11 Rules of Twitter Etiquette You Need to Know

Twitter sometimes feels like a spectator sport. You sit on the sidelines and watch the passing parade with bemusement, interest and often amazement.

The torrent of tweets and interactions vary from hard sell, links to valuable content and humor all the way to inspirational quotes. It is nothing more than a snapshot of humanity in 140 characters.

It is the good, the bad and the ugly.

Despite its simplicity it has nuanced  customs that people new to Twitter need to understand. Good habits always go a long way in any society and correct Twitter manners are important if you want to impress the netizens of the online equivalent of texting on steroids.

Twitter and dating

When on a date, one should have proper etiquette! Just like being on a date, when you are tweeting away on twitter, one should also have proper etiquette. TWITIQUETTE if you prefer!

So how does one have awesome Twitiquette? 

Follow these simple rules and you will get more followers and better engagement. 

Rule #1

Don’t start a tweet with a hashtag. Let us see your thought, idea, comment, or story first.

Rule #2

Please, please don’t use more than 3 hashtags in a tweet. If you do use three hashtags, do it sparingly. It’s just annoying.

Rule #3

This rule is going to go against what most “tweeps” believe! Don’t strive for followers. Strive for engagement. Ask people questions and engage with them! They’ll like it. In the long run, you’ll get more followers this way.

Rule #4

Some people just don’t follow back. That doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t interact with you! Tweet them a question, idea, or story.

Rule #5

Even though you have a maximum of 140 characters, you don’t have to use all 140 characters. Try using around 120 characters. This will allow other tweeps the ability to retweet you.

Rule #6

Add a profile picture. Enough said. You’d be surprised at how many people don’t add a profile picture.

Rule #7

If you were selling your house, would you make it look nice for an open house or showing? Absolutely! Same applies for you twitter handle. Add a background, make it look nice.

Rule #8

Should you come across a spam account (and you will) please report them. The less spam accounts there are on twitter, the better it will be for all of us.

Rule #9

Add a description. By looking at some of your information, Tweeps who don’t know you will be able to find out what to Tweet with you about?

Rule #10

If you’re struggling on determining how long your tweet should be, what your tweet should contain, hashtags, etc. remember to K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple stupid.).

Rule #11

In the end, just be yourself. Be authentic. Create value and enrich people’s tweets with great content!

After all it’s just Twitter, it should be fun

What about you?

Have you heard of all of these Twitter rules? What other Twitter rules have I left out?

Look forward to reading your comments below.

Guest author: Corey Donohue is the community manager/strategist for Heyo, a tech startup that specializes in DIY Build & Design Custom Facebook Page Apps, Mobile Apps and Websites. Feel free to connect with him @heyo or @cdonohue@heyo.com

Want to learn more about how to grow your Twitter followers?

My book – “Blogging the Smart Way – How to Create and Market a Killer Blog with Social Media” – will show you how.