! But it does explain that I am coming from the 'social' end of social media.

Not sure I am being clear though, Lisa. You have found a way to use Twitter that is useful to you and that you can keep up with/enjoy. I would totally stay right where you are, rather than making a change. If you've found a happy equilibrium, don't rock your boat.

That goes for everyone. There are no rules in crowd-sourced phenomena. Things are self-adjusting. :-)

I just ReTweeted from the test article button at 'Cleaning your Plate is Unhealthy' and added "RT @LisaLowCarb" - an excellent article for everyone but especially those raising children with developmental disabilities.

Anyway, when I click on RT on a tweet from an organization or person I am following, the @LisaLowCarb (or whoever) appears in the message box as a 'reply to' - I add the RT so that they know I am not expecting an answer back. I like that the Bellaonline ReTweet button at the bottom of articles fills in the name of the article and URL - it's very tidy and effective and leaves room for readers to add to the message.

I use Tiny URL to make custom URLs so that when others ReTweet from my twitter messages I can tell that they found one of my articles or a link of interest from one of my tweets. When I ReTweet or send out a link to an article or resource and I have a related article at Bellaonline, I add a Tiny URL at the end of my tweet to the related article, too. Sometimes I edit a ReTweeted tweet so there is room for the RT @whoever and/or a link to one of my articles.

I also add hashmarks - # - to related words if I have room at the end of my tweets that I have found reading other people's or organizations tweets. For instance, #downsyndrome #diabetes #specialneeds #tech #blind #parenting #moms so if someone retweets that is the part that is cut off

I have 143 followers and 217 tweets as of today, but have found ReTweets of mine among people who follow organizations and individuals who I have ReTweeted with the @theirtwitteraccountname

My twitter account is @DownSynAdvocacy but because I ReTweet messages about raising children with different disabilities and chronic health conditions, and follow tech developments, I have 'met' all sorts of people. Using the mainstream hashmark words #parenting and #teachers more people find my info and resources on special needs issues.

I am so glad that the Bellaonline editors conference came to the Pacific Northwest this summer so I could overcome my 'Fear of Twitter' - it has been a great resource for article ideas and meeting people I admire in the virtual world.

The word limit really keeps me on my toes as I tend to ramble. (((blush)))

So, to answer the question asked in the subject line: Yes.

;-)

And now I don't have time to read the thread! Today may be our last sunny day for a while in the PNW.

Pam W
SE of Seattle

I seldom RT because I like tweeting on new stuff. However, like foodlover626 I re-tweet when I get interesting links from those I follow.

That's awesome Pam that the meeting was helpful!!