Question: How to Give Good Tweet
Many people have asked me about Twitter "best practices," so I've written a Twitter manifesto of sorts. Please feel free to add comments or suggestions in the "User Answers," section.
Answer:
Here's what I've learned about Twitter. I am going to write these advice points in 140 characters or less. It's amazing how much you can say.
- Don't be a company, be a person. If all you do is promote yourself (unless you are David Beckham) people won't follow you.
- Give information, sympathy, be funny, interesting or preferably all of the above in one tweet.
- Do not tweet what you’re eating, unless it is hippopotamus and you have the recipe.
- Do not tweet that you are going to walk the dog unless it is to the Westminster Dog Show or across Antarctica.
- Do give advice freely and generously. Converse and get to know other tweeps. Think pithy.
- Do tweet regularly and respond to other’s tweets. Retweet worthy posts.
- Funny is good. Smart is good. Useful information is good. Self-promotion is ok, as long as it is at least two of the above.
- Do not post boring pictures that only your mother or your boss would be find interesting. Actually don’t post boring anything.
- Do post beautiful, captivating or illustrative pictures or images.
- Use DM for anything that others won’t be interested in. Not using direct messaging is spamming.
- Don’t send multiple tweets that should be DMs. If you want to communicate with someone in more than 140 characters pick up the phone or use email.
- Never send out auto replies. They are obvious and irritating.
- Retweet important and newsworthy tweets or information you think someone else might need.
- Have fun!
