10 Twitter Assumptions That Are False

Making assumptions is not nice, so stop making assumptions about others on Twitter based on silly things like what they say and how they say it . . . except those two things DO actually count for quite a bit. If you are unsure as to WHY what and how you say something on Twitter is important, then you must have missed this post where we told you that you are what you tweet. If so, you might as well brush up on how to craft the perfect tweet while you're at it. But honestly, most of the assumptions folks make should really be reconsidered - starting with these ten Twitter assumptions that are usually false. Ten Twitter Assumptions to Reconsider: 1.) An egg-faced account is a spammer. This isn't necessarily true. Though an unfortunate oversight on the part of the person tweeting, eggs often indicate someone is merely new to the Twitterverse and likely in the early stages of "getting" Twitter. Say hello and give them a chance. 2.) Having more followers than someone means you're "better at Twitter." There are endless accounts with less than 5k followers that offer really niche and really valuable information. And a large follower count really just means that person is good at racking up the follows - another assumption, yes, but true. 3.) Having less followers than someone means you're less influential on Twitter. Nope. Check your TweetReach, for example, against some of those folks you're feeling insecure about and then give yourself a pat on the back. Or panic. (Whichever is appropriate.) Having the right followers matters, not necessarily the number of followers. 4.) You're entitled to a follow back. Sorry, but no. While there are folks who will automatically follow you back, there are just as many who won't. Don't take it personally - take it for what it is: A sign of discriminating tastes. And then work to become worthy of this Twitterati's follow by offering great content they would be foolish to ignore. 5.) If someone doesn't reply to your @mention, they're rude. The reality? They're probably just busy. Or maybe you said something that doesn't really require a response. Welcoming new followers would be an example of that. While it would be nice to reply "thanks" to every new follower welcome, it would also clog up the public stream if everyone did it. The same goes for other mildly spammy, random shoutouts. And if you @mention someone with a disparaging tweet, smart Twitterers will probably ignore you, as they know that Twitter fights never end well. 6.) Retweeting every time someone @mentions you is a good idea. Nope, it's just annoying and makes you appear desperate for attention. Before you hit that retweet icon, ask yourself if there value in retweeting it. Did the Dalai Lama respond to you with something profound? Then, by all means - retweet it! Short of that though, rethink "resharing." 7.) Publicly correcting someone on Twitter is not only your right, but your duty. See #5. It just makes you look like a jerk. Send a direct message instead please. 8.) Asking for a RT is okay. It's not. Your tweet should be retweetable on its own. If you need to ask, you're doing it wrong. Check out this post on how to craft retweetable tweets. 9.) Retweets imply endorsement. If you tweet it, be prepared to be called out for it. It may not seem fair to you, but it is what it is. Your Twitter stream, your responsibility. 10.) Retweets do not imply endorsement. Or doooo they? This one is debatable, obviously, but it's still a valid addition to this list. Don't assume that retweets imply endorsement please and we'll all be better off. The responsbility goes both ways. If you naively believe everything you read, is that really the tweeter's fault? Do you have any assumptions to add to this list? (Disappointed woman photo from Shutterstock)

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10 Twitter Assumptions That Are False

Mary C. Long

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Mary C. Long