Four Twitter No No’s

Social media has become a marketing powerhouse, and at the top of the totem pole, sits Twitter. The social media giant has enabled businesses to rediscover their target market, and in doing so, develop new strategies for reaching them. However, as we define what Twitter really is and how it is used to help businesses everyday, we are also discovering how twitter can hurt businesses. These four Twitter mistakes can tank the countless hours of work you have put into your online presence. Avoid them, and keep a happy relationship with Twitter and your followers.

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[x_custom_headline type=”left” level=”h2″ looks_like=”h5″]1. Angry Rants[/x_custom_headline]

We’re all human, we all get angry, and we all need to vent from time to time. In fact, just this weekend I went on a bit of a rant to a close friend of mine. But that’s where it belongs, on your own time. As a business, you owe it to yourself and your followers to keep it professional. No one wants to see negativity on their feed, especially from the company they just decided to follow. Not only do your followers not want to read it, but you are always contributing to your company culture on Twitter. A business culture may consist of just one person, or multiple employees, or an entire network of organizations. No matter how big, company culture is impacted by every tweet you make. The consequences of posting those angry rants may be harmless in some cases, but more often than not you will alienate some readers while only mildly entertaining others. So make your tweets about positive aspects of your business. Post at times when you feel great about what you do and who you are working with. The extra effort will do wonders for reaching your Twitter goals.

[x_custom_headline type=”left” level=”h2″ looks_like=”h5″]2. Getting Political[/x_custom_headline]

Before Twitter there were two things they said not to talk about; religion and politics. After Twitter, those are still the two things not to talk about. And for good reason, Twitter expert and keynote speaker Ross Dawson spoke at a financial advisor conference in Western Australia. He spoke about the do’s and don’ts of business tweets, most notably how posting personal tweets can ruin your credibility. It is important to portray your personality, and to keep followers up to date with what you are experiencing. But when the message is clouded with personal beliefs and overwhelming bias, do everyone a favor and think twice before pushing that tempting tweet button. If you do post on your biases, you will only be speaking to the readers who think like you do. It is limiting – even in life – to only communicate and share ideas with people who are like-minded. Rather than limiting your audience, check twice to make sure your tweets are as inclusive as possible for all your followers.

Read more about Ross Dawson and what he has to say regarding professionalism on Twitter : http://rossdawson.com/articles/twitter-expert/#ixzz4437ODdRp

[x_custom_headline type=”left” level=”h2″ looks_like=”h5″]3. Spamming[/x_custom_headline]

Valuable content is what we are all searching for on any social platform. We want to see what we care about, and it’s extremely frustrating when the newsfeed is filled with undesirable information. But how do you know when your posts are adding value, or when they’re just filler? One way is to look at how often you’re posting. Too little and you may not be establishing yourself. Too much and your are most likely being obnoxious. Use Twitter as the incredible tool it is, but steer clear of posting invaluable content and spamming your followers. The problem with spamming is that the next time you have a great post that adds real value, it will be glanced over due to your accounts reputation. A good way to reach your followers but stay away from being considered span is to add twitter handles at the top of your tweet rather than filling and extensive list of hashtags at the bottom. This is because you can effectively get your tweet noticed without sending it to someones newsfeed multiple times.

For other great tips for marketing on Twitter visit http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/17-twitter-marketing-tips-from-the-pros/ 

[x_custom_headline type=”left” level=”h2″ looks_like=”h5″]4. Negativity[/x_custom_headline]

People are attracted to a positive outlook. We are all striving to become better than we are, and that future image of ourselves hopefully doesn’t include a negative outlook. So when you’re feeling down about something, think twice before you post it. It can become a habit to post how you’re feeling or what you’re going through, and wanting to share negative emotions is totally natural. The issue comes in when you think about how many lives you could potentially touch with a tweet. Are those people going to appreciate your downer attitude? If not then you are only adding to the already down and dreary feeds that many of your followers have to deal with. Save the tweeting for your best self. Allow people to become inspired by you and look forward to your content. It will grow your online presence and improve your marketing strategy online.