Think Twitter marketing is dead? Think again! The most recent presidential election is Exhibit A as Donald Trump's tweets, along with WikiLeaks and pundits on both sides, effectively influenced the historic election. The best brands and social media marketers still usually have a strong Twitter presence. Twitter is even on the verge of profitability for the first time ever! While Twitter has struggled over the years and isn't the place to be for young users (That honor of course belongs to Snapchat and Instagram for now... even thought Twitter still refers 10x the website traffic), it still remains a top social marketing platform and a requirement for most businesses. It provides endless opportunities to boost your brand and bottom line, so why isn't everyone dominating the Twitterscape?
Twitter marketing isn't a walk in the park like some may think, and it's getting tougher every day. There are approximately 300 Million monthly active users and billions of tweets sent out into the Twitterverse to compete against. It's very easy to get lost in the shuffle and have your tweets (and profile) go unnoticed. If you aren't achieving the results you want with your Twitter marketing efforts, it's probably due to at least one of the twelve reasons below.
Let me also preface this by adding some context and transparency. This is a "best practices" post based on my personal experiences managing dozens of Twitter accounts and company social media marketing platforms since 2009. It applies to most users but it depends on your specific business, goals, time commitment, Influencer level, and other factors. I don't personally follow all of these suggestions all of the time, but there are reasons behind every social strategy and choices you have to make.
Now without further ado, here are 12 reasons why people aren't reading your tweets:
1) You Have A Poor Profile
Let's start right off with a major factor: inferior profiles. If you have an Egg (no picture) or a very low resolution image is your avatar, then you're tweets will probably be ignored. Using a spammy or generic username? Not recommended. And if your profile is empty that's a major problem. No website, no location, no keywords, no hashtags, no header, and no branded Color Theme for links equates to no twitter love for you. If a user can't find or identify you on social media, how can you market effectively? A strong and optimized profile for both desktop and mobile users is an absolute necessity. This will also help with people searching for you on Twitter, Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
2) Incorrect Frequency Or Timing of Tweets
Perhaps you are tweeting too frequently. Depending on your follower base that could mean you're tweeting too many times per hour or day. Smaller accounts might want to start with 3-4 tweets per day and larger accounts 6-12+ per day, and adjust as needed. Those are just very general guidelines but you get the idea. Don't overwhelm your followers with too many tweets but make sure you tweet consistently. If you're tweeting too infrequently (less once per day or week depending on your following) it might look like you are disconnected or consider Twitter (and your followers) as a low priority. Also take into account the timing of your tweets. Obviously you need to determine the time zones of your audience and tweet during optimal business or entertainment time slots, depending on your brand. You may need to schedule your tweets with services like Hootsuite to optimize your results. Remember that timing is everything!
3) Not Using Pictures, Vines, Videos, Slideshares, Etc.
People are much more inclined to view tweets, click on links, and share your tweets if there is a visual component. Dozens of studies have been done by HubSpot, Kissmetrics, Dan Zarrella, and many more to confirm this. And let's face it, people have short attention spans and don't like to read more than they have to. That's partly why Twitter has been so successful in the first place! I know it's been my experience throughout my 7 years of tweeting for business. Remember, a picture (or YouTube video, GIF, Vine) is worth a thousand words.
4) Using Too Many Or Too Few Hashtags
Hashtags aren't a requirement for all businesses but they can certainly help. Cultivating your own unique hashtag can be a strong branding move... as long as it doesn't backfire. Remember that you can't "own" a hashtag and that anyone could use your unique hashtag (and anything else they want to) in their own tweets. Using an already reputable hashtag or two can help get your tweets noticed by peers, prospects, or customers. If you don't use hashtags you could be missing out on potential social media followers, interaction, and referral traffic to your website. If you use too many hashtags, or the wrong ones, you'll end up losing followers, getting muted, or just ignored.
5) Low Quality Followers
It's not always about the quantity of your followers, but also the quality. If most of your followers have been inactive since 2010, you're really just tweeting into an abyss. If your followers primarily consist of "auto-followback" accounts, spam accounts, or bots... congratulations you might as well not have any followers. You want to connect with verified accounts, influencers, industry peers, and qualified prospects... not worthless junk.
6) Low Quantity Of Followers Or Poor Follower Ratio
While quality is king, quantity is still important. Some people will not pay much attention to your account if you have under a certain number of followers. But just as importantly, Twitter and Twitter users place a lot of importance on your ratio of Following : Followers. If you're following significantly more social media accounts compared to the number following you, it usually reflects negatively on you. For many it's due to the all of the churn accounts, but for others it's just basic psychology. If you're actually "popular" or worth following then you shouldn't need to follow as many people back. Whether it's an active choice or just a setting on Twitter apps, people are less likely to follow you if you have a small following or a bad ratio. Depending on your business you should probably think big.
7) Not Enough Interaction With Others
If your Twitter account is just blasting your usual tweets again and again you won't be making as many new connections or getting the attention of new potential followers. At least from time to time it's good to Re-Tweet, ask a question, respond to commentaries, thank a follower, or even take a poll. Get involved in Twitter chats and make some lists. Help out your followers in need. That's how winning is done!
8) Too Much Repetitive Interaction With Others
Usually interacting with others is a positive thing but if used incorrectly or too often it will push away your Twitter followers. If you are interacting with every follower you have and tweeting 50+ times per day that is usually going to be detrimental. Some personal interaction should be done directly (if not through Direct Message then through another social media channel or via contact form / email). Everybody can see every interaction you are making and if it does not apply to them in any way they will be less inclined to continue following your tweets. An example of this is a corporation that uses Twitter primarily for customer service. There is nothing wrong with that at all and it can certainly add value to the overall brand. But when I see 200 tweets a day saying "@_______ We're so sorry to hear about that problem, please call our Customer Service line at _________ or Direct Message us" it clogs up the newsfeed and also shows how many problems customers are having with the company.
9) Joined on 2013 or No Date Listed
This really only shows up with desktop users but people take it into account sometimes and make a judgement based on it. If your account says "Joined On ____ 2013" or doesn't include a date (Joined 2014 or later), it shows you're a Twitter newbie. And for marketing, sales, or technology companies especially that can be a loss in credibility. Unless of course it's a new company that was built in the last couple of years. This is probably the least significant reason on the list but I know I personally am not following any "social media experts" or "marketing gurus" that just started using Twitter last year.
Update: Over the past year, every Twitter account now has a "Joined On" date that is visible on the desktop version of their site. So you can somewhat disregard this one. But remember that, depending on your brand, you'll usually have more clout if you have been on Twitter for several years or longer.
10) Using Too Many Shortened URL's
Shortening URL's with Bit.ly, Hootsuite, Google, HubSpot, SocialOomph, and many others are great for getting advanced analytics on your tweets. These services also do a great job monitoring the URL's to make sure the shortened URL isn't spam, irrelevant content, or leading to a malicious site. But a lot of people, myself included, do not like clicking on these shortened URL's because you just don't know where they're going to take you. You can spend extra time figuring this out in a safe way if you're really worried about it... or just not click the link. I usually choose the latter unless it's from a very reputable source I've frequented before. For users unfamiliar with URL shorteners or your brand, they may shy away from your tweets and links.
Customized link shorteners are a great idea but they aren't always free. And although link shorteners aren't supposed to have any effect on website loading speed or SEO implications, I just don't fully believe that. Link shorteners can slow down the page loading process (especially if there are several redirects) and I'd much rather have links coming from the full URL for SEO purposes.
11) You Send Automatic Direct Messages Or Welcome Tweets
Some people don't even think about their Twitter Direct Message Inbox because of all the spam and automatically sent messages. At one point I think I went over a year without even checking it once. I still usually go months without checking on many of my accounts. With various Twitter apps and social programs you can set up your account to message new followers automatically or tweet at them with a generic message. Usually this causes the human element to decrease and the spam experience to increase. Some people may like the auto-messages or welcome tweets, most people don't care or notice, but others will go out of their way to unfollow you after encountering these tactics. They might even list you as a spam account for such an offense. I'm not saying they don't work or that there is no place for them, just that it will usually cause you to lose some Twitter followers. If you're thinking of using these techniques, it's up to you to weigh the pros and cons.
Twitter has been weakening or closing programs that automatically send out DM's so this won't be a viable option for many any longer. While there are always new platforms coming out (some following Twitter's terms and some not), engaging in this automated practice is a good way to get your account locked, suspended, or removed.
12) Your Content Isn't Exceptional & Unique
This is absolutely crucial. Your tweets (and all social media content to be frank) need to be unique, varied, attention-grabbing, and actionable. Let's face it, if your tweets aren't something interesting and different, they'll get lost in shuffle with millions of other tweets. Are your tweets worth interacting with? Do they provide value of any kind? Why would anyone want to follow you or view your tweets? If you can't answer these questions positively and confidently then you have some major improvements to make. Run a clean and creative Twitter marketing operation and I assure you your company's bottom line will thank you.
Also Remember To Stay Secure
Don't forget to make sure that you properly secure your Twitter account and personal online data! Use a strong password, change it consistently, and enable 2 Step Verification for logins on new browsers and devices. Also add 2 Step Verification to the email address associated with your Twitter account if possible. You don't want your followers to lose your tweets, or see inappropriate ones, if your account gets hacked!
It's obviously easier to keep your account secured and with a lower chance of being suspended for spam if your handle is verified. Getting that elusive light blue check mark next to your name is much easier said than done but you can manually apply for Verified Status if Twitter hasn't bestowed the honor upon you yet. You'll just need to provide proof of cultural relevance and a government approved form of identification.
Conclusion
I hope these tips help you optimize your Twitter marketing and reduce the chances that your account gets muted, unfollowed, or blocked. Implement a few of these changes, monitor the results, make a few adjustments, and enjoy better results.
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Published by Michael J Schiemer
Owner of Bootstrap Business
Marketing - Media - Money - Motivation
Digital Marketing | SEO | Social Media
Mike Schiemer Builds Better Business
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