I’m not the first to post about Twitter pet peeves, and I won’t be the last. But given that Twitter launched in 2006, it’s about time to get rid of some bad habits.
Beyond the basic offenses like having an egg for a profile photo, no bio to speak of or zero tweets (all reasons why people don’t follow you back), here are some of my pet peeves sparked by recent Twitter activity:
1. Posting a link without any explanation or comment. This is a classic spammer move. If you don’t take the time to write a couple of words about why I should visit the link, you can expect that I won’t.
2. Far #too #many #hashtags #stuffed #into #one #tweet. It’s confusing and messy and hard to tell what you’re saying.
3. Posting a cryptic comment. This is the equivalent of a secret handshake, I guess. Someone out there knows what you’re talking about, but not most of the ones who will see it. Send your secret pal a direct message instead.
4. “Please RT.” Unless you are promoting an extremely good cause, don’t ask me to retweet you. If I like your content and think it worth sharing, I will.
5. Multiple posts by different accounts at the same time. It’s fine to post the same message from more than one account, but why not stagger them? Post one now, one later today, maybe one tomorrow. You’ll have a better chance of it being seen.
6. Hiding. If you include the words “follow us on Twitter” anywhere, like your website or in an email, please include a link or at least spell out what your Twitter handle is. If you make people search for it, chances are they won’t.
7. Giving a lame reason to follow you. I’ve seen “Follow us and we’ll follow you back.” I guess that’s a compelling reason for someone who only cares about how many people are following. How about “Follow us for the latest news about X” or “Follow us for the inside scoop on Y”?
Those are my pet peeves about Twitter. What are yours?
For more Twitter tips, check out these posts in the archives:
Don’t get hung up on how many followers you have; it’s not a numbers game.
Does it matter how often you tweet? Not really, if what you say has value.
If you’re newish to Twitter, most of these “starter” tips still apply.
Post updated March 2021.
Thanks Sue – more thoughtful analysis of how to use this social media tool for maximum effect and without driving followers crazy. It’s these simple, common sense things that many people tend to overlook, I feel, in the rush to be “in” and “au courant”. Bravo!
Thanks for commenting, Roger! And I look forward to keeping up with your tweets.