5 Ways to Aggravate Your Twitter Followers http://ping.fm/aJRCN

5 Ways to Aggravate Your Twitter Followers

As I’ve mentioned before on this blog, I find Twitter to be one of the best social media tools around. The fact that it only allows you 140 characters to get a message across usually means that there’s no waffle.
People genuinely think about what they want to say, and it’s a great way to connect with people you share interests with, personal and professional.
Yet lately I’ve been getting a little frustrated with Twitter – not the service itself (although the fail whale is never a pretty site). No, my frustrations lie with the way many users are spoiling what Twitter has to offer – at least for me.
I know that people use Twitter for different reasons and I have no qualms with that at all. I just feel that some use it less effectively and far more selfishly than others. So here, in no particular order, are my Top 5 peeves when it comes to Twitter use. (These are just my peeves – it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re right – Twitter should be used how you want to use it).

• Shameless self-promotion. Yes, we’re only human and that means we like to talk about ourselves. Yet social media is all about the conversation and interacting – sharing others as well as yourself. There’s nothing more annoying to me than a Twitter stream from someone that is nothing but a plug for their latest blog post or product. To me, that doesn’t offer anything to the community – sorry.

• Selfish shouts. One of the reasons I love using Twitter is the way I find great new content, thanks to users I’m following recommending new blogs to check out. This has introduced some great opinions to me that I would never have been aware of otherwise. However, only recommending blog posts where you’re mentioned? Just as bad as shameless self-promotion (and possibly a little egotistical).

• Twitter DM spam. So I’ve just agreed to follow your Twitter updates, and BAM! All of a sudden you feel it’s acceptable to send me direct messages telling me to sign up to your newsletter or join this group or that forum. Sorry, no – show me that you’re offering something selflessly and I’ll find that information anyway. Bombarding me with DM’s is akin to email spam and I instantly delete that.

• Open conversations. This might be a bit contentious and I apologize if it comes across wrong – that’s not my intent. But if you feel that you’re going to have a long conversation with a particular user, can you use the DM option? Seeing half a conversation taking up every other Tweet isn’t particularly conducive to community spirit. You wouldn’t like me listening in on your phone conversation, would you?

• Competition Tweets. While it’s nice to have the chance to win something at any time, Tweeting about it every other minute is not a great way to go about it. Instead of blasting everyone in your Twitter stream, why not have the competition URL and short spiel about it in your bio?

I’m not saying that Twitter is becoming annoying per se – just some of the ways that it’s being used.

Twitter Tips for Business and Brand Building

When it comes to social media, no one “gets it” as well as Twitter. According to Econsultancy, as of Jan 2010, Twitter has 75 million user accounts, with about 15 million of that total being active users. See http://tinyurl.com/yetgcru . That’s a lot of people sending a lot of Tweets. This micro-blogging service makes it easy for small businesses and entrepreneurs to stay in touch with those who choose to follow them, and stay updated on new products, services, special offers, industry news and more. It’s a win-win for both the Tweeter, and their followers.

 When it comes to using Twitter, there’s a right way and a wrong way to use it. Your messages must be kept short, under 140 characters, and they need to be helpful or informative. Don’t carry on about what you ate for breakfast, or the fact that you just brushed your teeth. People will unfollow you faster than they can hit the button, even if you do have good oral habits.
I’ve been using Twitter for a long time now and here’s what I’ve found works best when participating in this close knit community of few words.

1. Regular Postings: Now I’m not saying you need to post every day, although that would be nice. You do need to make an appearance on a regular basis. It’s like school – you need to show up to pass. Be a contributor that your followers get to really know and look forward to your Tweets. If you’re the type of person who needs to plan ahead, you can always use a service that allows you to schedule tweets in advance, such as http://www.socialoomph.com/
   
2. Retweet: If you see Tweets posted by other users that you think your followers would like, then retweet them. It only takes one click, and you’ll also be creating goodwill with other Twitter users at the same time. If you’d like, you can add a personal thought or comment before sending it. Also, make it easy for others to retweet your posts by adding RT buttons to your website or blog. It’s easy with http://tweetmeme.com/about/retweet_button
   
3. Be Helpful: Keep in mind Twitter is a form of social Media, so social interaction is key. It’s not all about you. Whenever an opportunity arises to answer a question, participate in a survey, or help solve a problem, do so. In this way you’re participating in the community. This also will help your brand and image when others know they can count on you for support or feedback.
   
4. Don’t Be A Follow CopyCat: Don’t follow everyone who follows you. This is probably my biggest pet peeve when it comes to Twitter. So many people turn this feature on to auto follow those who follow them. Why would you want to do this? I’d prefer that those I follow are people and topics I’ve hand-selected that interest me, and not a mish-mash of followers who may be ranting about things I have no interest in. Be selective in who you follow or your Twitter stream could quickly fill up with junk or spam. For quality people to follow, see-http://followontwitterlists.com/
   
5. What to Tweet: Make sure that the tweets you post are helpful and/or informative. Late breaking news pertaining to your industry, as well as any specials or sales you may have going on are always good topics. If you find something you think your followers would like, especially if it’s free or a bargain, share the love. Plus, if your tweets are good, it will encourage others to retweet them. For ideas see- http://www.artbizblog.com/2009/07/what-to-tweet.html
   
6. Comment: Particpate in the community by commenting on other people’s tweets. If you can answer a question, do so. It never hurts and people really will appreciate it when you take the time to comment on what they have to say. It lets them know that others are actually listening to what they have to say in the “Twitterverse”.
   
7. Say Thank You: When someone takes the time to retweet one of your tweets, make sure to reply to them with a “thank you”. Manners rule online as well as off, and they’ll like the fact that you noticed the retweet and took the time to show some gratitude. It may even inspire them to retweet more of your tweets in the future.
   
8. Be Personal: Again, I don’t need to know what you ate for dinner, but every now and then you should show your human side with a creative thought, quote, or other statement. Let people know you’re “real” and not just a lean mean business machine. You want to tread lightly in this area. Too personal is overkill, but a little can help in establishing a connection with your followers.
   
9. Post Pictures/Video: Remember, Twitter is not just for text. It’s easy to post short videos, and pictures too. It’s nice to mix it up a little and share content in other formats as well. Here are some resources http://freenuts.com/video-sharing-websites-for-twitter/
   
10. Talk About More Than Yourself: It’s not all about you, so please don’t make all your tweets one big marketing message, such as only tweeting about your latest press release, blog posting, or article that was published. No one will want to follow you if you’re one big commercial. Yes, some of this is fine in moderation, but you need to walk a fine line and mix it up with other helpful, interesting topics.
    

Now it’s time to start putting these tips into action. Social media is all about participating and listening to what others have to say. It’s all about creating and sharing information and becoming part of the community. If you approach Twitter in this fashion, you’ll not only have a lot more fun, but your followers will like and respect you -and if that doesn’t strengthen your brand, nothing will.

Twitter Tips for Business and Brand Building http://ping.fm/bvKA6

Social Media and Investor Relations in the Dodd-Frank Era http://ping.fm/XJjn9

Get People to Opt-In to Social Media http://bit.ly/eRUYIb PR IR Toronto

Get People to Opt-In to Social Media

Although you are a firm believer in social media and all that it offers, you are still bound to come across business associates who don’t seem to understand its value and how amazing it can be for their business. 
The nonbeliever
Social media nonbelievers are generally intelligent and well-educated people. They are well rounded and interesting. The only thing that is missing when it comes to online activities is their desire and their need for social media (or so they believe). Nonbelievers come from the school of thought that aspires to see no value in all things technologic.
However, if you can see your way clear to opening up a discussion with a nonbeliever about social media, in other words, if you can pique their interest enough for them to want to know what it is all about, you have a chance at converting them from nonbelievers to believers. Nonbelievers initially believe that it is not possible to have discussions online that will lead to any real business. Everyone who understands anything about social media knows that interactions through are based on interactions among people. Although it isn’t always obvious how discussions turn into revenue, it is easy to explain how this happens. Conversations lead to a relationship that is built on trust and credibility and trust and credibility eventually leads to people wanting to buy what you are selling because you have a relationship that has become important to them.
The stereotype of social media
It is entirely possible that people who have no involvement in social media have been paying enough attention to remember some of the names of the various online channels. Remember that their familiarity with some of the more popular names, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, doesn’t mean that they have an understanding of the capabilities of those channels. As you know, social media has gotten some seriously bad press over time and there are still many people who actually believe that the more popular social networks are only interesting and appropriate for teenagers. Of course, that couldn’t be any further from the truth. In your mission to convert a nonbeliever, one of your principle obligations is to educate him/her about the tremendous usefulness that social media has for business.
Your online business marketing strategy
Once you have had the conversation about social media only being useful for teenagers, you next line of defense is producing solid evidence that proves that you can actually successfully do business online and truly increase your business’s revenue. Please don’t be surprised if the reaction that you get is still rather skeptical. Once you have produced positive proof that social media seriously contributes to the bottom line of your business, it should hopefully get that person to start thinking that maybe there is something to it. Even if the conversion seems rather slow at first, you should try to be patient. Your goal was not to snap your fingers and poof, the nonbeliever was converted instantly (although that would be delightful). Rather, your goal was to create a small crack in his or her solid wall of nonbelief and skepticism. Once you have created that small crack, you can inundate the person with more and more useful information on social media. The more information you supply, the wider the crack will become until eventually, the wall will completely crumble and the nonbeliever will become one of social media’s most loyal and passionate fans.
Putting social media in terms that the nonbeliever can understand
If you speak in terms of advantages that he/she can appreciate and apply to his/her own business, you have a good chance of truly making him/her see what you see. For example, a good angle to discuss is how the Internet allows you to keep a close watch on your business activities, how the information that you gather online allows you to categorize your online connections very effectively, and how the Internet allows you to gather solid metrics that will enable you to hone your activities so that you can serve your target market most appropriately and successfully.
Conclusion
Fortunately, the majority of people whom you come across in business understand and believe in the power of social media and its vast and extremely positive implications for your business. On the rare occasion when you come across (or perhaps have known for a long time) the nonbeliever, you should consider it a welcome challenge to educate that person and really enlighten him or her about all that social media has to offer their business.