I talk too much. This isn’t a major revelation,though. I’ve known this for some time. Even back when I was a kid my weary parents used to beg me, pretty please, for some quiet time. My brothers and sisters would invent “let’s see who can be quiet the longest” games just to get me to stop talking. Of course it’s the gift of gab that led to my success as a blogger. It’s also costing me followers on Twitter. Seems the 140 character crowd isn’t interested in spending time with someone so chatty. I get it though. Before realizing the truth, I began researching the reasons why Twitterers stop following people. Here are the top 5:
- They’re too spammy: I’m on Twitter because I want to talk to people. It’s such a great way to share. Some folks take the sharing to the extreme, however, and only tweet links to their stuff. Yeah it’s ok to drop links now and again, but don’t forget about building relationships. No one likes talking with a salesman all day. We like real conversations with real people.
- They’re too offensive: Not everyone is into regularly tweeted “f bombs” or nude avatars. Racism, tough talk and lots of controvery are also turnoffs. Most Twitterers are there for the light conversation. If it gets too stressful, they’re out of there.
- They talk too much: Like me. No one likes it when one particular Twitter stream dominates the whole timeline. Sure, it’s fun to talk back and forth with one person and just banter all day. Think about how it looks on someone else’s screen though. When you dominate the entire conversation, you’ll lose followers. Trust me on this, I know.
- They have nothing in common: Most of us choose Tweeps to follow with care. For instance, I look for the people who I can share tips and ideas with and will also make me laugh. We have to have something in common though. It’s just like the friends we hang out with in the real world. If we don’t find certain people interesting enough or sharing the same ideals, we probably won’t run in the same circles. It’s nothing personal, we just don’t mesh.
- They auto DM: Don’t you hate those auto DM’s you get when you follow certain people. Some of them just say “hi.” Most say “Hi, buy my ebook or view my blog.” I wouldn’t walk up to someone in the real world and say, “Hi. I’m Deb Ng. Visit my blog for more information about me.” So why do we do this on Twitter?
What are your reasons for un-following Tweeps?
i think, basically, we always need and bear respect even on twitter despite its sms type of service. without it, we will followers. what is important is to build friendship/relationship on twitter.
Hey there, I just ran across your blog by accident while visit guy kawasaki’s. I’m relatively new to twitter and don’t know all the etiquette yet. But after reading this, I already see i’ve been making several of the mistakes you mentioned. I have been enlightened! Thanks so much! Cheers! — DAV
http://www.davwrx.blogspot.com
Hopefully your post will persuade a few people to stop using auto-dm!!
It’s always helpful when someone takes a moment to point out the “how to’s” and the “how not to’s” on Twitter or any other social networking platform. I have certainly been guilty of talking too much and have probably lost followers for that reason. Good reminders, these.
However, I don’t get as excited as others do about the auto DM issue. I just ignore them. Not sure why this has become such a polarizing issue–is it so hard to ignore an auto DM? I pay much more attention to someone who @replies or even sends a bona fide DM.
Thanks for the post.