This document provides 18 tips for effectively using Twitter for businesses and brands. The tips include focusing on quality over quantity of followers, using URL shorteners, having a clear strategy and goal for using Twitter, integrating Twitter with other platforms, following followers, avoiding auto-responders and excessive retweets, maintaining a professional profile, limiting tweets, customizing the profile, using Twitter to communicate, listening and learning from others, having a human voice behind the brand, treating followers personally, carefully selecting who to follow, and balancing business and personal content. The overall message is that Twitter requires strategy, engagement, personalization and balance to be effective.

1. 18 basic mistakes to avoid
when using Twitter
Tips for Businesses, Brands, People

2. 1 Don’t focus on numbers
Don’t get caught up on how many followers
you have.
Rather focus on having a following that can
add value and that will appreciate your
input.
Quality over quantity.

3. 2 Don’t use lengthened URL’s
You only have 140 characters to work with -
make them count.
Don’t waste them on long URL’s - rather use
URL shortening services such as www.bit.ly

4. Don’t forget your strategy
3
Always have a goal in mind.
Ask yourself why you want your brand or
company represented on Twitter.
Make sure Twitter is an effective social
media platform for your needs.

5. 4 Don’t forget to integrate
Promote your Twitter account on your
website and on your products.
Don’t rely on your following to grow without
promoting your account elsewhere.

6. Don’t forget to follow your
5 followers
You should always follow those who follow
you.
Don’t look like you’re too good to follow
others.
The more you follow the more you seem to
be willing to listen and interact.

7. 6 Don’t use auto-responders
Auto-responses irritate people and serve no
real purpose.
Rather send a personalized direct message.

8. 7 Don’t retweet excessively
If you retweet too much it will seem like you
have nothing original to say or add.
Strike a good balance between retweets and
original tweets.

9. Don’t have an incomplete
8 profile
This will just look unprofessional.
Make sure you have added a functional link
to your product, a name, and a description.
Secure your personal and/or brand name.
Create a descriptive, keyword rich bio.

10. 9 Don’t over tweet
If you tweet too much you will lose
followers.
Too many tweets become cumbersome to
read, uninteresting, and irritating.
No more than 10 tweets per day.

11. 10 Don’t use the default picture
Find your own picture and also background
image.
The more you customize your account the
more personalized and professional it will
come across.

12. Don’t use multiple tweets to
11 send one long message
Try stick to the 140 character limit.
Your tweets will appear spread out in other
peoples accounts and make little sense.

13. Don’t ignore people who send
12 you a direct message
Don’t forget that you are on Twitter to
communicate and interact.
If someone makes the effort to DM you,
make the effort and respond.

14. 13 Don’t ignore your account
Don’t leave your account unattended for too
long.
You will lose followers and all the momentum
you’ve created.

15. Don’t forget to listen and
14 learn
You’re on Twitter to gain insight, interact, and
communicate.
Be aware what is being said about your
brand / company.
Welcome feedback and criticism - it can only
give you more insight.

16. 15 Don’t hide behind a brand
It is easy to hind behind a brand.
Make sure your brand has a representative, a
person that people can relate and talk to.
No one wants to communicate with a product
pushing brand but rather a receptive person.

17. Don’t forget this is a
16 personal relationship
Treat every follower as if it is a personal
relationship.
Be courteous, reply to mentions and
messages.

18. 17 Don’t just follow anyone
Make sure the people you follow are not
completely random and just add to your followers
numbers.
Follow specific groups of people and individuals
that you think might benefit or add value.

19. Don’t be afraid with mixing
18 business with pleasure
Show your human side.
If you’re only about business you’re tweets
will become stale and your followers will
most probably lose interest.

20. contact us: team@socialcode.biz
www.socialcode.co.za
We’re a social media agency that facilitates conversations,
engages communities and delivers results for brands using
social media.