How To RT On Twitter

Twitter is one of the hottest social networking sites right now. People tweet their thoughts in 140 characters or less, hoping to inspire their followers or to promote conversation. Occasionally, another person is more eloquent and you want to share their words of wisdom with everyone you know. It's time for a retweet, also known as RT. 

To RT on Twitter, you will need the following:

• A Twitter account
• Twitter apps, such as HootSuite, TweetDeck, etc. (optional)

How to RT on Twitter

1. Type "RT" in your status update box on the Twitter website. Then, either type out by hand or cut and paste the other person's tweet, including @thetweetersname. Make any changes required to get the tweet to fit under 140 characters:  Original message: Person: How do you RT on Twitter? Your message typed out: RT @Person How do you RT on Twitter?
2. RT messages in whole by clicking the "Retweet" button. The button is found directly underneath the person's tweet, next to "Reply." Click it, then there will be a little pop-up that asks if you want to retweet to your followers. Click yes and your RT will go to all of your followers.
3. RT from HootSuite by pointing your mouse over the icon on the tweet you wish to share.  Look for the icon that has a speech bubble with lines in it. You should see the word "Retweet" when the mouse is over it. Click it and the message will appear in your status box. You will have to sometimes adjust the length of the retweet. The advantage of HootSuite is you can cut out a long link to place in the "Shorten It" box, to eliminate some characters.
4. RT from TweetDeck by pointing your mouse over the original tweeter's photo. Four icons will appear. On the bottom left is an arrow that will say "Retweet [the person]'s tweet." Click it and the RT will go into your status box. It will ask you if you want to edit the tweet yourself or send as is. The advantage here is that TweetDeck will automatically shorten the message, while keeping links in tact. 

Just like any other social networking site, it takes a little practice to get used to how each site functions. Your followers will forgive you as you stumble. But before you know it, you will be retweeting like crazy!

Tips and Warnings:

• If you wish to add a comment to the RT, do so before the RT, so as to not confuse your followers:  Like this! RT @Person How do you RT on Twitter?
• Retweet someone else's retweet by either adding RT @thatperson before their retweet, or by acknowledging them at the end of the tweet: RT @friend RT @Person How do you RT on Twitter?  OR RT @Person How do you RT on Twitter? /via @friend
• When RTing using the Twitter "Retweet" button, it will not necessarily show up in your own stream, nor the stream of the original tweeter.
• To make sure your RT went out, go to the right-hand side of your Twitter homepage, and click "Retweets." You will be taken to a page that has three tabs at the top. The middle one is "Your Retweets." Click that to verify that your message went out.
• Your RTs on HootSuite and TweetDeck should automatically appear in your live stream.