Have you ever been to a conference or networking event and have gotten a business card shoved in your face? We’ve all had experiences with ‘that guy.’
Do they ever get your business?
Do you even consider it or are you like me and simply throw the card in the trash?
That’s the Auto-DM on Twitter… Don’t be ‘that guy.’
Auto direct messaging (DMing) in Twitter – sending someone an automated private (direct) message – is frequently used for new followers, replying to tweets or even replying to retweets. Auto DMs commonly look something like this:
Thanks for following me! Check out my X for more info or tips about Y, and don’t forget to follow me on Z!
Or maybe you get mentioned in a tweet like this:
Thanks for my top followers @personA @personB @personC Have a great week! Sent by xyz tool – get yours free!
While auto DMing may seem to save time and may even prompt some responses, however, the reality is that:
• A lot people do NOT like to be auto DMed.
• Auto DMing can immediately disengage your target audience.
• You’ll end up looking like everyone else, not positioning yourself above your competition.
The following reveals just why auto DMing in Twitter is a bad practice, as well as what you can be doing instead to promote better engagement with your target audience – and, in doing so, enhance your following and authority on Twitter.
5 Reasons to Stop Auto DMing in Twitter
1. Auto DMs are impersonal
In fact, auto DMing is one of the least personal things you can do on Twitter. Given that Twitter users generally want to connect with and follow other people online, receiving an auto DM can feel like getting spammed. And that can be an immediate turn off to a savvy Twitter user.
2. Auto DMs can seem overly salesy
When someone has made the decision to follow you on Twitter and get to know more about you and what you have to say/share, receiving an immediate auto DM can feel like you’re pushing them to do something else, giving off a “salesy” vibe. That, in turn, can give the impression that following you on Twitter isn’t enough or that all of your tweets will try to sell them on something. Again, that can trigger immediate disengagement – if not a domino effect of unfollows.
3. Auto DMs come off as disingenuous
When people (i.e., prospective clients) start following you on Twitter, it generally means that they want to get to know more about you and what you have to say. If you hit them with an auto DM right off the bat, it can break any sort of trust or confidence they have in you and/or your messaging. And that can cause them to stop reading your Tweets (if not unfollow you).
4. Auto DMs are lazy
If everyone is receiving the same automated message from you after they take some action (like following you or replying to your posts), you’re clearly NOT personalizing your messages. That can be seen as a sign that you don’t care to get to know your audience and that you’re not tuned in. In other words, auto DMs can be a red flag that you are NOT engaged. And if you’re not engaged, why should your followers be engaged or care about your posts?
5. Auto DMs are overdone
Lots of people and businesses have made the mistake of heavily relying on auto DMs, meaning that even relatively new Twitter users anticipate receiving auto DMs – and are pretty good at identifying them. That generally means that auto DMs aren’t usually fooling anyone into thinking that they’re actually receiving a personal message; the only people auto DMs do end up fooling, however, are the people who send them.
Instead of AutoDMing in Twitter…
Get personal, and find a way to add some value to show new/existing followers that you are actually interested in them, rather than being all about self-promotion. You can do this by:
• Check out people’s profiles before sending them a message.
• Favorite a few good tweets from their profile.
• ReTweet a great tweet that is relevant to your audience.
• Reply to one or two of their tweets with something relevant to engage them in a conversation.
• Sending a personalized message – Asking a question can be an easy way to show you’re engaged while compelling the someone else to step up his or her engagement (by answering you).
• When you do post something more promotional (or a lead generation Tweet), vary the times of day (and/or days of the week) for these posts – Otherwise, you run the risk of appearing overly promotional. If you’ve developed a more personal connection with followers, people may actually be interested in what you’re sharing (the blog, FB link, etc.) and want to get to know you better (and end up responding to your calls to action).
Your opportunity to begin a relationship with a prospect is only limited to your creativity.
There are a million and one tricks to get in front of your potential prospects, this is only the tip of the iceberg. I’ve seen strategies like bringing a birthday cake with a foot image iced on it to a prospective client to ‘get their foot in the door’ which has led to thousands of dollars of business. Was it worth a $15 dollar cake?
Get creative.
The businesses that can meld personal touch and technology will be those that lead the future.
Do you like talking to an automated system? Would you like to be treated like a robot or a person? Then why would we treat our prospects and clients that way?
Comment below, what has been the most ‘outside-of-the-box’ way you’ve seen to get clients?
Contact Us to Position Yourself as a Twitter Authority
When you are ready to take your social media marketing on Twitter to the next level and become an online authority, it’s time to contact the marketing professionals at Digital Authority.
Skilled at optimizing and enhancing businesses/brands exposure online, we can identify solutions for helping your brand become a recognized expert online to help you gain more followers, more potential leads and more profits.
Let’s get started cultivating your online visibility and authority so you can grow your business and achieve the next level of success.
