5 December 2008 One Comment

So, I’m no Twitter celebrity. I’m actually very conservative with who I follow. As such, I have a few guidelines that I use to determine whether or not I would follow you on Twitter, and what you should do to overcome them.

Keep in mind that these aren’t really reasons that I am a jerk. Rather they are things that most people look at, and what each point reflects about your Twitter account. This should help you get those that you are following to return the favor.

All images are taken from a real account, but the identity is hidden to protect the spammer individual.

1. No Picture

This is the first thing I look at. Mostly because it’s the first thing anybody would notice about your Twitter account when they view it. This tells me that you aren’t taking this seriously at all. Maybe you’re even a spammer, and I would be better to not follow you in return.

Fixes
Put a picture up. Anything at all will do. It doesn’t have to be a pic of you if you’re uncomfortable with that, but at least get a logo or something.

2. No Activity For Weeks

Again, this tells me that you aren’t taking it seriously. I’m not looking for 50 Tweets a minute, but some activity is a good sign. It should be noted that a few days of inactivity is no big deal. Sometimes you have to actually get some work done, yeah?

Fixes
At least say hi. I would say an average of 3 tweets a day is my minimum.

3. No Bio

Along with the picture, if I don’t see a bio I think “spammer” right from the start.

Fixes
Got a site? Put it up there. Got a short bio? Put it up there. Really, anything to tell me anything at all about you shows me that you gave it some attention.

4. Extremely Low ‘Following’ In Relation To Your ‘Followers’

I’m not talking about the “A-Listers” that have 50,000 followers but only follow 2,000. I’m talking about the guys that have 5,000 followers and only follow 20. This tells me that you once followed them to get them to follow you, and then unfollowed them.

Fixes
This is a conversation. Take part. Surely with every 5 followers one of them has something interesting to say. check them out.

5. Excessive Self Promotion

We all share out sites and posts from our own blogs. That’s OK. The problem comes in when I look at the last 10 tweets and only see links to your blog. This means that, again, you are talking but not listening.

Fixes
ReTweet something interesting. Help some of your followers promote themselves by tweeting something they posted. Talk about something other than your own blog all the time. Whatever it is, don’t just get on Twitter to push yourself.

In the end, again, it’s about the conversation. I want to feel that we will be able to share with each other. And believe you me, I’m not alone. If you do want to converse, by all means, follow me on Twitter.