If you're a regular BrandFlakes reader, you know that I'm a pretty big fan of Twitter. Here's why you should be too. As much as I love it, there are a handful of annoying things too...which led me to compose my five steps to good twittequette.
Like etiquette, not everyone has it - not everyone choses to use it. But in most social circles, a fair amount of etiquette (or Twittiquette, in this case) will do you well. So here goes:
1. Don't be a lurker. Here's the thing. As you follow your Twitter friends activities, you're going to feel connected to them. Over time, they could even become actual friends. But not if you're invisible. Join the conversation. Don't think that what you have to say isn't important enough or interesting enough. It is.
2. Don't brag to the twitterverse that you've reached a new threshold in followers. Nobody cares that you have 200, 500, or 1000 followers. I follow Henry Rollins because he's one of the most interesting human beings on earth. Not because he has 2000 followers.
3. Don't stress (or tweet about it) when a follower leaves you. (Maybe she was tired of all the bragging about the number of followers you had.) Nothing's more disgusting than a sore loser. Don't be one. It's not the number of followers that matters here.
4. If I follow you, follow me. Unless you're Henry Rollins famous. If your timeline's too cluttered - start another Twitter stream. One for your close friends and family, and another for your public persona.
5. Don't tweet about every single blog post you've written. You're a blogger. Hooray. So am I, and so is everyone else on the planet. If you've got one particular post that you're very proud of, or believe to be relevant to a current conversation, then please share. But don't be a link whore.
5a. Twitter can be an awesome promotional tool - but separate your conversations to be audience appropriate. Shameless self-promotion on your personal Twitter? Wrong. Setting up a separate Twitter stream to handle live coverage of your product's next event? Awesome.
What would you add to this list?
See you on the Twittersphere.
3 comments:
3a. Don't tweet about new followers. If you want to welcome a new follower, send them a direct message. Welcoming them with a public @username tweet smacks of bragging.
Your suggestions are an attempt to impose a certain set of "objective" rules in a shared space with no "objectivity" and is doomed to failure - it's akin to trying to impose rules in a chat room with no Op enforcers.
6) Don’t be ‘that’ guy.
You know, the one at parties who keeps handing out their business cards to everyone constantly? It’s a party. Why not just keep it that way and enjoy the vibe.
(If however, I choose to follow someone’s separate Twitter feed to their biz/reg blog, then that’s my choice because I’m probably interested in what they’re up to.
mjp - Not imposing, merely, suggesting. People will do what they want anyway, no?
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