10 Things I'd Like To See Less Of On Twitter In 2010

I love Twitter, and despite lots of experts weighing in on Twitter rules of engagement, I don't think there is necessarily a "right" or "wrong" way to use it. Nevertheless, because I'm never shy about sharing my opinions, I have some suggestions on how to make Twitter a better experience for Tweeters and followers in 2010. If I could control Twitter, here are 10 things I'd like to see less of in 2010:

1. Enough with the affirmations and inspirational tips, Donnie Wahlberg. You are one of my favorite actors, but you are one of the worst "Affirmation Offenders." Sending out 140 character bursts of positivity is a popular way to use Twitter with celebrities who all seem to attend the same Hollywood School of Motivational Thinking. I gather that actors and singers need to repeat mantras of "You're the best! No one can touch you! Critics are haters!" just to get out of bed in the morning, but keep it to yourself. Even Ashton and Demi starting using Twitter by sharing their Kabbalah-isms until they finally just started tweeting their real thoughts and opinions about stuff. And when, they did, didn't we all feel like we could relate to them (whether we "like" them or not) just a little more? (Honorable mention: "Quote of the Day"--or worse: "Business Quotes of the Day"--tweeters. Enough already!)
2. Stop the serial re-tweeting. If your twitter stream is more than 75%--no, 50%--retweets of other people's links or articles, you aren't letting your followers in on who the person behind the retweets is. If you are trying to build credibility in your particular area of expertise, don't forget to let us know who YOU are.What do you have to say about stuff? If all you are doing in retweeting, you aren't an expert, you are a link-sharer Want to be taken seriously as a thought leader? Start sharing what YOU think, not just what others think. Link to your own posts and let those spread where they may. I wonder what Twitter would be like if not another link to Mashable or TechCrunch was tweeted. Would it crash less?
3. Linking or mentions without any explanation. Related to #2, please let us know why you are linking to an article or why your "Follow Friday" or "Women to Follow" peeps are so special. Especially with #FF, instead of a list of 6 or 8 tweeps, throw us a bone and let us know why these people add value to your Twitter experience. We want to know. Really, we do!
4. Curb the late night Blip'ing. It's almost as predictible as death and taxes. You know it's going to happen. Sometime around 11PM, Twitter is taken over by legions of amatuer DJs sharing their music. Twitter becomes a flowing stream of Bon Jovi-Susan Boyle mashups, 80's hairband tunes, and emo, emo and more emo. Every once in awhile I will Blip along with Twitter (usually when @reneejross is DJing), but it's not so much fun when everyone is doing it.
5. Death to automated direct messages! "Hi there! Thanks for following me! I hope you like my tweets! Check out my blog at..." Auto-DMs are pointless, add zero value to fledgling Twitter relationships, and, since first impressions matter, might be seen as a huge turn off. Some people will even unfollow you immediately for sending them as they seem smarmy. I won't, but I admit it does make my pause and wonder why you couldn't be bothered to send me a personal note, maybe not right away, but down the line.
6. Less fear. How many people did you follow because your found their tweets interesting, but then you never hear from them again? I hear all the time from people who love to "read" Twitter, but are too afraid of "doing it wrong" to just jump in and participate. My advice: Just do it. Just start Tweeting. Sooner or later you'll make connections that are fun/valuable/entertaining/informative and you'll begin to see the power in the medium. You aren't boring. You add value. We want to hear from you!
7. No more "selfishness." That's a harsh word, but that's what it feels like when you "@" someone repeatedly to try and join in on the conversations they start, and they never "@" you back. I can understand if it's a popular someone with tens or hundreds of thousands of followers, but if you know the person is an active Twitter user who likes to ask questions or spark conversations, and you've made several attempts to strike up a conversation, she or he should try to respond. Not everyone can be on top of their "@'s", but Twitter tools nowadays make it very easy to see who has been responding to you. Be generous and "@" back.
8. "Opaque" tweets. If you are tweeting about that face cream you love, the vacation you're on, or the holiday cards you just received and you got it all for free, let us know, please. I'd like to see less opaqueness and more transparency in 2010, especially since marketers (yes, like Clever Girls Collective) are increasingly using Twitter to connect with customers and brand advocates. We absolutely require transparency from everyone we work with. Save some room in your tweet to add a #freebie or a #client or a #sp (for sponsored) at the end of it. It's not that I don't want to hear about what you love--I do--but part of my trusting your opinion is knowing if you bought the item or service or if it was given to you for free.
9. Companies on Twitter who only use it to post coupon codes, sales, or links to new products. Companies, I can go to your website for that. If you are a brand on Twitter, I want to know why you value me as a (potential) customer. If there is a theme to this list (and to how I use Twitter), it's that I want to know who you are, whether you are a company or an individual. Think of the companies you interact with on Twitter who get it right, who make you feel appreciated, who have turned you into loyal customers. I immediately can think of 5 or 6 where I have had very positive interactions on Twitter with their representatives, and, as a result, will be a customer for life. What makes the experience so much more meaningful is feeling like you are connecting with a real, live person (even if it's a team of people), and not with The Marketing Department or an animated sales circular. My advice to you if you are a company on Twitter: don't be afraid to let your freak flag fly! Your potential customers are freaks (and I mean that in the best way possible), too!
10. Less assholery, more community. Suffice it to say, I love to see Twitter used for good, whether it's to shine a spotlight on a government uprising that isn't getting mainstream media coverage or to rally support for a member of the Twitter community. Heck, even if it's to share what you are making for dinner or a beautiful photo of your front yard covered in snow, (at the risk of sounding like one of those affirmation tweeters) I'd like to see more goodness and less jerkiness in the community in 2010. I promise to do my part.

Now it's your turn. What would you like to see less of on Twitter in 2010? And if you say Twitter parties, we promise our feelings won't be hurt! —Stefania Pomponi Butler

Comments

[SugarJones]

AMEN to #10!!

[Tamra Gentry]

LOVE this POST! Thank you. I agree with everything you listed. I'm especially down with both #'s 7 and 10.

[niri]

#7??? Seriously you rock for mentioning it. Love the list but esp #7

[jennyonthespot]

Excellent! *cheering*

[Al_Pal]

Great list! :D

[Gudrun]

Love the list. I struggle with the best way to use RT, would love to hear more thoughts on that. And yes, I am not a big fan of Twitter parties, seems like just a bunch of folks sitting around, yelling!

[Lisa Mom of 2 Boys]

Okay, #10 is too funny...assholery? Great word choice!

[Joey Fortman]

This is great! I love EVERY single one of them! #4 is hysterical. I always thought that! ha.

[Victor Gaxiola]

Like the post and agree with each post. I will work on not re-tweeting as much this year.

[Lynnee]

I like #4 - curb the late nightery - mainly because it ruins my sleep cycle when tweeting right before bed