by Sunil Pathak of Blogger’s Lab. Follow him @sunilpathak.
If you are expecting anything out of the space from this post then I am sorry to disappoint you. You had enough of that all ready; you have heard many success stories and theories on twitip. Now it’s my turn to tell you my unsuccessful twitter encounter. Why I failed to do what every nowise is doing with twitter now days. What I have learned from my mistakes and how you can learn from my experience.
I Didn’t Give It My Personal Touch
Personalize your profiles so your followers can get a glimpse of your tastes by viewing your profile! It’s vital to builds trust, loyalty and engagement with your followers.
- Upload your picture
- Say something about you in one line bio
- Update your location, time zone
- Link your about page to a “more info” url
Use custom background if you are not good with designing consider using one of this services Twitterbacks, Twitbacks, or TwitterImage
I Never Leverage My Other Social Networking Profiles
If you have other social profiles like StumbleUpon, Digg or Facebook, use it to promote your Twitter profile, add it to your email and forum signature, if you have blog link to your Twitter from about and contact page, add your Twitter link in your subscriber widget.
I Followed The Bigshots Only
Your success on Twitter depends on whom you follow, don’t look for quantities insist for quality, don’t follow people based on their follower counts, follow insightful and interesting people for significant conversations. If you can’t determine whom to follow use Twitter suggestion services like service like Mr. Tweet.
I Was Self-Focused
If you want to be Pro Twitter, maintain good balance between recommending content others have written and promoting your own posts. Don’t be self obsessed, add value to your network of twitter, and make someone famous.
I Never Reciprocate
Follow everyone that follows you, having more followers adds to the community and the discussion, join the conversation, And it’s polite to follow back. Answer questions, discuss heated topics, reply to interesting tweets from your followers, or people you follow, send a thank you note if someone send you something unique and useful.
I Annoy My Followers
Don’t be a bot. Give your tweets a human touch, don’t use automated direct messages created by the software. Don’t overwhelm your followers with hundreds of useless tweets, don’t just promote your products, services or retweet links in which you are mentioned.
Using Twitter as effective marketing tool is challenging, but it’s rewarding beyond your imagination, use it well and use it often.
(Image by unsoundtransient)
@NateDesmond
I think that I need to work on the reciprocating followers part. I used to rarely refollow, but now I think that will change.
Thanks,
Nate
@blackysky
Reciprocate is stupid … what’s the goal to have a ton of followers .. don’t turn twitter like myspace… quality is better than quantity…. once you follow let say 1000.. your tweeter wall become noisy…. you should check the video about social media relanshionship from seth godin … in sum up exactly this aspect….
@iamkrissy
It’s never too late. Change what you need to change and learn from your mistakes! People on Twitter are very forgiving.
@jan_geronimo
The posts made a valid list of what not to do in Twitter. I’m fine with that.
The headline promised something else and it was not brought out. Where’s the personal confession of failure? Where’s the precious anecdote? The headline was hyped up to lure readers when a simple one: a how not to suck at Twitter will have done the same job.
Other than that I have to say it’s still a good read.
@akilakalum
Automated DMs are annoying many people. So better to avoid it as you have said.
@akilakalum
@lostcheerio
This post seemed really impersonal and disingenuous in itself. It read less like a confession and more like an inside-out how-to post. After promising to tell us about his unsuccessful Twitter encounter, the poster just gave us yet another list. If narrative is missing in your Tweets, maybe a little narrative would help your “confession” too.
@marygallagher
Good wisdom to follow and I am always learning from mistakes made. Thanks.
I’d like to address the reciprocal following. I personally choose who I wish to follow based on the criteria of the first steps you suggested. Even if someone is following me, I want to find out more about who they are before I automatically reciprocate the follow. Just my 2cents, take it or leave it… Best for now, Mary
@MattWilsontv
Like @GaryVee said, Twitter is his home and Facebook is his vacation home. You have to leverage your other accounts, to connect with people further. There is only so much you can learn about people in 140 characters. Want to see more pics, read their bio, see who they are friends with… check ‘em out on facebook.
@bashen
“Your success on Twitter depends on whom you follow, don’t look for quantities insist for quality”
and
“Follow everyone that follows you”
Huh? Which is it? I prefer the former.
@iamkrissy
I’m just coming back and reading some of the responses. An interesting conversation is forming — quantity verses quality. Why does it have to be either — or? @blackysky says don’t follow more than 1,000. Does he honestly believe, out of 8 million people on Twitter, there are only 1,000 people of “quality”? I’m just not finding that to be true. Don’t get me wrong — I’m not autofollowing — I’m checking out each person who follows me before following back. But I am almost at 900 followers, and expect to find many more people of “quality.” Quality and quantity are not mutually exclusive!…
@sunilpathak
@blackysky why you follow people? To interact with them or just to increase your follower number?
in both cases my suggestion is fit for you, Having more people in your friend list means verity of topics and information. its like blogs the more you read the more you learn, if you subscribe to few feeds you will get enough information on certain topics. but you will miss lots of good information on other topics. so not subscribing to many feeds just to avoid having tons of updates is like wearing same pair of jeans to save on laundry bills.
@Brian
Will you follow me if i send boatload of carp tweets? obviously you wont, but you will follow Darren or Chris Garrett , cause they have more valuable stuff to offer you, and in return you wont send them stupid or spam reply, so ultimately you are quality follower seeking quality. so there is no harm for Darren or Chris to follow you. and any way if you start spamming there is option to get rid of spammers.
@rocquesbiz
This is a great post! I am going to teach what I can about twitter on Monday night, and I hope you do not mind if I share some of this information. I really do not think that people want to know that I wore black again today but I did wear the purple crocs just to break up the mood, or that I changed my toothbrush. Do people really care about that?
I had a really hard time and still do figuring out Twitter and why I should use it. I can not imagine being tied to anything with a cell phone. When I leave home I do not want to talk on the phone, I am a bad enough driver without that. Sometimes it is nice to sit in silence if you can find it.
Wow I do rant and ramble…you think I would be an ace at Twitter.
More information like this is definitely appreciated.
Thanks for sharing!
Rocque or rocquesbiz at twitter.
@velvetescape
Interesting article. I must say, I’ve done all of the above. I designed my own background. I’ve propped as much info as I possibly could into my bio and there’s a picture. There’s also a link to my blog. I don’t think I overly promote myself – about 3-4 tweets a day are directly related to my blog. I share stuff with my community every day (things which I find interesting which I think others will find interesting too) and retweet often. I share tips and ideas, answer questions, visit blogs and comment, all of that… I especially love #followfriday – it’s a great opportunity to share recommendations and be recommended.
I’ve decided to quit that practice!
Being a Twitwit, I was not aware that there’s an automated DM system. When I have a new follower, I always manually write a direct message to thank them and highlight my blog (yup, I’ve written that welcome message more than a hundred times!!). Guess some think it’s an automated response and un-follow me right away!
I must admit that I’m quite fussy about who I follow – I only follow those who have tweets or blogs that I find interesting. I find that quite a few people who start following me quit after a while (and I’m guessing here) because 1. I didn’t follow them back or 2. They don’t find my tweets interesting. And that’s fine with me. There are also a few people I follow and with whom I sometimes have lively discussions but who don’t follow me back. That’s fine too (though I sometimes find this quite disturbing but that’s probably an ego thing).
So, do I consider myself a success on Twitter, even after following all the points prescribed above? I’m not sure how success on Twitter should be measured. If it was the number of followers I have, then I’m certainly a failure with my ‘measly’ 120. If it’s the number of Mr. Tweet recommendations, then I would be a failure too, with just one (but I do excel every Friday!). However, if success is measured by the new things I’ve learned about a whole range of interesting topics (from safaris in Zambia to ‘how to be a happier person’ to “Why I Suck at Twitter”), or by the number of meaningful contacts I’ve built up via Twitter, or by how much the (almost tangible) passion of fellow bloggers has rubbed off on me, then I would probably score an ‘A’.
I guess it all boils down to how interesting and engaging your tweets and your personality are. In that respect, I’m still learning every day. Twitter is an amazing tool and if used effectively can open doors that you never thought existed. But it can also be frustrating at times.
@blogylana
Common sense! and good tips
Im quite new at twitter and Im loving it. Trying to tweet interesting and funny things.
@xSiteable
Hmm… I’m confused. As a new user to Twitter, I have opted NOT to follow every person that comes along. I have preferred to follow only ‘interesting’ Tweeple (oh boy i said it) and as BlackSky said, not to ‘clutter my Tweeter wall’.
But I’m learning that Twitter regulars and especially those in ‘the biz’ (web marketing, social media, etc) are measured by how many followers they have (see Twitter analyzer websites and the like).
So I’ve started to reciprocate and follow those who follow me over the past couple days.
So which is it? Start to feel like damned if I do, damned if I don’t… (am I unsucessful at Twitter cuz I only have a couple hundred followers??)
@BlackMediaProp
No mention of Doctor Twitter I’m appalled..:(..funny article though.
@blackysky
Ok I have no choice to comeback because I need to clear some stuff…
First : I never said you should not follow over 1000 people, ( I shoot a number like that ) I only say that if do follow 1000 people make sure you care of those 1000 people that you follow because your twitter wall will be hard to read….
Now
@Sunil Pathak I use twitter to interact and share with people… I do not try to get as much followers as possible… (I’m not in American idol ….)
I have a test for you… tweet “how many people love my tweets so far” … you will be surprise how many people will reply…
Now the whole information stuff… If I follow what you just said, I should follow every single people in order to miss any information… I don’t know for you but I found it ridiculous.
You can follow 20 person and never be able to interact with them… I can follow one person and it can be my next great venture partner.
I was thinking social media was about interaction…if you have no real interaction… what’s the point to be on twitter…If tomorrow I shoot you as the person with the most followers the most retweet will it change your life? …the same way you cannot subscribe to every blog… it is impossible to get all knowledge.
I still think it is way better to have strong connections rather then a ton of weak connections.
It is fun to read a ton of stuff … but at a certain point, it is procrastination
Smile everyone! it is twitter! You can do whatever you want.
@OHDenise
I don’t understand how anyone can read all the tweets posted by the hundreds/thousands of people they’re following. I don’t even follow 25, and it’s all I can do to keep up with what that number posts. Following the tweets of @problogger alone can consume hours of time (I can’t even guess how he finds the time to post all those tweets, replies, and links … never mind all the e-mails and blog posts he manages – I’m in awe).
Apparently, I’m not very efficient at my social networking and internet use, or maybe I’m doing things differently. Can someone tell me how they manage to find the time and focus for this? Are people really reading the tweets of all the people they follow or is it just background noise that is intermittently scanned or read? Maybe I’m just too ADD for twitter.
@bobbypens
I just can’t bring my self to follow bot accounts with one Tweet about an offer for a free MacBook.
@ChristieIngram
Great post! I think everyone is guilty of some Twitter suckage, but this post reminds us to be better Twitter citizens.
@PhilipNowak
I am drawn to how powerful technology is and how truly interconnected we can all become. Having said that, I think that following everyone that follows you on Twitter is useless unless you are profit driven or ego driven. There is absolutely no way that you can keep track of everyone’s comments.
Twitter is enjoyable for me because I can actually learn something by reading the posts of people that I find interesting. I like the fact that people that follow me, for the most part, actually have an interest in what I tweet. If they don’t like me, they can unfollow me. The best part about all of this is that I noticed many spammers following me at first, but after a few days they unfollow me because I did not reciprocate. Sucks.
@hectorhenry17
Wao to be so sincere you have to fall hard, in my case am just fine at this point of course it would be hard if i would like to grow in followers because little by little users are being more exquisite in there followers, and who they fallow, and its hard to know if you are in doze guide lines.
Than you for the pots.
@mattjac
I agree that the “quality over quantity” statement directly contradicts the “follow everyone that follows you” statement. I see no value for my network or the Twitter community if I follow someone who is following 3000 people and has zero updates. I’m just encouraging spam down the road when that person sells the account. And then I’ll be forced to unfollow them anyway. I like to look at a person’s page and compare our interests before I decide to follow them.
@DudeMyJobSucks
Great content…just remembering to keep it simple will take you a long way. If we use the same principals in twitter as we do to make friends you can build long lasting relationships. We don’t have to be everybody’s friend. Remember it is quality over quantity. If you provide value and build it…they will come.
@RocqueBowen
I just wanted you to see my new twitter id. I have learned a lot since this post and my first comment. I actually am having fun on Twitter now, and have been directed to some good sites and have some people who actually read my tweets.