Twitterversary Twittiquette Tips

This month marks my two-year anniversary on Twitter. Throughout these two years, I’ve had an on-again/off-again love affair with the social media tool that is both beauty and beast rolled into one fast-moving real-time party train. Just as there are unwritten rules and guidelines when you attend parties (don’t throw up on the hostess) or ride trains (two words: breath mints), there are also unwritten rules of etiquette for le Twitter party train. Here are a few of the big ones for me over the past two years:

1. Photo, bio: add these two things or get off Twitter. So simple, but way too many newbies out there don’t have a bio. At all. Just write something. I don’t care if you write King of the World. Something. There are also way too many multi-colored Tweety bird images floating around on my Followers screen, and guess what? Those don’t get followed back. Same as those without bios.

2. Don’t even think about auto DMs. Seriously. How many times do people have to post on Twitter that they’re annoyed by auto DMs? And yet, oh look what’s in my inbox: a string of “thanks for following me” auto Direct Messages. These are considered spam, because, well, they are. If you really want to thank someone, send a very specific note such as “Hi Jules! Thanks for following me. I’m really excited about your upcoming tv show. LMK how I can help!” That at least lets your tweep know that they’re not getting an autobot spam note.

3. Stop it with the quotes from dead people. I already know Ghandi wants me to be the change I want to see in the world. Actually, stop it with the quotes from the living as well. Life & business coaches, I’m especially talking to you. Once in a while is fine, but when either all you post are quotes, or you post a quote a day, you don’t give anyone a reason to follow you. Do you have your own thoughts? Of course you do. Those are the thoughts we want to hear.

4. Educate, but don’t preach. Share links your followers may find interesting. Offer up tips that you’ve found useful. Just be careful not to offer unsolicited advice, or come across as an annoying know-it-all by constantly jumping in on industry-related conversations with your “expert” advice. There’s a difference between answering someone’s question about which fast food restaurant makes fries with the lowest grease residue on napkins, and responding to that question with “OMG did you know fast food will kill you? Read this book by Dr. Oz. It will change your life!” Really? WOW! I thought it was so healthy! Thanks for opening my eyes! Unfollow.

5. Engage beyond your circle. There are little cliques all over Twitter. That’s fine. But remember to go beyond your circle. That’s why you’re on Twitter, right? To connect? The tweeps I truly love are the ones who actively engage in conversation, and I love meeting new people all the time on Twitter. We can learn so much from strangers in the Twitterverse.

6. Entertain us. Make us laugh. Make us cry. Just make us feel something. Twitter is about connections and connections are emotional, not robotic. Having a shitty day? Tell us about it so we can make you laugh. Found a funny YouTube video? Send it to the person who tweeted they’re having a shitty day. Your kid spilled a whole cup of water on your Macbook? Ok, so that’s my own true story, but when I did tweet that, I got dozens of responses from folks who had the same thing happen to them, and different options for how to remedy the situation (which worked, BTW, so thank you tweeps! See how entertaining on Twitter can lead to engagement and education? Lovely circle of Twitterlife.).

7. Create your own Follow/Unfollow rules. I don’t follow a lot of the “must follow” Twitter celebrities. I’ve found a lot of them have little substance to offer (sorry Ashton & Demi, but I dropped you both long ago). Also, I lose a lot of followers because I do not follow everyone back. I’m totally ok with that. I’d rather have people following me who will engage in conversation and actually care about design/motherhood/entrepreneurship/food/bacon/beer/work-life balance/music/crafts. I follow people who offer real tweets and not just upper level corporate tweets. Why are you on Twitter? Figure that out, and then follow the people who matter. Only then will you have a truly fulfilling Twitter experience.

8. Stop it with the self-serving RTs. Example: Tweep1 tweets “RT @Tweep2 Thank you so much, @Tweep1! Your brilliant mind & generous advice has changed my life! I love you!” Uh, dude, Tweep1, just say “thanks @Tweep2!” Really, do this kind of self-serving RT once or twice and I forgive you, but you do this a lot and you just come across as a grade A d-bag. Thus, unfollow.

The main advice I give to business clients in consultations and in my social media workshops, is to Educate, Engage and Entertain. You may agree or disagree with some or all of the above, but that’s the beauty of Twitter, and really social media in general: in the end, the rules that matter are your own. You create your social media world to best suit you and your needs, so once you’ve built your foundation, live loudly in it, own it, and party on, tweeps!

-Marlynn (@designmama and also @thepowermob)