Using Click to Tweet

Nowadays, it's all about shortcuts. Short attention spans. Being able to do things in a click. Yet we also want ourselves visible everywhere. So, how do we make it easy for people to find us, and help spread the word that we're out there?

I discovered a site that expands on the typical "tweet" button we're used to seeing on blogs. It's called "Click to Tweet" and it allows you to customize a tweet, include links, and make it easy for your readers to share information. It took some trial and error on my part, so I thought I'd share what I figured out.

It's the customization feature that attracted me. The typical tweet buttons that come with sharing packages tweet the title of the blog. But what if you want more? A long blog title uses up characters, and a short one might not convey enough to tempt readers to give you that magic click. What if you want to pull something else from your post? That's where Click to Tweet might help.

They have 2 options: free or paid. The paid version has some bells and whistles, like images, shortcuts, and tracking. The monthly charge for unlimited use is nominal, but I'm still playing with the free version. But their basic tweets, with a little planning, can let you track them as well.

How a Basic Click to Tweet works: On the site, you fill in what you want tweeted into their "message you want tweeted" box. This is where the creativity comes into play. Let's say I want people to tweet this post. I come up with the tweet I'd like to see on Twitter that goes beyond the title of the post. Maybe, "Easy Tips to Get People to Tweet Your Blog Posts." If I plug that in and get the link, the Tweet would bring people here. But what am I getting out of it? Very little.

I want to know if people are clicking. Since I'm not using trackable tweets, I need to get those tweets to show up in my tweet stream, and in the streams of anyone who's following me. So, I'll add "via @authorterryo" to my tweet. I can use links to the post, which I shorten first because of the 140 character limit. If I wanted, I could add hashtags. Now, it'll show up in my mentions, and I can see whether people are actually clicking. (I use TweetDeck, so I can't attest to how it works for other platforms).

This is what I used for this post: Tips to Get People to Tweet Your Blog Posts using Click to Tweet via @authorterryo at The Blood-Red Pencil http://bit.ly/1wuESP2

After you have entered your tweet (making sure it's within the 140 character limit) you click the 'generate link' button and Click to Tweet will give you a link that will send the tweet. You embed that link on your 'call to action' on your site. For me, it's just the words "click to tweet"

The only 'skill' you need to use this process is the ability to create a hyperlink on your blog, but if you're blogging you probably know how to do that.

The paid version has ways to make things even easier, but I opted to try it out for a while before I decide.

Give it a try. Like this post? Click to Tweet.

Terry Odell is the author of numerous romantic suspense novels, mystery novels, as well as contemporary romance short stories. Most of her books are available in both print and digital formats. She’s the author of the Blackthorne, Inc. series, steamy romantic suspense novels featuring a team of covert ops specialists, the Pine Hills Police series, set in a small Oregon town, and the Mapleton Mystery series, featuring a reluctant police chief in a small Colorado town. To see all her books, visit her website. You can also find her at her blog, Terry's Place, as well as follow her on Twitter, or visit her Facebook page.