The Giant Twitter Shark
It happened. I was there.
But first, some context.
One of the biggest sins you can commit as a small business twitter user is spamming the feed. You would think that was obvious, but it isn’t. The spam thing keeps on happening…
When I started out I made the same mistake every ‘newbie’ makes when it comes to twitter and business. I spent a few days literally telling people ‘what I was doing’, and then I made the fatal, Giant Twitter Shark baiting error of mentioning my company. Repeatedly.
Within a few minutes my account was suspended. I’m serious. Little old me. Twitter sent out a lovely little email accusing me of spamming their feed, and I was left out in the cold.
The Giant Twitter Shark had spat me out.
Spamming is evil…
Just glancing at my own feed right now I can see ads for all sorts of services and products. Even worse, I can see repeated requests to visit a blog or website. And right down there at the bottom of the food chain are the guys who are offering ‘automated’ wealth systems.
My fault for following ’small business’ owners? Perhaps. There are hundreds of genuine small business profesisonals out there, and just a few scammers. But the scammers have loud mouths.
Every now and then the spam merchants hook someone, and the poor soul parts with ten, twenty, thirty dollars for a system that just can’t lose.
This is why the Giant Twitter Shark strikes. Spamming is evil.
What spamming does to your company
It makes you look bad. Very bad. The repeated blatant advertising to people who have never heard of you, met you or spoken to you reeks of bad taste and desperation. If you get a whiff of real custom and they search for you on twitter, you will lose them. No one likes a con artist. And selling something that is not real or is just not fair makes you a con artist.
People will block you. Or, if they cannot manage to do that (because you are so persistent) they will simply ignore you. And you will be wasting time and money. Your business will suffer, and the Giant Twitter Shark will swallow your business.
It will swallow your business for one reason.
Pay attention here.
If you open a twitter account for your company, chances are you will use your company name. And if you use your company name you will use it with an email address.
Twitter begins to hate you, and you will have a worthless twitter and email account to discard.
There are only so many times you can get away with a fresh email and the same company name.
Twitter doesn’t give many second chances, in other words.
How to avoid the Giant Twitter Shark
Be nice. Be normal. Point to things that people want to see. Talk to those who want to buy from your sector.
Develop relationships. Use twitter for what it was originally designed for. Communicating.
If you must mention your business/blog/site, do it once a day at the most. Less if you can.
People like companies that have confidence in what they do. It’s why Jewellery retailers like Tiffany’s still stay in business when no one can afford what they sell.
You’re gonna need a bigger boat
(Sorry Mr Spielberg)
Make your twitter strategy a long term thing. Look forward to great contacts, insights. Look forward to getting to know the people that count, whether they are customers or not.
I made my mistakes and I was nearly eaten by the Giant Twitter Shark. But I came back. I was Chief Brody.
If you want to know how I did it, subscribe.
I’ll send you a freebie report that tells you how to live a wonderful and gloriously fulfilling twitter life. Really.
Until next time, work smart.
And stay out of the water.
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