Question: If I find an article online, and it has the option for me to tweet it, can I still link to my site page within that tweet? If not, because of too many characters, can I put it on my Facebook business page with a link to my site from there?
Answer:
When you see the options above an article or page online to “like” it via Facebook or “tweet” it or share it with any of the other social media options, what you are doing is helping that website with its internet marketing. This does not help your site at all.
The better option for internet marketing, when you run across an article that is related to your website, is to see if they allow comments. If so, you would make a respectful, thoughtful, legitimate comment about their article and, if possible, link it back to a page on your site that relates to the article, or link to your homepage. (It is considered poor taste to link back to your own blog entries.)
This drives traffic back to your site or, at a minimum, gives you another link off of another site back to yours. Be sure to link keywords from your comment that are present on the page you are linking to.
Most sites will ask you to register yourself with them before you can make a comment. This is fine, because most of the time you’re able to enter your URL. In many blog setups, this becomes a link back to your site, whether visible or not, on their site.
Now, whether you can link to your site via the twitter entry that comes up, yes you can. But you’re going to end up deleting their info and their link anyway, so why bother? It would be better to create your own tweet to talk about your take on that subject.
Remember, tweets are simply for introducing a subject, or news headlines about your business. If the tweet needs any background discussion at all, you will most likely not have room, and would use the Facebook option.
Using Your Facebook Business Page
Regarding whether you can put it on your Facebook page and link to yourself from there, yes. You have more room to give two separate links. This is the better way to do this because you are able to let the viewer read the article if they wish, giving them some “link love” and giving yourself a link.
If for some reason you don’t want to be sharing a link to their article or page, but you want to make a comment about their article, for internet marketing purposes, just say “I recently read _______ on the ______ website (reference their company or their name, without using their URL)… Then make your remarks, and link back to your site page with content that contains ideas applicable to your point.
Always keep in mind that your objective is to drive traffic back to your website, and to get links back to your content. There is nothing wrong with referencing their site and giving some link love, but make sure you are linking from your Facebook page, and not your own site.
