Twitter may seem like a random stream of thoughts that tells you what other people had for lunch or why someone fell into a toilet, however there are rules and you break these rules at your own risk. They’re not set in stone, of course, but it’s worth knowing them so you don’t inadvertently lose valuable followers.
I’ve already talked quite a bit about why twitter is so essential for anyone with a business. These don’ts are valuable guidelines that will keep people interested in what you have to say.
1. Quality, not quantity
This may seem self explanatory, and it’s certainly the most talked about rule. If you tweet constantly, you’ll turn people off. Nobody wants a stream of consciousness pouring into their twitter inbox and they’ll soon hit that unfollow button if you carry on. Talk about things that interest you, sure, but spread it out, keep it relevant and limited.
2. You don’t follow
It’s always nice when a real human being follows you back on twitter. We’ve all had loads of spambots send us snappy invitations and follow us on twitter, so when a real person pops up and starts following you take it as a compliment and follow them back. You don’t have to follow everyone back, of course, just take a few minutes every few days to go through your followers, check their profiles and follow them if they appeal to you.
3. Silence
It’s all very well taking the mantra of “quality not quantity” to heart but don’t take it too far. If you rarely tweet, say once every three months, then you’re going to lose followers. When someone else checks your profile and sees that you last posted in 2006 they’re going to think you’re a spammer or inactive. This is the equivalent of twitter death. Post regularly and be active in the community.
4. Rude tweeter
Swearing and lack of manners are likely to get you unfollowed faster than you can say, “pass the tweet.” While the twitterverse is populated by adult folk it can be offputting to many if your tweets are littered with expletives. This is particularly important if you happen to have a business linked to your account.
It will damage your reputation. A cleverly used swear word can get laughs and make a point but the people who can use them so cleverly are rare indeed. The same goes for basic manners. If a fellow twitterer is kind enough to RT something you said or offer you help, say thank you. It won’t take up much of your time but it will bolster your reputation and get you more loyal followers.
5. You have no personality
No, I don’t mean you personally, I mean your profile page. Think about it, when you get followed by someone what’s the first thing you do when you get that notification? You check their profile and see what they’re all about. If there’s no profile then I tend to just walk away.
I want to know who I’m following and what their interests are and not risk tedious tweets that clog up my twitter platform. People often don’t have the time to read through all your recent tweets to see if you’re worth following and so you’ll lose potential customers and twitter friends as a result. Fill in your profile, put in a good quality picture and offer them as interesting a slice of your life, or business, as you can.
These five tips are well worth adhering to in the twitterverse and you’ll soon see a difference in the number of people following you…