by Nate

It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Flattery notwithstanding, imitation is also the easiest way to spread a message, or at least it is for Twitter users. With trials opened to a select few earlier in the month, it is now even easier to share another user’s tweets via Twitter’s new re-tweet (RT) function which allows a tweet to be spread at the click of a button.

The RT function is one of Twitter’s most powerful uses. It allows us to ask questions. It mimics an almost archaic way of physically asking friends to ask their friends and so on until an answer is found. It makes sense at the basic level of communication. It also allows us to share content such as videos, pictures and music.  Viral is word that is bandied around too often but RT’ing, if it gathers enough momentum, is viral – in the way it moves, spreads and changes over time.

The new feature allows one button sharing and more. Here are two reasons why I think it will prove a boon to professional communicators:

The original method of RT’ing was laborious; you had to actually copy and paste the tweet you wanted to share. Yawn. Who has the time? The new method is quick, simple and should lead to messages being spread further, faster.

The new function actually allows you to track who has RT’ed you and how many times it has been passed along. The issue of measuring Social Media is looming large at the moment as more and more scrutiny is placed on ROI and PRs are trying to justify increasingly tight budgets. This new function allows us to turn around and say “Hey, look, this message has been Rt’ed three million times”. It will also let us look at who is actually listening to our messages, which is great news for big brands.

Personally, I think Twitter is on to a winner with this simple and functional update. It also looks pretty snazzy!