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When you first start using Twitter, you’ll most probably follow and engage with your off-line contacts and those whom you know from other social media platforms.
As your followers grow you may not know many of them and if your tweets and manners are the only elements available to them to know more about you.
I suggest you make a great first impression and follow it up with real interaction. Twitter connects the global village and you certainly want to be part of it.
5 branding tips to remember before you engage on Twitter
Way back in February 2013, I wrote about experiencing the power of a tweet sharing how Twittersphere helped me reach and engage with a wider audience that voted to make my barely 1 year old blog the winner of a best Coaching Blog contest. It has tips for enhancing the Twitter experience which hold, even today.
I continue to engage on Twitter with clients, colleagues, make new acquaintances and stay connected to a network of like-minded professionals.
I mentioned some of these points and more in my earlier post on Twitter. Here’s a recap from a branding perspective to help you get off to a good start below.
The Karmic Ally Coaching perspective on Twitter etiquette that matters
As with all social media platforms, there are certain basic rules of etiquette that make a difference to our experience.
Here’s my list of 5 manners that matter (in no particular order) based on my own user perspective and I am sure some, if not all of this will sound familiar.
Steer clear of tweeting confidential stuff
Apart from the fact that tweets are searchable, you don’t want to compromise your privacy. If the conversation is confidential or personal, shift to direct messaging or let the other person know that you are taking the conversation offline or at least “off-Twitter”.
In any case, make sure that only those people who follow both of you can see it and if they want, follow along. To do this, don’t move their name to the middle or end of the tweet with every reply.
Acknowledge others
If someone mentions your or retweets your post, thank them – people like to have their efforts appreciated and it can lead to a meaningful conversation.
On the flip side, if you are sharing others content acknowledge them and let them know that you appreciate their content.
Did someone follow you? You could tweet them a thank you but make it natural by adding to the conversation. One way that I do it is to visit their profile to check if I want to follow them back while learning more about them. Then I compose a tweet on an area of mutual interest or ask something about their field that interests me.
Discretion is the better part of valor when using Direct Message (DM)
This is one area where you can commit a social faux pas or get misunderstood if you are not careful. Think of it this way, just as advertising text messages on your mobile irritate you, a person who receives a DM from you shortly after they follow you with a sales pitch may decide the DM is noise or spam. There should be a pertinent reason for the DM.
Many of the DMs that I receive and ignore are actually automated messages that point to a website, some product or just plain self-promotion. I prefer the DMs that prove I am following a living, breathing person and that has always been the beginning of a great relationship that has flowed onto Facebook and my ultimate favorite platform, LinkedIn.
Use DMs to start a conversation on a subject that is of mutual interest or to compliment them (sincerely of course). If in doubt, don’t DM!
Should you follow the follower?
My rule of thumb for following is:
- Check out the profiles and tweets of those who follow you to determine if you should follow back. Remember, you are not obliged to follow back everyone who follows you. You are in control of your twitter experience, no one else.
- If you follow someone and they do not follow you back, don’t get upset. You may not be part of their chosen experience.
- Instead of tweeting to people to follow you or publicly make them an offer that everyone can see, engage with them in a meaningful manner. If someone wants to follow you, they will. I’ve followed many authorities for quite a few years with no expectation of being followed back and then one fine morning, I get a Twitter notification that someone I admire has followed me back or put me on a list to be followed. It happens!
A word about unfollowing – do not follow someone and unfollow them after they follow you. It is bad manners. Sooner or later they will find out and unfollow you as well not to mention the damage you inflict on your image and the impression you create.
In the same vein, don’t call someone out for unfollowing you. They may have their own reason or their Twitter strategy may have changed. Sometimes, people get unfollowed accidentally or because of a bug in the system. Maintain your dignity – don’t get upset!
Wondering how much and what content to tweet?
Different experts offer different advice about the number of tweets in a day and their spacing. I’ll offer just one suggestion – avoid spam and tweeting too often. The last thing you want to do is to irritate your followers or give the impression that you are fully automated.
Content wise, here are a few tips:
Post useful, interesting, relevant and original content. Use the Litmus test, “If I were a follower, would I care about this?”
Don’t tweet your rants. If you are having a problem with a service provider, tweet them a request for help and take the conversation off-line. If the dialogue continues on Twitter, make sure that you are polite, firm and professional.
Tweet positive, useful messages and content. Tweeters tend to share positive messages.
Make it more than just tweets about your blog post. Share other content that you know your tribe and followers would like to read. Stay clear of tweets that only promote your products and look like you are hawking your goods and nothing else.
One good rule that I picked up some time back was the 70/20/10 rule.
70% of tweets should be sharing or curate information that could be helpful to your followers, 20% should be human engagement & conversational and only 10% of your tweets should be selling your product or service.
If you’re not a business person, then I suggest using that 10% to engage and get to know others on Twitter.
Avoid hashtagging the entire tweet. Hashtags are great to encourage participation but can you actually read a tweet which has a hashtag after every word? I can’t. Consider maximum 2 hashtags and make them relevant.
Twitter Etiquette in a nutshell…..
Your twitter experience depends a lot on how you show up and engage. It takes just one tweet to ruin your reputation on Twittersphere. On the other hand, you can meet some wonderful people who can help in promoting your goals and desires, whether you are a job seeker or a businessperson wanting more qualified leads.
The bottom line is that Twitter is a social media platform and meant to be social with human beings interacting and engaging with each other, not a set of automated tweets and messages that annoy rather than add value.
Did I miss out on any other important elements that enhance your Twitter experience or etiquette rules?
What about your observations on the Twittersphere? Please share in the comments box below!
PS. Let’s connect on Twitter! Tweet me at @karmically
Written By: Vatsala Shukla
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I’m new on Twitter so I found the tips and advice in your post very helpful! As a newbie, I’d like to avoid the most common mistakes. Thanks for sharing your insights!
Glad you found the tips useful, Vanita. Better to start on the right foot than wade through mistakes. 🙂
Nice tips, Vatsala! For me, apart from scheduling and tweeting a new post every two hours of so, checking specific hashtags and offering help works great for engagement as well. One tag that works for us is #bloghelp – there’s always a resource or even one of our blog posts that can help a problem and this way you share something of value which the other person will remember.
Thanks Delia. Using the right hashtags makes a difference for both parties – the person who needs help finds it and the tweeter is able to add value and raise their profile. I’ve ended up following and being followed by Tweeters where there was a mutual exchange of value and support. Thanks for highlighting the power of the hashtag.
Your Twitter tips are spot on! Sometimes instead of thanking for a tweet, I’ll RT one of their tweets. I find people like that just as much. It’s all about getting your name out in the Twitter Universe! And you’re right, never feel obligated to follow back, make sure it’s something you’re interested in following, but know that the person may stop following you if you don’t jump on their bandwagon so to speak. Twitter can be a fickle friend. : ) Great tips!
Thank you Kirsten, for the thumbs up. I have noticed that some people follow you and then once you follow them back, they unfollow you or as you mentioned, unfollow if you don’t jump on their bandwagon. I used to find it strange in the beginning but have since accepted it as a way that some people use Twitter.
A rule of thumb that I follow personally is to follow back only if I find them interesting or if even after 24 hours of their following me, they are still there. A monthly review of my Follows helps to ensure that I am still receiving tweets from people who add value and real engagement. Thanks for visiting my blog.
I got hashtags down and the etiquette. What bothers me about twitter is: I have great posts, mostly quotes in graphics & they go by without any rt or favs.I am followed by people I have no interest in, so I don’t follow back. I don’t yet see how to make twitter work for me.
Hi Roslyn. One immediate suggestion that I can offer is to schedule your tweets so that they appear more often in the news feed and also to look at your tweet timing. One tool that helps with this is Buffer. Also, if you are sharing the same quote on other social media such as Pinterest and Facebook and have linked those accounts to Twitter, then each time you post, they will also feature in your Twitter stream. Have a shot and let me know if you see an improvement. Your works are so beautiful that I feel they really need to be shared with everyone. Thanks for visiting my blog.
THANK YOU! I just rejoined Twitter last night and really have no clue what to do. I had an account several years ago but deactivated after a few months. Now I think it might be time to come back. It looks completely different. Your advice is so helpful!
You are most welcome, Kathryn. Hope you enjoy the Twitter experience better this time round. A lot has changed in the last few months. Did you know you can now post videos as well?
I have to admit that when I first started on Twitter, I didn’t really get it. As time has gone on, I find it the most interactive of all platforms to have conversations. The fabulous part for me, is I seem to have people connect with me who I believe I would not connect with on other platforms and it is truly a fun way to expand your network and “meet” new and interesting people from all over the world. It is a fast platform and although I am not plugged in to it 24/7, I find that visiting a few times a day still produces wonderful results and starts great conversations. Thanks for the great tips on how to navigate Twitter being mindful and thoughtful of what you say and do there.
Twitter is a great place to hangout, Beverley. As with all social media, it can eat up time. I usually log on twice a day for a few minutes to see what is happening. Turning on the notifications lets me know if someone has engaged and that makes my time on Twitter more productive. I’ve met quite a few wonderful people there and gone on to engage with them in the real world and my favorite hangout, LinkedIn. More power to your Twitter Experience!
Thanks for the fantastic tips! I am brand-new to Twitter and I’m trying to figure it out so I can use it for my website. 🙂
You are most welcome, Kimber. I hope you had a look at my post ‘Experience the Power of Tweet’ which has even more information on Twitter. I mentioned some ideas in my reply to Roslyn and Lisa. You might want to consider them as well. The work that you do on your website really needs to be shared with the world. Thanks for dropping by at my blog.
This is great infi, I feel so lost with Twitter…I think I need a class, a beginner class on Twitter..i don’t get hash tags..if you have a reference that would be great!
Hi Lisa. Twitter can be enigmatic to a new user. 🙂 My post on experiencing the power of tweet took the etiquette and do's and don'ts deeper but there are lots of resources available online to help you get started. You might want to check out Kim Garst’s website http://kimgarst.com for tips that are easy to follow. Better still, have a look at the Twitter support blog and especially their page on hashtags. https://support.twitter.com/articles/49309-using-hashtags-on-twitter. Hope that helps with the basics.
Thank you so much Karmic, I need to just jump in and do it! Now I have resources thanks!!
At your service, Lisa!Twitter is a different platform compared to other social media in the sense that the news feed moves pretty fast, but it doesn’t mean you cannot engage. Think of it this way, if you are at a cocktail party or networking event, you introduce yourself from person to person and then stop to engage with one where there is a topic of mutual interest. Something similar happens on Twitter. Just be yourself and let the magic of Twitter take over. Believe it or not but I discovered Lyn Serrafin, the ultimate go to person for Twitter while engaging on Twitter and have since engaged with her on Twitter, visited her blog and acquainted myself with her works. Lyn does talk to her audience. You might consider following her (and moi, @karmically 🙂 )
Twitter is, hands down, my favorite social media forum. I think your post is spot on!
Thanks Heather!It took me a while to figure out how to engage meaningfully on Twitter and I do love it! My favorite is Follow Friday. What about you?
I engage in a lot of chats. I have a friend who wrote an e-Book on Twitter and after reading it, I really understood how to use it better. It took a little time to really get the engagement down, but now it is second nature. 🙂
It does take time to get the hang of Twitter but once that happens, we are unstoppable, aren’t we Heather? 🙂