Sending tweets where you’re pretending to have a conversation with someone, or rting something they didn’t actually tweet, or DMing me with promotions or offers is the wrong way to market on Twitter. And you’re missing the point! (and actually hurting yourself).
There’s nothing wrong with getting your message out via Twitter, Facebook, or other forms of media. We’re all in business to do business. But people listen to you because you have something worthwhile to hear, not because you’re spamming them with your promotions.
The power of social media is in amplifying your message and in making personal connections with your customers, which means having conversations. Pretending to have a conversation with someone, by using their twitter name in a tweet is not going to get that person to listen to you. Matter of fact, it’s a pretty big turnoff because you’re being devious in they way you’re reaching out.
Retweeting things that a person didn’t tweet is even worse. Now you’re just going to make that person angry. If you’re trying to reach an influencer to amplify your message, you’re more likely to have them amplify a negative rant about you.
Remember high school? You didn’t like it when people talked behind your back and said things that weren’t true. The same is still true. The golden rule applies to Twitter and to life. Treat people the way you want to be treated.
People are more likely to buy products or services that their colleagues or friends recommend. But they’re also unlikely to buy from companies those same people disapprove of. If you want to reach out to someone about your promotion or product, reach out to them genuinely. Have a worthwhile conversation, send a polite email, get to know them before you ask something of them.
What do you think?