Twitter Tips to Help You Tweet Your Best

I found a great blog post on ProBlogger with many helpful suggestions on using Twitter effectively. I recommend reading it.

Additionally, I have a few tips of my own to improve your Twitter followers' experience.

DON'T use Twitter as a message board or mailing list. As stated in the ProBlogger post, if you converse back and forth with someone on Twitter, and someone is only following you, they only see half the conversation. Think about how annoying it is to hear half of a cellphone conversation. It's a weird and disjointed experience. Your followers may feel excluded and bored by your constant replies.

DO take your conversations to an more appropriate web asset. Move the talk to direct (private) replies, e-mail, or if it's a multi-person conversation, move it to a message board or mailing list. On a message board or mailing list,everyone can see the full discussion and join in.

DON'T use Twitter as a full-sized blog. Twitter promotes itself as a "micro-blog," where users can express themselves in 140 characters or less. It's usually acceptable to occasionally carry a thought over to a second Tweet.

DO use Twitter to link to your full-sized blog. If you would need to post three or more Tweets to express your concept or information, post all of it in one blog post or website paragraph and provide a quick description and link on your Twitter page. People will follow the link if they are interested.

DON'T allow spammers to follow you. Letting your follower numbers grow by not blocking (removing) spammers and deleted accounts is not only dishonest, it encourages spammers and other bad netizens to continue flooding the Internet with their porn, spyware, malware, and phishing programs.

DO follow people in your area of interest. If you are a gardener, you can search Twitter for other gardeners. Follow them and they may follow you. It's a good way to develop a network of like-minded individuals who can actually help each other.

DON'T be vulgar. I have stated this before, but it bears repeating since I see so many people damage their reputations by being sexually explicit, swearing a lot, and being mean, cruel, and sarcastic. Your boss or potential employer will seek information about you on the Internet. Even if your Twitter account is for personal use, demonstrating you cannot be civil and polite in a public forum will damage your chances for a promotion or job opportunity.

DO be positive and encouraging. It can be difficult in this instant reply world, but if you can't be nice to a fellow Tweeter, unfollow him (and block him if necessary). If someone Tweets some good news, send them (genuine) congratulations. If someone Tweets a concern or problem, show support and assist them. You have to give good to receive good.

Your Employee Reveals All on the Net!

Are your employees embarrassing you on the Internet? Is your business partner sabotaging your reputation, and therefore your business?

How would you feel if you found posts in which your employees are criticizing your clients and your products/services in a public forum?

How would you feel if you found your business partner demeaning you in a public forum?

Actual quotes* found on the Net in a one-minute Google search (top of the first search engine page):

"Yeah, I know, terrible logo, yada yada. But I have to admit I have a fondness for it. I am not saying it is a bastion of concept and design by any means." - included link to client website

"please note that I did not make this logo. my client came to me with it and i told them about 1,000,000 reasons why it’s a bad logo and they don’t seem to get it. i thought i could get some more reasons from you designer geniuses so go ahead and give me your top 3 reasons why this logo sucks!" - included image of client logo with client's name

"Okay so my boss is really stupid! It's almost like talking to a brick wall, he is completely rediclious in all of his decisions and is so quick to blame everyone for his mistakes." -

"My husband and I own 51% of the business. Our business partner and his wife have an unstable marriage, horrible credit, horrible money skills, and no business sense."

"I know more about SEO and SEM than my partner. poor thing is freaking because she is head of sales and can't wrap her head around SEO and SEM to sell it effectively. she is thinking of giving up on trying to sell it. I know it is a BAD idea. can anyone help me explain the two better so an average (she's above average, actually) sales person can sell it to the average public? I've read and passed on several things I've found published online, but I don't think she is taking the time to really read the stuff." - found company and partner's name in three link steps

If you don't know what's being said about you and your business, it is worth an hour or two to find out!

Don't let negative, angry people ruin your business and client relationships. Have a frank discussion with your employees about what is acceptable and not acceptable in discussing business matters.

First, your clients should never be publicly excoriated. Employees shouldn't be discussing private business matters in a public forum, but people being people, the firm rule should be to never mention the client by name or revealing details.

Second, you should have a respectful relationship with your employees. Your employees should have an opportunity to discuss issues with you in person and in private. They shouldn't reveal private business details in a public forum, but again, people talk, so the firm rule should be never mention the business or boss by name or revealing details.

Third, your business partner and you should have written into the operating agreement that neither will bash the other in a public forum. Period. Doing so makes both of you look bad and could negatively impact your business.


*All quotes were copy/pasted, so misspellings and grammatical errors are the original authors.