How to Get Someone (Like Me) to Retweet You

Every day I get many requests to retweet, “like” on Facebook, blog, or otherwise post about someone’s book.  Of the 20+ DMs I received, I re-tweeted ONLY one.  I’m a real person – so what made me pick out this one tweet to share?  Besides a marketing Jedi like me, how do you get a blogger, reviewer, editor, or even another writer to help you out on Twitter.  I’d like to think they get many more requests than me 🙂

So if you have a blogger or reviewer that you’d like to retweet a message about your book, how do you go about it?

What I didn’t Re-Tweet This week

Here are a few of the (edited) tweets I’ve received in the last week:

• <book title> <Amazon link> <BN Link> <Author website> PLEASE RETWEET!
• Check out my book <Link>
• My new book <link> please RT

Did I re-tweet any of them?  No.  I don’t know any of these authors very well – besides an initial follow, I’ve had no Interaction AT ALL.  So why should I go out of my way (and spend precious time) blindly sharing their book?

The Tweet I Shared

Who are the people that are most likely to re-tweet or share a link to your book?  That’s right.  Friends and Family.  @JessMichaelsBks (my wife) and my mother thumb up my posts and retweet me all the time 🙂

No, I didn’t retweet my mother or my wife 🙂  It was an author that I don’t know very well, but that author made an effort. I exchanged a few messages about writing and when I asked for a comment on a tweet I sent – they responded! That’s it.  Was it that much?  It hardly took any effort, but confirmed that another real person was on the other end.  I’m glad to help real people out, I just want to know that they are real people and they are my friends.

So that’s the trick.  Friends and family are WAY more likely to retweet and like your posts.  If you want a blogger/editor/book marketing jedi to retweet you need to become friends!

Putting it into practice!

Here’s how you get someone to notice you –

1. Like their page on Facebook, sign up for their newsletter
2. Interact with them!  Tweet to them, add them for #FF (Follow Friday), comment on their posts!
3. help them market – blog about them, ask them for an interview for your website, Try to help them meet their goals

When you give a little, you can get a lot!  When it comes time for you to ask for help – they’re likely to say “Absolutely!”

It’s so simple, but so few people do it.  When you market your book…helping others will help you sell more books.

In my free download “Marketing Your Book on the Web” – I suggest that one of the fastest ways to build your readership is to make connections in the industry.  Identify 5 authors/bloggers that have similar books as yours and try to get them to notice you!  Note: Lady Gaga may never retweet me, even if I built an entire site about her.  It’s ok to shoot for the stars, but people with 5,000 followers or less tend to be much more reachable.  

Spending just 10 minutes a day cultivating these relationships is the most valuable time you have!  if you make 5 online friends a month – you can have 60 influential people helping to market your book in just one year!