These days on social networks even humans can come across like bots, and be viewed as prolific spammers. Twitter is one network that has become famous for social interaction, and many businesses are successfully utilizing twitter to engage customers and build their brand. The vast majority of businesses however are failing, bad. If only for one key reason; they don’t come across as human beings but rather appear as bots with no purpose but to push their product down your throat. Businesses aren’t the only ones that come across as vociferous spammers.
You’ve likely experienced the influx of humans planting their spam on your facebook page, in your twitter stream, and even your email inbox. Sometimes it becomes hard to tell, is this a bot or a real person? It doesn’t matter. Spam is spam, unsolicited, and unwanted.
With so many people frustrated with spam, you sometimes have to tread carefully to ensure that you yourself don’t come across as a spammer. Are you a blogger promoting your posts? I wrote a series called “Twitter Etiquette for Bloggers” in which I discuss the concern many bloggers have about how many times to tweet about the same post, it’s a great debate and one that will likely carry on for ages to come.
Tips on coming across as a real live human…
- Actually engage your followers with questions, and compliments.
- Be careful how you use scheduled / automated tweeting, spread your auto-tweets out properly.
- Put yourself in your followers shoes and consider what they may want to hear.
- Make a point of connecting personally with someone every day.
- Watch your tweet ratio. That is how many promotional tweets you’re putting out. Make sure you retweet others as well!
- If you’re using services like Sponsored Tweets or MyLikes don’t go too heavy on the ads. My rule of thumb 1 in 15 (give or take!)
The Best Advice is “simply be aware of how you come across”. If you keep this in mind you are certain to think about what you’re saying. Be prepared however for those that will find you spammy! It happens, and it’s okay. But if you start to lose followers over it, maybe you should adjust the way you’re tweeting.
Do you have any advice for avoiding sounding like a spammer? Share them here with a comment! I’ll reply to your feedback for sure.








#1 by softwarecandy on October 28, 2010 - 6:41 pm
Great tips. Here are few more:
1. Don’t auto-DM (including TrueTwit…)
2. Don’t auto-follow.
3. Do follow back real accounts only (people or businesses).
4. No more than 20 tweets a day.
5. It’s OK to take a break from tweeting.
A link to this great article will be shortly tweeted.
#2 by Daniel Snyder on October 29, 2010 - 12:30 am
Awesome! Thanks for the additional tips. And yes, you are right – it is okay to take a break from tweeting. Sometimes a person may feel that if they leave twitter for a few days, everyone will think they’re gone… don’t worry about it! It takes longer than a few days for people to think you’re gone.
Twitter: danielsnyder1
#3 by Thiru on October 30, 2010 - 7:07 am
Great tips Dani…Thanks and Loved reading it.
Twitter: thiruseo
#4 by Anonymous on October 30, 2010 - 9:03 pm
Great Tips, Daniel !
In Twitter, more than half of accounts are bots, not humans. How can you trust a twitterer. Nowadays, these bot accounts are equipped with well written bio. What I do is that at their Twittet timeline and followers. Good Twitterers will have great tweets to share.
Great Article,
Jeevan
Twitter: techpupil
#5 by Daniel Snyder on October 30, 2010 - 8:38 pm
Thanks man! Really appreciate your feedback. I don’t think half are bots (at least I’d like to believe not), but certainly there are a lot. You can only trust those that interact with you like humans, so start connecting!
Twitter: danielsnyder1
#6 by A. Tatum on October 31, 2010 - 9:40 pm
Great post as always Daniel. I see people on twitter with post like “Follow me and I will follow you back” What good is that? Getting to know people is the only way to go.
Twitter: maddencorner
#7 by Daniel Snyder on November 1, 2010 - 5:51 am
Thanks Alvin! Hey I saw you are sponsoring a little cash give away over at weblogbetter.com, what’s that all about? Good for you.
Twitter: danielsnyder1
#8 by Justin Germino on November 2, 2010 - 10:46 am
It is getting more difficult to tell the bots from the real folks who leave comments, fortunately a good plugin like GASP blocks most spambots. Now I do see real live people leave comments but many try to abuse KeywordLuv and I am having to filter those out manually.
Justin Germino�´s last [type] ..The New Google AdSense Display
Twitter: dragonblogger
#9 by Daniel Snyder on November 2, 2010 - 7:45 pm
*GASP* I keep hearing about this plugin! Going to have to take a look!
Twitter: danielsnyder1
#10 by Daniel Snyder on November 4, 2010 - 7:08 pm
I think using a keyword instead of your real name is counter productive. You’ve got to ‘brand’ yourself to be successful in the blogging world. Your keywords are NOT your brand! Using them in situations like comment spamming will not help, it makes people realize your not as socially engaged as you should be, and your just looking for traffic for your blog. That can be a turn off, that makes people disinterested in listening to you. I’m with you 100% Hans! Thanks for your comment.
Twitter: danielsnyder1
#11 by alex cervantes on December 21, 2010 - 7:53 pm
I agree with your article mostly. Although i feel that because of the spammers, especially the hard core ones, the rest of us have to suffer with tighter rules and regulations. Personally i’ve been banned from adding friends too quickly on facebook a few times. My understanding is that Facebook uses some secret formula to determine whether or not you are asking for too many friends. Mind you i don’t go on fb everyday and my fb friends is tiny compared to some. I do like your ending where you make a good point, when someone doesnt like you, they can just unfollow you. Plain and simple.
Twitter: wwwUBERFUZZcom
#12 by Daniel Snyder on December 22, 2010 - 5:49 am
Alex, you’re right – the rules for us are essentially created because of those who have abused them. Really, it is that way in much of society… unfortunately. The bad kids always ruin it for the good kids! I don’t do as much unfollowing as I used to, but I do scan a profile (briefly) before I follow and that has been helping lately…
Twitter: danielsnyder1
#13 by Steve from ZolexPC on January 3, 2011 - 9:17 am
I try to look carefully at someone’s account before following them. Do they Tweet and if so how often? I want to know they are a real person or business before following them. With all the spam and garbage to filter through it makes programs like HootSuite very helpful. I can clearly weed out the non-real Tweeters and unfollow if necessary. Sometimes I get a follower and then they un-follow within a day or two. I do not understand that. Happy New Year Daniel and Great Post!!
Twitter: zolexpc
#14 by Daniel Snyder on January 3, 2011 - 1:09 pm
I’m not impressed with the majority of businesses on twitter – so I tend to stay away from them, (at least I won’t list them), and yes I am adamantly opposed to any twitter spammers, they’ll get blocked fast.
Twitter: danielsnyder1