Twitter Me Blue

Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging site that has gained massive worldwide popularity since it’s creation in 2006. Through Twitter users share everything from what they are doing at that moment to sharing news, blog updates, pictures, videos and even conversations. It did not take long for businesses to realize the marketing power of this simple yet versatile networking tool. Businesses worldwide are using Twitter to communicate with their clients, provide service help, keep their clients and potential clients updated on new products and services and releasing news about future products and services. What we will be looking at is automation on Twitter which is made possible through it’s application programming interface or API.Automatic followsMany automated tweet programs, such as TweetLater, give you the ability to automatically follow someone who follows you. Many Tweetsters find this to be simple Twitter etiquette. Automated tweet programs also give you the ability to stop following a person automatically if they stop following you. These are two of the acceptable uses of automated tweet programs.Automatic DM’s (direct messages)Automatic DM’s can be used to contact clients and customers about changes or upcoming events. If enough trust has been built between you and your client this can be acceptable. However, sending automatic DM’s to users simply to try and sell them something is often viewed as no more than spam and is usually quickly followed with an unfollow.Automatic DM’s can be used to send a message to someone who has just started following you. This is a more acceptable use of automatic DM’s, but it very much depends on what kind of message the fellow Tweetster receives as to whether you are branded as a spammer and rewarded with an unfollow. Attempting to sell someone a product immediately after a follow is generally seen as spam and can definitely have an adverse effect on your Twitter reputation.”Thanks for the follow! Buy my product at [URL]!”A softer approach is generally more acceptable, but how it is viewed is really determined by the URL you are attempting to send the person to. If the site you are attempting to send them to is attempting to sell them a product or service you may as well have used the method above. However, if you are attempting to send them to an informative blog or a news site in which you report on current events people are more inclined to find this as acceptable. However, some people say that if they are interested in you or what you are doing they will go to your profile and click on the website you have listed.”Thanks for the follow. If you would like to learn more about me please visit [URL].”The friendly approach is by far the most acceptable approach. In this approach you are not attempting to send the person to any website. In fact, by doing this you may inadvertently be sending them to your site. Because if people find you interesting and genuine, they likely will visit your profile page to learn more about you anyway. You are more likely to get a favorable response with this type of message and conversely more likely to generate more traffic to your site with this method.”Hey fellow Tweetster! Thanks for the follow. Looking forward to tweeting with you. Tweet you later!”Automatic tweetsJust like DM’s it is all about how you use this feature that will brand you as someone with valuable information and products, or just another spammer looking to get money from someone. Sending 2 or more tweets in the span of seconds will quickly get you branded as a spammer and you will find yourself being ignored or losing much of your following. If you do decide to use this feature then use it sparringly. Space your promotional tweets out by an hour or more and limit the amount of automated tweets you send out in a day.One thing you must keep in mind though, Twitter is not just a tool for promoting your products. Twitter, more than anything, is a tool that brands who you are. It is a sharing utility that can bring a personal touch to what is often a very impersonal method of advertising. Twitter helps to build trust in you and your company. Be genuine in your tweets, mix in some humor, share information that people will find relavant, informative and useful. People are very good at seeing past the tweet and knowing if a genuine person is behind that keyboard. If you are just spamming links you will find your Twitter experience to be a time waster rather than a productive tool for your business.Automated tweet programs are most useful in returning the favor when someone follows you, providing a quick hello and thank you for following and a way to stay informed of mentions when you are away. Used correctly it can increase your productivity and sales by quite a bit. Used incorrectly it can be just another nail in your businesses’ coffin.