7 Rules for Being a Better Tweeter
Written by: Eric Brantner on November 16, 2008 – 12:12 pm
In September, I wrote a post outlining how to get started on Twitter. Now that everyone has had a couple of months to get a feel for the social network, you’re ready to learn how to become a better Tweeter.
Here are 7 rules for the best Twitter etiquette.
- Don’t Follow Everyone- Unless you want to get absolutely nothing done all day, you probably want to limit the number of people you’re following. It’s like the law of diminishing returns–at a certain point, you’re following so many people that you can’t keep up with important conversations, and you end up missing out on all the benefits of Twitter.
- Explain Your Links- One of my favorite things about Twitter is all of the links everyone shares. If you find a quality article that others would be interested in, Tweet a link to it. However, make sure you explain what the link is. Don’t just drop a link in a post without at least mentioning the title of the article.
- Engage with Others- You network with other people on Twitter for a reason—to interact with them. Don’t just sit back on the sidelines; jump into the conversation. It is, after all, a social network. Be social.
- Limit Self-Promotion- If you want to alienate and lose followers quickly, make sure every Tweet is about promoting your brand. Look, there’s nothing wrong with sending a Tweet out occasionally asking people to check out one of your blog posts or something. But if every single Tweet is self-promotional, no one will pay attention to you. It’s not all about you.
- Avoid Binge Tweeting- Now, I know some of you are going to disagree with this, and you’ll say “If someone doesn’t like the way I Tweet, they don’t have to follow me.” That’s true, but show some respect to others. If you drop 30 messages in 2 minutes, you completely overshadow everyone else. There’s nothing wrong with using Twitter a lot, but be careful that you’re not stealing the floor.
- Preserve Your Image- Sure, you want to inject your personality into your Twitter profile. Being personable is a key part of effective social networking. However, you want to make sure you still preserve your image. In other words, if you use Twitter for professional networking, it might not be a good idea to post whenever you get wasted at the bar on Friday night. Basically, showcase your personality, but don’t make a fool of yourself.
- Try to Add Value- When it comes down to it, the people I seek to follow are those that add something of value to the community. Whether it’s quality links, interesting insight, or just a sense of humor, you need to try your best to add something to the user experience. By adding value, your followers will pay more attention to you and you’ll build your authority.
What tips would you add to this list? If you’re on Twitter, what do you feel is proper etiquette?
November 16th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
These are all great tips.
Amen to number 4.
It annoys the hell out of me when I follow someone new and they start bombing their links left and right.
November 16th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
@Eric and @Gerald: Exactly. This is where Hugh MacLeod’s saying fits quite well: “If you want to be boring, talk about yourself. If you want to be interesting, talk about other people.”
November 17th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Right on the money. When I first started with Twitter I thought it was stupid and now I love it and this post should be considered the Twitter Commandments. Big ups to number 4 – Avoid Binge Tweeting. I can’t stand that.
November 20th, 2008 at 7:35 am
[...] 7 Rules for Being a Better Tweeter [...]
December 4th, 2008 at 6:54 am
Perhaps an 8th suggestion could be:
-Recap the context of the message when replying to @someone.
This allows everyone to get into the conversation.
Replies to @someone with “LOL” or “I’m with you” make other tweeters feel left out.
September 22nd, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Amen to all of this! I wish more people would take this advice to heart.
December 28th, 2010 at 12:12 am
I am new to tweeter and facebook. there is a lot of sugestion,of how to do it, to me the more I read the more I am confused. I think that a pratical demostration could help.Perhaps I need more time to absorb and learn the tricks of the trade from others.
I am insisting to learn or go stupid alltogether.