Sharing Too Much Personal Information
Posting personal information is fine, but within reason. As freelance copywriters, i.e., small business owners, we are building our brands. This is probably not the best platform to share a tweet about last night’s hangover and hurl-fest – not that you could tell that in 140 characters anyway . . . but I digress.
The ideal practice is to keep your business Twitter account separate from your personal Twitter account. However, if you have already built up thousands of followers on your personal Twitter account and the information you and your followers have tweeted is not too offensive, then it’s probably okay to keep using that account, but tone it down and make your future tweets more palatable for your business followers. If you can’t do that, I would seriously suggest starting a business account and build from scratch.
Risqué or Tactless Profile Photo
Yes, you want to use a good photo of yourself. I’m not the most photogenic person in the room, so I certainly understand that some of us have to work with what we have. Nevertheless, you do have control over how you take the photo. That really cute pic of you on the beach in a two-piece is probably not a good choice.
Ignore Your Follow Status
When you notice after a month or two that people you are following are not following you back, unfollow them. On Twitter, as a business owner, you don’t want to appear desperate. It’s not a good look.
Ignore Your Followers
Twitter is a social media networking platform. “Social” and “network” mean mutuality. Set aside some time a few times a week so you can reply to your followers’ tweets.
Ignore Twitter’s Search Feature
One great way to find out what’s going on in your industry is to simply search for the keyword (e.g., your field, your niche). You will find many Twitter folk/colleagues and potential clients. There are also many social media and Twitter tools that can enhance process.
Constant Direct Solicitation of Business
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We are on Twitter for business purposes, but remember, networking was never about constant solicitation. Like networking offline, networking online, via social media, is about building relationships and building trust. Do not bombard your Twitter followers with tweets that ask for business. Interact with your followers. Show interest in what they do and they have to say. After this, it’s okay to occasionally share links about your services. If you are offering free products and services, then you can increase the frequency, but don’t overdo this either.
Don’t Sound Like a Real Person
People use so many automated tools that they forget the true purpose of Twitter. There is nothing wrong with using Twitter tools; heck it’s cost-effective and saves time. But don’t let these tools replace the human being behind the door.
Twitter can be quite effective, but you have to understand how to and how not to use it in business. Use it wisely.
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You have hit on a lot of good points in your article. I have been researching copywriting companies and I think that is the way I am going to go. Thank you for the great information even if I made a mistake and it was a little too late.
I’m glad to have helped.
Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article. I will be sure to bookmark it and return to read more of Stacey Mathis Copywriting Small business marketing and copywriting services tips for the freelance copywriter 7 Tips on How Not To Use Twitter for Your Freelance Copywriting Business . Thanks for the post. I’ll certainly return.