10 Common Twitter Mistakes to Avoid

Twitter is the #1 social network for discovery, making it necessary for your digital marketing strategy. The unique formatting of the site allows you to reach an expanding pool of customers: current, past, and potential. To effectively interact with your followers, you must be aware of best practices and avoid common mistakes brands make on Twitter.

Profile

1. Do not leave your profile empty

Fill out every field of your profile, use high-quality images, change header images regularly, and use your bio to tell users why they should follow you. Keep it short, sweet, and descriptive. Think of this as your first impression for audiences to learn about your company, so plan your profile accordingly.

2. Do not use numbers or symbols in your handle

Nothing screams unprofessional quite like @Unidev8675309. Plus, it is more difficult for followers to remember your handle when it is too long, symbol-heavy, or non-branded. If the account handle you want to use is claimed, there are options accepted across industries. For example, if you wished to @UnifiedDevelopment as your handle, but it is already taken, consider a shortened handle like @Unidev or @UnidevInc. The best option is a concise, logical, and memorable handle. 

Followers

3. Do not automatically follow everyone back

Followers are an essential metric for many users, but maintaining professionalism is more important. Just because a user follows you doesn’t mean you are obligated to follow them back. Avoid following users with inappropriate handles, accounts spreading spam, or tweeting sensitive subjects unrelated to your company. The best practice is to avoid “follow back” accounts that promote their profile as automatically following anyone who follows them in return to artificially boost follower numbers.

4. Do not lurk around your competitors

Twitter’s platform lends itself to a fast-paced conversation on trending topics. You should not spend your time hiding in the shadows and keeping an eye on what your competitors are up to but instead step into the spotlight. Follow competitors, partners, prospects, and take the time to thoughtfully engage in discussion with these users regularly. Doing so will help you get familiar with industry players, connect with unexpected users, and help position you as a thought leader in your field. 

Tweet Content

5. Do not tweet your sales pitch repeatedly

None of your followers want to hear you regurgitate sales rhetoric in every tweet. Twitter is meant to build relationships and foster global communities. Instead of simply focusing on your company’s content, you should focus on the exchange between you and your followers, working to cultivate a true community around your brand that’s focused on how to best support your audience.

The purpose of Twitter is to build relationships and foster communities of varying sizes. Click to Tweet

6. Do not send cookie-cutter messages thanking people for following you

Take this opportunity to foster your brand’s community by starting a relevant conversation with each user. They’ll feel as though they are receiving personalized, individual attention and will be more likely to interact with you in the future. You can also go to their profile and find content that you can retweet or share. Outreach like this snowballs organically, increasing exposure and a healthy relationship forged in social proof.

7. Do not call out a business or individual

Keeping an optimistic tone in your social media content is crucial because you don’t want your business to develop a negative reputation as a cyberbully. Focus on building your company up instead of tearing others down. While you’re at it, build up others along the way. If another company is celebrating a new achievement, congratulate them! Spreading positive messages across social media will result in other positive content echoing back toward you. 

8. Do not rely solely on organic or paid content

Twitter’s platform has powerful tools for organic and paid content, but that doesn’t mean you should favor one over the other. The best strategy includes a healthy mix of both categories. Did you tweet something that would resonate with a broader audience? Promote it! Did you post a funny tweet about current industry news? Let the engagements happen organically. Do not force your content when it does not make sense, but support performance when it makes sense. 

9. Do not stuff your tweets with excessive hashtags

Generally, there should be no more than two hashtags in any tweet. Any more than that, and you run the risk of looking like spam or even directing users away from your actual content. Hashtags should make sense and be relevant to the tweet’s content. More relevant hashtags mean higher quality readers since users interested in a specific topic can easily find your posts. Finding the right balance of hashtags can be tricky, but they are valuable when used correctly. 

10. Do not use your company’s profile for fun

While most posts like this are mistakes, they can still be highly detrimental to you and your company. It is crucial to stay aware of the account you are using to post content. Use separate mobile apps for personal and company accounts or social media management tools like Hootsuite to organize multiple accounts. Negligence can be a horror story waiting to happen, especially when dealing with things as important as your brand’s reputation.