Twitter Direct Messages - Do’s & Don’ts (Guest Blog)

As we move closer to Ektron's Synergy Conference next month, and my session on social media, I thought I'd utilize this space to feature guest blog posts from some of the most influential social experts that I've connected with. I hope to see you at Synergy and encourage you to learn more about these guest bloggers too.

The first post is from Social Media Demand, a social media strategy and consulting practice based in the Chicago area. Carolyn Martin resides in Deerfield, Illinois and is a Marketing, Social Media Strategist and Founder of Social Media Demand. Follow @cm_socialmedia. Enjoy!

Twitter Direct Messages - Do’s & Don’ts

It’s thrilling to watch and participate in the excitement of a Twitter stream. At Social Media Demand, We LOVE Twitter – and nearly everything about it. We’ve learned about great deals in our local neighborhoods, read breaking news, won prizes, connected with colleagues and new friends, learned about new businesses and so much more.

Twitter highlights the true essence of engagement. With users busy trying to fit social into their daily lives, they have adopted an automatic direct message response after every new follower. While that seems very courteous, it’s a bit intrusive when irrelevant context is being shared without any preliminary engagement with a new follower. Nothing lovable about that.
 
Here are our Top 10 not-so-favorite automatic direct messages (DMs) we’ve received. Take note of how annoying it can be when a message is focused about yourself or your other ventures. Social is not about instant self promotion, but rather it’s about sharing, helping, and being kind.

 Top 10 Twitter Auto Reply Messages AKA Spam

1. Like my Facebook Page
2. Connect with me on LinkedIn
3. Go to my website
4. Try a free tool
5. Subscribe to my newsletter
6. Download my E-book
7. This person is making up things about you
8. Get rich, fast!
9. Let me help you
10. Follow my sister

Here are some suggestions for more appropriate actions for DMs:

1. “Thanks for the follow”
2. “Thanks, your profile looks interesting”
3. “Thanks, tell me more about you”
4. Perfect gratitude is to follow back and send no message
5. Find something in common and point it out in a DM

The whole point of Twitter – and any social platform, for that matter – is to create a voice for a brand or for yourself, while creating thoughtful engagement and communication in a public forum. Followers, customers and friends want relevant information once they decide to opt-in and start following you.
What can you add to this list?

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