What do you think about using social media platform, Twitter?  What are the advantages?  What are brand expectations?  What's the end?  What means are employed in getting there?  Are you gaining a lot of followers?  Are consumers impressed by the number of followers?  Is it about engagement or branding games?

I read a great post on link building.  It rang bells for me.  "The hypes come and go but one thing stays, your relationships…" says Tad Chef.  It makes a lot of sense to me.

However, being diligently observant, patrolling tweeting streams for weeks and months, I've noticed some maneuvers, which are not facilitating great brand-consumer relations.  Are you leveraging tweeting and mistreating?  I hope not.

The Back-Turned Un-follow

Brands have freedom leveraging Twitter accounts.  Follow and un-follow at will.  Sometimes the un-follow makes sense; a follower may turn into a troll, with negative intentions.  They can be un-followed, blocked, or reported.

What brand of tunes resound from your tweeting?

However, some brands follow others for the sole purpose of improving onlooker perception.  Surely, if your brand has a lot of followers, it must be highly authoritative, right?  We see the same genuine dynamic take place in the SERPs, correct?  That was sarcastic.

Just as brands 'game' rankings, some attempt to game the number of followers, liberally following others, hoping the 'golden rule' is returned, only to ironically drop followers to increase the contrast between those following and followed.

Tweet at will; you're entitled.  However, think about this.  What's more powerful, a number of followers or how your brand engages followers, people, (possible) consumers?

'Thanks for the Follow' Spam

When someone thanks me, I assume they're expressing genuine gratitude.  I hardly get a real-life friend approach me with a handshake, thank me for my friendship, and then parlay the scenario into asking me to be a part of some pyramid scheme.  I'm not making any blind assumptions about your brand; but, if you really want to express gratitude then offer something other than an advertisement for your services.

Warning: shameful use of cute dog to prove point ahead

Would your brand truly like to thank followers?  Rather than establish automated, spam-like, 'thanks for the follow' messages, offer your best blog post, a free white paper, a list of great resources, etc.  It could even be as simple as link to a funny video, post, quote, or infograph.  Have you seen what PointBlankSEO does when you sign up to his RSS?  It's unique, making one feel appreciated.

The High-Brow No Reply

So your brand has stepped into the social media ring of Twitter.  Note the use of 'social' in the description.  Have you snubbed followers with a high-browed, stone-faced reply?  Please allow me to place such maneuvers in a real-life setting.  It's kind of akin to entering a conversation, consisting of a number of people (like being in a social sphere, if you will).  Imagine you're engaged in a social media platform, asking someone a question or making a comment, and having them…say nothing back as if you are some 'ghost twitterer.'  Do you do that in real life?  It must be lonely in your world.

I understand people use Twitter for all sorts of selfish reasons; yet, ensure your brand is being social when using social media accounts.  I referenced treating followers well in my gentleman branding post yesterday.  Make time for followers; kindness is a timeless fashion.

Would you like to learn more about social media usage?  Read more of our WebiMax or SEOservices blog or read more about available social media services.  Finding the right search engine optimization service is hugely important.  Read how to find a great SEO service via our free white paper.