After I shared two posts last week with “tweet it” tips and quotes, readers requested I share how to set that up, so I am. Because I love when you all tell me exactly what to share to help you. It makes blogging so much easier.
So, let’s look at the what, why and how of setting up a “tweet it” page or post.
What Is It?
It’s a page full of short little snippets that can be easily tweeted, setup with a “tweet it!” link for each one, like this:
The link takes the clicker over to twitter where the box is already filled in with the tweet, like this:
Why Do It?
Share Your Knowledge and Create a Cool Resource.
It’s an easy way to share your tips with your readers and invite them to share the tips with more people. Sharing your knowledge is a great way to brand yourself as credible about your subject area.
Make Bookmark Bait.
This is the type of resource you can create as bait to get your readers to bookmark your site and return because it’s useful.
Get Twitter Followers.
If you add your Twitter ID to them (like I did with @MichelleShaeffr) you can also get more mentions on Twitter, and more followers.
How Can You Make Your Own?
First, write up your tips as you want to share them and make sure they’re all under 140 characters. If you can keep them shorter, like 120 or less, even better because then they can be retweeted easily. If you include any links, use a link shortener.
Next, you’ll need to code the “tweet it” links.
When you create these, you’ll need to make sure you’re editing in HTML mode (not the Visual editor that WordPress and other content management systems offer). So flip over to HTML code mode before you build your links.
Here’s an example of the HTML code to use:
<p>Make your blog more awesome. Do it now. http://ow.ly/6Hv61 #blogtip RT @MichelleShaeffr (<a href=”http://twitter.com/home/?status=Make your blog more awesome. Do it now. http://ow.ly/6Hv61 %23blogtip RT @MichelleShaeffer“>Tweet It!</a>)</p>
That’s the whole thing, the “tweet it” link is actually just this part:
<a href=”http://twitter.com/home/?status=Make your blog more awesome. Do it now. http://ow.ly/6Hv61 %23blogtip RT @MichelleShaeffer“>Tweet It!</a>
So to build your own, start with this:
<a href=”http://twitter.com/home/?status=XXXXX”>Tweet It!</a>
And replace the XXXXX with your tweet text. If you want to include a # (hashtag) then you need to use %23 instead of # to make it work.
For example:
<a href=”http://twitter.com/home/?status=This is my tweet it link.”>Tweet It!</a>
Would create this:
Tweet It!
And when you click it you’d get this:
You can also replace the link text with a cute little “tweet it!” image or bird if you want to. Just upload your image and use it as the link. You can find all sorts of cute Twitter birds here: http://www.wpwizz.com/2011/02/100-free-twitter-icons-to-choose-from/ For this tutorial I kept it simple with text.
Be sure to test your tweet it links!
Some Examples
Ezine Articles posts lots of tweetable tips, here’s one of their posts:
http://blog.ezinearticles.com/2011/09/article-writing-tips-to-retweet-august-2011.html
41 Tweetable Tips for Bloggers:
https://michelleshaeffer.com/41-tips-to-tweet-for-bloggers/2011/09/28/
50 Motivational Quotes for Entrepreneurs to Tweet:
https://michelleshaeffer.com/50-tweetable-quotes-for-entrepreneurs-to-share/2011/09/27/
And there you go!
Now you can go make your “tweet it” page and come back here and share it in a comment.
Thanks for this! I am totally using it!
Awesome! I look forward to seeing your tweet page, Traci, and tweeting your tips. :)
Hi Michelle, this is great information to help create buzz around the social networks about ones info. I love the fact that you always have something new that I can learn from and as I was reading your other blog posts, I thought wow, these look really interesting. You really inspire me. Thank you.
Thanks, Edgar, I appreciate the kind words and will keep doing my best to inspire and share cool info.
Michelle,
Thanks so much for sharing this! This is something I’ve been perplexed how to do and wanted to then I saw your link via Facebook. You rock!
Kim
Glad this was helpful, Kim. :)
Is that more effective than the twitter icon in the bookmarks area? Thank for the detailed “how-to”
Hey Ali, I think it’d depend on what your goals are as to which works better. This is good for creating a resource for visitors. Having a twitter icon/link for people to follow you on twitter would probably do better for getting new visitors to your site to follow you (assuming it’s on every page, as opposed to this tweet it strategy which would be only one page of many).
This is very cool! I think I just got another idea of a blog post for the Ultimate Blog Challenge :)
And more ideas for the blog challenge are always a good thing! I need to do some brainstorming this week to figure out my next 20+ posts…
As my friend, Heather, would say …
This post is fabbytastic! :)
Great idea and thanks for taking us through the steps.
“Fabbytastic” – I like that word. LOL
Hi Michelle,
Really useful tip, I earlier heard that there is a plugin which you can use to create such “tweet it” links.
For making it easy to tweet a post/page I like DiggDigg (the bar on the left on my pages) and SexyBookmarks (the icons that bounce at the bottom of each post) personally.
This is an awesome idea! Thanks for sharing! I’m going to start using this! I got some great list ideas for later this week to post ;) You rock!!!
Cool — can’t wait to see what you come up with, Kimberly. :)
Thanks, Michelle for such helpful info! I’ve bookmarked this page! I really appreciate you and the tips you share with us!
Hi Michelle,
I had to Evernote this post. I love seeing plugin-free ways to connect with the web.
Have you had any trouble with tweet blizzards, where most of the 41 links are hit relatively quickly? (I made that term up, I think)
Cheers,
Mitch
Thanks for sharing this really great and useful article. You explain it great on how to make your on tweet it page. Keep on the good work!
Hi I love this Idea I am trying to build one for my blog, but when I test it by clicking on the link in my blog it tries to open on the blog and i get error 404 page not found! any ideas
Hi Jenni, would you mind copying and pasting your code in a comment here, or linking me to the page? I can take a closer look.
Free and easy.. that’s the way I like to market!! I’ve done it organic search only for 9 years. Things have really changed and fast in the past 2 years. Thanks for sharing Michelle. You are teaching an old dog new tricks!
Awesome stuff again Michelle, as usual. I saw this on someone else’s blog and was curious as to how they did it – now I know. Thanks for the tutorial.
How cool is this, Michelle and it works great! I want to use it in a wrap-up post that I plan for end of November and I remembered to go back and look for this info in your blog!
I am really thankful to have found you and your blog and learn so many new things :)