The Science of ReTweetsDan ZarrellaViral Marketing

Scientist@DanZarrella

“Ideas shape the course of history.”-John Maynard Keynes

Everything in our world is made of ideas.

Nothing is more powerful than a contagious idea.

The most dangerous weapon known to man is the ability to create viral ideas at will.

But, for most of history, social communication was ephemeral and untraceable.

We can now compare millions of ideas to uncover the building blocks

of contagiousness.

ReTweets change everything.

9

ReTweets-per-Follower

10

Suggested Users are Less ReTweetable

ReTweeting = Link Sharing

Bit.ly is more ReTweetable than TinyURL

20 Most ReTweetable Words

1. you2. twitter3. please4. retweet5. post6. blog7. social8. free9. media10.help

11.please retweet12.great13.social media14.1015.follow16.how to17.top18.blog post19.check out20.new blog post

Ask for the ReTweet

20 Least ReTweetable Words

1. game2. going3. haha4. lol5. but6. watching7. work8. home9. night10.bed

11.well12.sleep13.gonna14.hey15.tomorrow16.tired17.some18.back19.bored20.listening

ReTweets Use Longer Words

ReTweets are “Smarter”

ReTweets are More Novel

ReTweets are Noun Heavy

ReTweets have More Punctuation

Semicolons are not ReTweetable

ReTweets are Less Emotional

ReTweets are Social and Concrete

Self Reference is not ReTweetable

News is ReTweetable

Men and Women ReTweet Differently

Timing is Everything

ReTweet Cascades

ReTweet Cascades

• The likelihood of a tweet being ReTweeted increases dramatically each time it is ReTweeted. • Social Proof.• Implicit Call-to-Action.

ReTweet Etiquette

• Leave room (100 chars).• Do not start the ReTweet with an

@ sign.• Give credit.• Try to keep as much of the

original tweet intact as possible.

Thank You!@DanZarrellahttp://DanZarrella.com