Twitter, like other forms of social media, are excellent resources for small business. Also like the other forms of social media, there are right and wrong ways to use Twitter for your business. As a relative Twitter noob* but a student of the process, I offer my observations and recommendations for proper Twitter etiquette, or Twitiquette
* Yes, I admit it, I'm a Twitter noob. I joined in 2009 but Twitter and I never quite meshed. It just never seemed like the right social media platform for me. Facebook has always been my goto social media outlet. Instagram comes in second, followed by LinkedIn. However, once a year or so, I would get into a Twitter frenzy and read a lot of tweets.
This year I decided to earnestly study Twitter and see if I can figure out how Twitter and Tracy can actually work together for my own education, entertainment, and inspiration as well as my small business endeavors. Below are the practices I've observed and adopted after my crash course in Twitter Finishing School.
#Use #Hashtags
Using hashtags in your tweets makes you a part of bigger conversations. You'll find people to follow (and followers of your own) in by both reading and tweeting in these topics.
#Dont #Overuse #Hashtags #When #You #Tweet
Three (or fewer) is more than enough. Stick to just a few relevant terms and hashtag spam.
Quote People
Quote authors, celebrities, and even regular folks. Attribute the quote to them and do so using their Twitter handle if you can find it. You might end up starting a brief conversation with that person or even getting them to retweet or favorite your tweet, thereby exposing you to a larger audience.
Don't Quote Yourself
Ugh. I had a guy follow me about two weeks ago. As per my usual routine (see below), anytime someone follows me, I go check out their Twitter page to see if I would want to follow them, too. This guy (whose name and Twitter account I will not mention) is an entrepreneur and extreme sport enthusiast. He's also a bit of a douchebag. I scrolled down through two pages of tweets. Everyone one of them was an inspirational quote (or at least an attempt at an inspirational quote) and he'd attributed these quotes to himself. Needless to say, I did not follow him.
There is, of course, an exception to every rule:
"If you quote yourself, you're an asshole" -me
— Shainy (@ShainyHasNoPals) April 20, 2014
Follow Back is Nice
Think of Twitter like a networking event or party. If someone shows interest in you, the proper social etiquette is to show interest in return. You might just make a new online friend, learn something from them, or even make a great business connection.
Follow Back is Not Necessary
Again with the party analogy, there's always that one person (or several of them) who try to engage you at a party but you just want to run away. And that's just at a party with 20 or so people. Well, there are around 650 million Twitter users. That means there are a lot of weirdos out there. Before automatically following someone, review their account and make sure you want to follow them.
Be Yourself
Respond to tweets and direct messages as a real person. You could hide behind your business identity, but responding as a real, live human being will engage and interest the person on the other end of the Tweet. Most people are so used to auto-messaging (next topic) that they'll find a real communication fascinating.
Avoid Too Much Automation
(ie, Communicating But Not As Yourself)
I'll accept a little "corporate speak" from a big business that can't possibly respond to every interaction. But I get annoyed when a small business auto-messages me with a sales pitch or other "broadcast only" communication. A few years ago I followed a small business owner and public speaker that I'd met at a conference a month before. Within a few minutes I received a nice little direct message: "Thank you for following! It's flattering that you would want to be updated on my random quibs and thoughts. Looking forward to yours also." I immediately replied in an attempt to start a conversation with this person. No reply from him. Later I discovered, from other conference attendees who also followed him, that they received the exact same message. What a douche. Not an "I only quote myself" douche, but it was a little douchey.
Use That Favorite Star ...
As mentioned above, favoriting a compliment, quote, or retweet is a nice way to thank someone. It's classy.
... Instead of Retweeting Compliments
Screen capture from
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Retweeting a compliment or quote is less classy. If I congratulated you on your new house at a party, you wouldn't run around the party saying, "Hey, Tracy just said my house is nice!" No, you'd graciously accept my compliment and move on. Do the same on Twitter and stay classy, San Diego.
The Quick Takeaway
Twitter can be a useful tool for both broadcasting your message and listening to others. While it's not really a conversation tool, it can spark quick discussions. So be real, be decent, and engage people. And follow me if you want. I'll read your page and if you're not quoting yourself too often, I'll probably follow you back. Follow @tracythomason
"Since When Are Manners Sufficient Contribution to Conversation?" by David Goehring is licensed under CC BY 2.0