Do you tweet? I do. I read with interest the other day the reasons people using Twitter to promote business get unfollowed.
They went something like this:
» The minute I follow you, you automatically send me a promotion about a product or service.
» You thank me for following you and then, in the same sentence, ask me to friend you on Facebook.
» You don’t reciprocate by retweeting my tweets. Instead, you constantly send me promotions or urge me to go to your website or go to special deals, which are promotions.
» This sort of correspondence is like getting an unsolicited marketing call.
Along with Facebook, what started out as a purely social way to relate to many people at once has quickly become a favored tool for marketers.
I get tons of emails on a daily basis on how I can pay to have my promotions tweeted. And, I get as many emails about how I can game the system and be successful at marketing my business. Some of them even work.
But, they often negate the purpose of creating relationships and the sharing of information in a positive way.
The key to any social media, such as Twitter, is to share information that is of value most of the time. Sending out ideas, interesting tidbits or other items that followers will find interesting is critical to building relationships with others.
That way, when you do send something that can be considered promotional in nature, it can be more easily accepted. In fact, in doing so, any promoter should try to make the information useful and valuable to his or her followers or friends should it be on Facebook.
So rather than hit someone up as soon as he or she follows you on Twitter, why not send a simple thank you and engage that person.
Find out something about that follower, and don’t just consider him or her another number to add to the total amount of Twitter followers you have. Retweet interesting info that your followers send you. Make comments.
Again, it’s about engagement.
For instance, just this morning, I received two different tweets. One thanked me for following him and then asked me what books I would recommend him reading. We started up a conversation … a relationship!
The other thanked me for following her, and then, in the next sentence, asked me if I would review her book! Keep in mind; this is a person with whom I could have mutual interest, but to ask me to put in a major effort after having just connected? No, I don’t think so.
A number of my author friends send out a free eBook copy of one of their books as a thank you for the follow. If you’re a business, why not send a freebie (no, not a coupon necessarily, but some type of helpful information.).
For instance, a restaurant could send a free recipe, a CPA could send helpful information regarding taxes or a wedding planner could send out helpful hints for the next wedding you attend. I hope you get the picture.
I used to get all in a Twitter over people tweeting me promotions, but I started to look at them as an opportunity of interest instead.
Yes, I’d rather build relationships, but when I get a promotion or a request to follow them on Facebook, I just go ahead and check it out without getting upset about it.
If I can use it, great. If I can’t, then I ignore or politely tell them I’m not interested. Why not? They are just trying to make a living, too.
Rather than get twisted up about things like this, try to be positive and helpful. It will make you feel better and cut down on the stress!
— John Daly is the founder and president of The Key Class, the keys to life skills success. Click to learn more about The Key Class, or click here to buy his book. John’s new book, 74 Key Life Skills for a Happy, Successful Life, is available on Amazon. Connect with The Key Class on Facebook and follow John on Twitter @johnjdalyjr. Do you have a question about business or social etiquette? Ask John at johnKeyClass@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are his own.