It is great seeing so many finance executives embracing Twitter. In fact, I’ve created a list of CFOs if you want to follow them.
Unfortunately, I’ve noticed more than a few folks … finance and others … who have the zeal but not the knowledge of how Twitter works. In the fast-paced world of Internet brand management, these things can damage your reputation pretty quickly.
No ID
And when I say, no ID, I mean … a nameless, faceless person with no tweets who is apparently just randomly following people. Although, I’m not sure why. Would you, seriously, do business or hire someone whose complete identity and area of expertise was a total mystery?
No Bio
Along with your name and a profile picture is the opportunity to provide a twit pitch … a snapshot of you in 160 characters. It is unlikely that I, for one, will follow you if you don’t tell me something about you in the bio line. Make every word count. It is that important!
No Tweets or Bad Tweets
It doesn’t matter whether you have no tweets or bad tweets, both can get you blocked and your account suspended in short order. Obviously, no tweets is self-explanatory. Bad tweets are those repetitive tweets that beg for a job …
@CFOCoach Thanks for follow Know anyone hiring? Looking for xxxx job xxx. View my resume at xxx.
provide a junk link to collect thousands of followers …
Hey I just got 184 followers using [link].
or advertise teeth whiteners. Enough said!
Spelling or Grammatical Errors
Twitter may appear to be a casual and informal environment in which to chat, but keep in mind every tweet is indexed by Google. Do you really want misspelled words and grammatical errors found by prospective employers? I know you’re numbers guys, but still, you wouldn’t want a first impression to quickly become a last impression!
Auto Direct Messages
These have to be the bane of Twitter users everywhere. You follow someone and then presto, your email box contains an automated DM selling wares, asking for a job, or pointing you to a blog. TURN. THIS. OFF. It is akin to sending out a cover letter to thousands of people addressed “To Whom It May Concern.”
If you see yourself in any of these scenarios – or – you want to jump on Twitter but don’t know how to begin, email me. We can schedule a coaching session and get you up and running … correctly … in short order.