Do you automate your Twitter posts? While convenient, there are some good reasons to be mindful when considering automation.
Twitter is big on engagement.
As such, one major faux pas is to frequently post things that make it obvious you’re not there. Posts such as:
- regular auto-tweets pushed from your instagram account
- auto-tweets pushed from Facebook
- scheduled time-sensitive tweets that are past their due date (think Valentine’s-related tweets in August – it happens!)
- and worst of all, scheduled tweets that are inappropriately timed
So, what to do if you are pressed for time and need automation?
The trick is in knowing when to use automation and when to avoid.
In general, although automating can definitely be very handy, it can also backfire if you rely on it too heavily. Be sure if you are using it to also make time for real engagement when you can. Auto tweets and ones that are pre-scheduled should be handled with utmost care in order to avoid inadvertently embarassing your brand.
3 general rules of thumb:
1. Make sure your automated posts make sense on Twitter. Every social platform has a different audience, different etiquette and different posting abilities. Facebook posts, for example, are not confined to 140 characters. But when pushed to Twitter, they almost always present as a message that is cut off mid-sentence. A tweet like this comes off looking lazy and disingenuine for the obvious lack of effort. It may even cause people to unfollow, thinking you can’t be bothered to engage.
This tweet sent from the user’s YouTube account is a good example of how posts get cut off due to Twitter’s character limit. Unless, of course, you know what “Ne…..” means.
2. Don’t automate *everything*. Take some time to be present and engage on Twitter, too. Think of the person scrolling through your most recent tweets. If they see a long list of promos and auto-tweets, they’re not going to see the value in following.
Automation is handy, but nothing beats real engagement on Twitter. Be generous with your comments and shout outs and others will likely afford you the same courtesy. You might just pick up a delicious cherry bread recipe in the process!
3. In light of recent upsets in world news, this one is big: if you have tweets pre-scheduled and then breaking news happens, (depending on the content of those tweets), be sure to cancel if what you had scheduled may be viewed as inappropriate. It is NEVER more obvious that a brand is asleep on Twitter than when they are posting promos in the midst of some kind of horrifying tragedy. Tacky!
I hope you find this helpful! How much does your brand rely on auto / scheduled Tweets?
Sara Hodge is founder of Strong and Worthy and 9 year veteran of the Twittersphere. Find her on her original account for our sister site @mumsnchums or tweeting for Strong and Worthy at @strongworthy.
This post is an excerpt from an original comment I shared with my group members in CONNECT! for Entrepreneurial Women. To see more content like this daily and to get connected with other entrepreneurial women like you, come join us!
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