I’ve only been using Twitter for the last year or so and already I’m starting to hate it. Don’t get me wrong, I see the potential for meaningful interactions. The problem is, there’s too much noise. And the spam? Don’t get me started.
Oh, and you want to know one of the more frustrating aspects of Twitter? There’s actually some people that I wouldn’t mind engaging with. Unfortunately for them, I never will. Why? Because their strategy sucks. I mean suuuuuuucks! They end up losing me as a follower before we even got to the first drink.
Everyone wants more followers, I understand that. But there’s a right way to build up a follower count and if you’re trying to get their overnight, you will fail. Sure, you may get your numbers up. But are they meaningful? Are they worth it? Does it really add any value for you?
There’s a lot of bad advice on how to engage on Twitter. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but here are two simple things you should AVOID doing:
Stop with the Follow / Unfollow Strategy
If you’re going to follow me on Twitter, do it because you want to. Don’t do it because you want an added number in the follower count and then, once I follow you back, you’ll unfollow me. Why? Because I’m on to you. And not only will I unfollow you immediately, but I block you too, because I never want to interact with your kind again. I’ll never buy your product or engage with you in any meaningful capacity. You had an opportunity to earn a fan, instead you treated me like a number. Get lost!
Stop Sending an Auto-DM
Unless you have something of true value to offer me, don’t send me a direct message. And if I get an automatic DM a few hours after following you, you’ve lost me immediately. Here’s just a snapshot of some of the more recent auto-DM’s I’ve received:
Hi Chris, loving your Tweets on Marketing. You might be interested in our platform! {link}
No, I’m not interested in your platform. I know nothing about you and already you’re trying to sell to me because I had a few marketing tweets? No thanks.
Hi Chris, saw your Tweets on #SEO. You may enjoy our free ebook on the latest SEO Best Practices: {link}
Seriously, you’re putting a hashtag in a DM? You must be desperate. No, I don’t want your ebook. Yes, I do occasionally tweet about SEO. I read about the subject and try to share articles that others may find valuable and interesting. That doesn’t include your ebook, especially if we just met.
Thanks for following! I’m a managing partner of ABC Organization, a company that does X, Y, and Z. Message me anytime you want to chat!
Wow. I’m glad you sent me a message to let me know to message you any time I want to chat. I never would have figured that out on my own. And now I know what your company does. You want to know the problem? I still don’t care…
The people that are setting up these auto-DMs are doing it to provide a benefit to THEMSELVES, not me. Like most folks, I’m not interested in being sold. Your ebook doesn’t provide value to me if I haven’t expressed an interest in reading it. The same goes for your platform. And no, a message to let me know to message you any time I want to chat, does not help me.
Conclusion
Social media shouldn’t be complicated, but there are no shortcuts. Would you rather have 1.2 million followers that don’t pay any attention to you, or 100 followers that are actively engaged?
Start a simple conversation. Ask a question about a shared article. Follow someone because their tweets interest you. Be authentic and helpful and seek to create real value for others. If you do, you’ll find your followers do the same for you.