by Joe Sterne (@MrJoeSterne)
I’ve learned quite a bit in my time as a tweeter. In an effort to make the world a better place, I feel it my duty to share them here with you. Here are a few of the more important “twitter truths”, in no particular order:
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Follow counts don't matter. Seriously, stop worrying about that and focus on making great content, whatever that may be.
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Very few people care if you are having a bad day. Sorry, it's the truth.
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Get some personal business cards printed (I recommend moo.com) and put your twitter handle/blog/etc on it. It's better than pen and makes you look 'professional' at tweet ups.
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Follow out of interest. Doesn't matter if they follow you first, if it's not interesting to you, don't follow.
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Don't take it personally. Unless it is.
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Watch out for Twitter cliques. They are everywhere (can tell by massive tweeting back and forth) and, just like in school, they are often ‘unpleasant’ in person.
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Don't tweet the exact same tweet from a personal and business account. They are separate for a reason, keep that in mind. Retweet, reword, whatever you need to make it different.
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Remember what account you are tweeting from. Save the profanity, bitching, and whining for a personal account. (and see truth #2)
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If your stream is public, remember that other people can find/read what you are saying, even if they don't "follow" you.
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Don't link your FB with your twitter. Just don't - two separate platforms for a reason.
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Be nice. It's a “social” network, remember?
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If someone does something nice, thank them for it. (on or off-line)
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Sign up for google alerts for your twitter handle. Trust me, it helps to see what google is indexing about your account. (google.com/alerts)
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Be wary of 'experts'. This is a new system in a fairly new medium. It changes daily.
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Have your face as your avatar. (unless you're as big as Nike) Sounds simple, I know.
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Short twitter handles are best. (especially for RT's)
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If you are live tweeting an event, stop! Pay attention, write notes, and make a blog post.
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If you must live tweet, use a hashtag with the event.
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Don't use twitterscopes (twitter horoscopes). No one reads them, everyone hates them... even you.
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Embrace others’ right to have a different viewpoint.
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Don't have a fight on twitter. Take it offline, or you’ll look like a punk.
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If you make a mistake, admit it. We are all human here. (except for those damn twitter bots)
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When in doubt, don't tweet it. Period.
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If an account gets boring, unfollow. No need to announce your departure.
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Don't take unfollows personally. Once again, focus on your content and interactions with others
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RT someone else 2x a day. It's a good habit to get into.
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You can get great customer service using twitter. Remember to thank them if they helped you.
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If you ask a question, expect an answer. Be grateful.
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If someone asks you a question, answer within 12 hrs.
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Unsure about something? Interview someone. People like getting recognized. (Idea: call Melanie at Sisarina & ask her what she would do!)
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Making good content takes time.
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Enjoy it. You are here by choice.
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Most of all, be willing to learn and grow.
Do you have any "truths" to add? Share them in the comments!
