"It's desperate," says David Meerman Scott, marketing strategist and bestselling author, about adding "Please Retweet" to your Twitter updates. However, Dan Zarrella, HubSpot's social media scientist and host of the upcoming Science of Social Media webinar, disagrees.
To settle this argument and pick a winner, we conducted a brief debate and recorded it for our community to enjoy. Should you add "Please Retweet" to your Twitter updates?
Yes, Says Dan Zarrella
It's a Reminder
One reason why this wording works as a call-to-action, Dan Zarrella says, is because less savvy Twitter users often forget that retweeting is an option. So this serves as a reminder for them.
It's Backed Up by Data
In fact, Dan's research shows that tweets that include this call-to-action do get more retweets. It's the 11th most retweetable phrasing that Dan has identified.
It Has Marketing Value
Being outspoken about the action you want your Twitter followers to take should be aligned with your marketing goals. "Marketing is essentially manipulation. It's getting people to do what you want," Dan says. "If you are a salesperson, you ask for a credit card number. If you are doing lead generation, you ask for someone to fill out a lead form." Therefore, it's only natural to ask for retweets in your social media marketing.
No, Says David Meerman Scott
Let Me Judge What's Valuable
David finds this phrasing desperate because it undermines people's ability to judge for themselves what's valuable enough to be rweteeted. "If your content is good, I will retweet it," says David. In other words, you should trust your Twitter followers to make the right decision.
Social Media Is About Personal Decisions
Social media, David points out, is a type of ecosystem that encourages people to pick and choose their information intake. As opposed to mass media, in which a certain message is being broadcast to you, social media allows for more personal freedom. "I think the currency of social media is one of ' I want to do things.'"
So what do you think? Who would you side with? Add to the "Please Retweet" debate in the comments below!
