We Need to Talk About Twitter
It’s time for a Twitter-vention.
I’m constantly amazed at the tactics used by marketers to sell their goods and services on Twitter. They spam, they annoy, and they push the limits on literally any tactic that shows any sort of results — and even some that don’t.
Before I started my agency, Cave Social, I worked for a tour company called Maupintour. My tweets were mostly focused on destinations to visit, foods to try, adventure activities, that sort of stuff. My timeline was full of interesting tweets, articles, and relative comments to any questions or thoughts I had. I loved Twitter, and it appeared to like me back.
Here are the top 5 things to do in South Africa from @CAVEJustin #VisitSouthAfrica http://t.co/kUaqBqp9rG pic.twitter.com/jqjvf0GsjQ
— MaupinTour (@Maupintour) April 16, 2014
Now, I’ve entered some sort of social-marketing-hell-hole that seems to have no bottom. Every day a social media scheduling app, a “Search Engine Ninja”, or a bot offering 10,000 Twitter followers for $9.99 follows me, only to unfollow me in 24 hours when they don’t see the favor returned.
What’s the point?
These follow/unfollow sprees are like herding frogs with a wheelbarrow. A couple of people may keep following you for a bit, but eventually, they’re going to hop right out of your follower list. This strategy has been proven ineffective. Your follower count might grow, but your engagement rate will not.
Yet clearly, the madness spirals on for marketers, social media apps, and bots alike.
Say hello to the hard truth.
No one is impressed that you have 5,000 followers if you follow 5,000 people back.
I’d rather have 100 followers that reply, favorite, and retweet my content than 5,000 people who have muted me. And trust me, if follow/unfollow sprees are your M.O., you are being muted.
