Twitter Etiquette: Viewpoint from a Non-Business User

I have been asked more times than I care to answer, “Why are you on Twitter?” I have dozens of answers ranging from funny to borderline snarky but the most simple is: I was invited to try Twitter and I found it informative and entertaining, so I stayed. The reason I am asked this question so often is because I am not promoting or selling anything on Twitter. I am not writing a book. I do not have a product. I am not offering a service. I am not doing research. I am also not in search for someone to build me a website for free (yes, there are those people out there). My Twitter timeline is my party where I can wander freely; catching up with the daily lives of friends, trends, politics, philosophy, opinion, and anything else that would normally be discussed in polite company.


I have learned a great deal on Twitter. I have read books I would not have otherwise been exposed to. I have received technical tips and been steered to products suitable for my applications. I have received heartfelt advice on personal matters. I have been cheered up when I’ve been down and received encouragement to undertake projects I think up. I have also made real life friends I can share a beer with.


From feedback I have received, I also contribute something to Twitter even though I am not selling anything and am not a “social media expert/guru/professional.” If someone asks a question and I have an answer or opinion, I am not shy about answering. I have connected people who need each others’ goods and services. I give encouragement when I think it is warranted. If there is a person, place, product or service I think deserves notice, I will single them/it out for others to examine or disregard, as they see fit. I have often been told that just seeing my goofy face pop up in the middle of one’s Twitter screen, is enough to snap a person out of a funk.


My point in giving you this preface/background is, even though I am not a “social media expert/guru/professional,” the impression you leave me with should still matter to you. I and others like me can connect you with your “market.” Also, I and others like me come from very diverse backgrounds and know a lot of things you might not have been exposed to while you’ve been busy trying to create your product, your service, your campaign or your mystique of internet guru-ness. We can help you. We are all in this new media together so without further ado, here are some suggestions for you:


Twitter is a Social Network. I agree that once you get to know someone, you might wish to direct message them for feedback or advice or to swap email addresses. Please do not thank me for following you and send me a link all in the same message. If I am following you, I already checked out the link above your bio. If there was no link there, then shame on you. If you have more than one link, your bio is the perfect place to work that in. As far as sending me a thank you via direct message, I find this disingenuous (but admit I could be alone in this). You are grateful to me but don’t want anyone to know? When I thank people, I want others to know someone has done me a good turn and who that someone is. Maybe you should hold off the thank you until I’ve given you something tangible to be thankful for. I have wrestled with the “thank you for following” dilemma and have come to the conclusion the best way to thank an individual for following me is to give to them the myriad things I cite above. I thank them by letting them know I see them, responding to their questions or ideas, and engaging them. There is no short cut for this and you aren’t fooling the recipients of your automatically generated direct messages.


Another turn off is the public message thanking twelve people for following you. After the first “@” the other people are not going to receive your reply under their reply tab.* They will only see it if they do a Twitter search for their name. This, “ Thank you @_, @_,@_@_@_, @_,@_ and @_” message tells me you want other people to know you are a very popular person. If you are indeed a very popular person, I will see it without you telling me and it will make more of an impression on me than you screaming it from the roof tops. (*Note: this has since changed with the introduction of the "mentions" tab.) 


Think about the name you choose. We all know the good names are taken and you may have to come up with ten names before you find one that hasn’t already been nabbed but you may be known by this name for a long time, so make it count. If it can’t be your name or the name of your venture, you’ll need to get creative. Please don’t mix in a bunch of numbers and underscores in between letters, if you can help it. Also, please do not make the name too long unless it is something catchy that won’t soon be forgotten. The reason I say this, I may have something to share with you when you are not currently tweeting. If you are not on my active stream to reply to, I have to remember your name and how to spell it correctly. Please don’t make me search through all my follows to communicate with you because I might not do so if I don’t have the time. I remember @w0lfh0und because he has made an impact on me but it took some effort to remember his “o”s are zeros. (All this being said, I know I’m a guinea pig on Twitter. I’m not doing “business” on Twitter – yet. I’ve saved my “real” name in case that ever happens. In the interim, there are many people who remember my quirky little name. )


Learn the difference between a “block” and an “unfollow.” Not everyone you meet on Twitter will contribute something valuable to your conversation. If that is so, there is nothing wrong with deciding to not continue following them. I don’t remember actually blocking anyone from my stream but maybe I am just lucky. Someone would have to do something particularly malicious or heinous or potentially so, for me to block them. Whether blocking or unfollowing, there is seldom a reason to announce this to your twitter stream. Announcing this, without good reason, portrays you as mean spirited and not the least bit social. Someone who is not your cup of tea may be someone else’s and it would be a shame if you let your opinion taint someone else’s without good reason.


Be genuine. If you are going to use Social Media as a means to increase your business you can not lose sight that PEOPLE buy your products, services and ideas. There really are only six (or less) degrees of separation on Twitter. I know it takes a lot of energy to keep up with hundreds, even thousands of followers. No success comes without work. There are no shortcuts. You don’t have to reply to everyone all the time but you will be noticed if you never engage anyone. If you approach your followers with good will, they will keep following.


That is my two cents on this subject at this time. You may not agree with me and I am fine with that. Part of learning from Social Media is throwing your ideas out there and then shutting up long enough to hear the perspective of other people. I encourage your feed back.