Being A Good Follower on Twitter

If Twitter was a party, it would be at one of those clubs with no sign and it would be a packed to the rafters with all kinds of people.

The sheer noise and volume of that many people all talking at once is enough to turn away those not prepared for the din. The zeitgeist is enough to both draw cool celebrities and drag all the weirdos out of the woodwork. Following (pun intended) are a few simple rules will make sure  you’re the life of the party, without resorting to escaping with that proverbial lampshade over your head in shame.

Don’t be “That rude jerk everyone complains about”

Engage but be polite. Keep in mind who you’re talking to. It is a public forum. Behave.

Don’t be “The thing that wouldn’t shut up”

Don’t clutter the stream—attract attention, don’t beg for it. You don’t need to direct everything you say at one person. Keep it relevant and say interesting things. Don’t overdo it. Let people who want to listen come to you.

Don’t be “The name-dropping celeb stalker”

Yes, celebrities are on Twitter, but the rules are different for them. Don’t emulate their bad habits, and be courteous. These people get more requests and messages aimed at them than do most of us.

Don’t be “The ref who forces everyone to take part in the games they play”

Take part in hashtags, but avoid cluttering ‘Twittergames’ like Spymaster. This isn’t Facebook. Go be a pirate elsewhere.

Don’t be “That one who only quotes funny things other people say”

Share and share alike. ReTweet often, and RT properly, but don’t overdo it. If your stream is nothing but RTs, it means there is no original thought  or sense of who you are.

Bottom Line:

As in life, as at the party. You get out of Twitter what you put into it. Find your own niche, and look for established cliques on topics that interest you. The first step in being a good follower is following the right people and paying attention to the organic community that grows around you.

TwitterSuspended_540x512

For more nuances of using social media see Using Twitter Correctly and Effectively

Also see Twitter Is A Cocktail Party and Twitter WAS A Cocktail Party

A helpful guide with help from @DangerWill42

  • If you are following me and you protect your updates, I’m not going to follow your over-protective ass.
  • If you are following me and you mention making money using Twitter, I’m not going to follow your greedy ass.
  • If you are following me and you have absolutely nothing meaningful to say, I’m not going to follow your pointless ass.
  • If you are following me and you tweet mundane shit every 5 seconds all day long, I’m not going to follow your inane chatty ass.
  • If you are following me and you expect me to follow you back so you can get a large following, I’m not going to follow your reciprocating-only ass.
  • If you are following me and you even mention how to gain followers just once, I’m not going to follow your wanna-be-shepherd-scam ass.
  • If you are following me and you use the letters “LOL” too frequently in your updates, I’m not going 2 follow UR A$$.
  • If you are following me and you can’t fucking spell, I’m not going to follow your illiterate ass.
  • If you are following me and you post links to your “Sexy Pics”, I’m not going to follow your exhibitionist ass.
  • If you are following me…oh yeah, gee thanks for following. :P
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Anything Else, Articles