How NOT to Greet Your Followers on Social Media

Direct Messages.
I must confess that I opted out of receiving all “Direct Messages” (DM) from Twitter.  Here is the instruction to opt out DM’s for iOS and Android users.

With three Twitter accounts – @111Publishing, @ebookPR and @ebooksIntl, and over 25,000 followers it is not only very time-consuming, but also often frustrating and annoying to be bombarded with “offers”.  I could use one of these automated messages to save time, but I choose not: when I answer I do it in person – or not at all.
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There will be for sure some DM’s that I miss: the ones who are just saying friendly hello, and which I should respond to.  However the majority (approx. 95 – 98 %) are from people who follow me (and in return I follow them) send their automated welcome messages via CrowdFire, UnfollowSpy, Commun.it or similar auto-DM-sending companies. In one way or the other, they summon me to do something for them – without even knowing me or having a social media “relationship” yet.
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Examples from one of our Twitter Accounts:
I just copied / pasted the DM’s of one day. To protect the identity of these tweeps, I either deleted their twitter name or placed some dots instead of the social media account. So here it goes:
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Thanks for following me. I’d love for you to join me on Instagram as well! instagram.com/bet….oi/ : )
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Thx for following, Doris-Maria. My sci-fi novel, …anica, is a pre-teen & teen “fave read”. FB: On.fb.me/1o…..
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In my opinion, auto DMs are worse than a mild case of the flu. ‘So why have you set one up?’ I hear you ask. Well, you can blame my publisher. She threatened to beat me with a sharp stick if I didn’t write one this instant. So now that I have been browbeaten into setting one up, what should I say? I suppose I should say hello. And welcome to my twitter world. I doubt that following me will change your life, but you never know, we might have some fun together from time to time. To keep my stick-wielding publisher happy, I should probably mention my website -….msauthor.com and my blog blog……msauthor.com I have even got a Facebook page, but no one ever clicks on those links, do they? -via @crowdfire
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Thanks so much for your follow. Wishing you the best today and every day, whatever that means for you. (Send custom messages to new followers via the unfollowspy.com website)
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Hey 111publishing thanks for following! I’d appreciate your vote for my commercial fiction novel, A Dress …… of the Sky. Here’s the link! soopllc.com/blog/book-idea… Thank you!!
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Hey, thanks for the follow. If you read or write romance, thrillers, or whatever, check us out at the…..bookreview.net
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Grazie per il follow 🙂 Posso ringraziarti con un ebook fantasy? Iscriviti alla mia mailing list: https://t.co/YNc6DIrwAD O preferiresti il cartaceo con autografo e dedica?
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Hi, I appreciate the follow. If you want to know more go to markrafidi.com or follow me on m.facebook.com/MarkRafidi.aut… -via @crowdfire
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Thanks for following. I’m promoting my books. If you like gritty British thrillers, please click on my author page amazon.co.uk/…../…
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Thanks for following Author’s Info, please come join our free network author…..com where you may review your favorite books.
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Hello Doris-Maria, please connect with me on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/….etwood
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While Facebook is still a thing, why not say hello and follow my page there – no go on – facebook.com/danteh….…
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Thx for following. Check out my free, erotic short, …… on Amazon: amazon.com/dp/B00RW……
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Thanks for following me! You can check out more of my portfolio at chad-……sites.com if you decide to purchase something, please use the code MGVPZP for a $5 discount.
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Thanks for the follow!! Authors – goo.gl/1…… Sending a quick tip to help ensure you don’t lose your hard work while writing books.
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My twitterverse just got brighter now that you’re in it! Don’t hesitate to reach out and say hello ~Cheers JM -via @crowdfire
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Just letting you know Everv…..ackenbone will be Free on Amazon Worldwide 11/22/15-11/26/15 See my pinned tweet. Please add it to your calendar.
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Thanks for following me! Much appreciated! Let’s like each other on facebook!facebook.com/Te….. -via @crowdfire
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I’m going through my followers list and saying my thanks once more. What I do now wouldn’t have happened without you. So thanks, Doris. Your follow means a lot to me.
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Hi! If you’re looking for web apps for business we compiled some great resources and comparisons at c….sk.com. Plz let me know if you have any feedback 🙂
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Thanks for following me! I hope you’ll enjoy my posts. If you want to get to know me better, visit me at …..ek.com, or check out my blog at …..ek.com/blog/, Facebook at facebook.com/….ek and Instagram at instagram.com/….ek. If you’d like to sample my books, drop by Amazon (amazon.com/A…..unse…). Be careful — reviewers say my psychological thriller is deadly. Cheers!
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You Rock! Thanks for the follow. More Dark Fiction at c….ero.com Tweet you later!
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Thanks for following, I support other IAs and tweet/retweet as much as I can. Also, Like me on Facebook facebook.com/D.A….uther…
\Thanks for following. Let’s link up on Facebook too. I always reciprocate. Mine is facebook.com/….ntLei… Have a great day! -via @crowdfire
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Shared @…..Tweet and said: Hey Doris-Maria Heilmann, please grab your copy of “Jack’s W….Lant….le for Halloween & Samhain)”: https://t.co/….r4Q [Today it’s #FREE] You can also RT & Win the #Halloween #audiobook of it read by an Irish ba…
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Thank you SO much for following me! Please check out my works here: amazon.com/J….ne/e/… PS. You’re beautiful!
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Thanks for following ! Check our FB goo.gl/j….5 & IG goo.gl/…JTl. Send us your links in a FB message & we’ll like back!
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I truly appreciate the follow! Would you be so kind as to like my FB page? facebook.com/….ichaelsauth…
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Thanks for following! You can follow my adventures on Facebook @ facebook.com/…ventures… or on Insta instagram.com/….ventures… -via @crowdfire
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Sincere thanks fo the follow…..truly appreciate it. Want to connect on facebook or linkedIn too? facebook: goo.gl/w3pSWH LinkedIn: goo.gl/L4RbVn or check out paulmcgillicuddy.com: goo.gl/BlM9hY Thanks! Paul
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Thx for follow – DANKE fürs Folgen! Jetzt GRATIS-Muster für Sonnenschutzsystemen anfordern => bit.ly….CH… (in German, they offer free samples of a sun-protecting home system)
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Thanks for following “Books du Jour,” all about books and the people written them. Check out our TV series at booksdujour.com . Have a new book coming out? Reach out to us via site submission page. Never know, you may end up on TV for one of our panels. Need a push to promote your book? We can help you there too. Looking forward
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Thanks for following me! Please like my Facebook author page (in progress)! facebook.com/andrescruciani… -via @crowdfire
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Hi! Please turn on my notifications! I promise you’ll enjoy my tweets 🙂 x
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Thanks for the follow! Make sure to enter our giveaway for a free PACK Organizer! bit.ly/thepacksgear
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I am truly grateful that you are following me. Join me on FB on.fb.me/1IRQJQA or my blog bit.ly/1h…o -via @crowdfire
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Hi Doris-Maria Heilmann, Pleasure to connect with you on Twitter! Are you crowdfunding? If so, you may find this article on the #1 Reason why Crowdfunding Campaigns Fail interesting: bit.ly/1LdpId5 Kind regards, Team @BookCrowdfund
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Hi, a pleasure to connect with you. acrosst…..rkness.com -via @crowdfire
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Thanks for the follow! Looking forward to interacting with you more : ). Please follow my blog @ com….egal.com and connect with me on LinkedIn too bit.ly/1…X
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Hello! It’s a pleasure to connect with you on twitter. thepoeconsequence.com -via @crowdfire
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Hi Doris, I hope you’re doing well! We’ve been connected for a while, so I wanted to reach out to you personally to see if you’ve had a chance to sneak-a-peek at Storiad. What we do is very simple: we work with authors to build long-lasting and exceedingly affordable bookselling campaigns. To do this we develop three interconnected plans: 1) a Research Plan, 2) a Networking Plan, and 3) a Marketing & Publicity Plan. When all the dust clears, you’ll have the plans, software, and contacts database you’ll need to run a creative and effective bookselling campaign. If this seems like something that could be helpful to you or your bookselling efforts, I would be happy to send you some more info by email. Just let me know. Many thanks! Bye for now.

Well, this one is especially ridiculous as from someone who has not even read the introduction on top of my Twitter page, otherwise they would not offer a book marketing campaign to a book marketing and publishing consulting firm….
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IMPORTANT: What to Avoid in Direct Messages:

  • Don’t try to sell new followers anything in your welcome DM.
  • Don’t try to summon then to like your Facebook site, follow them on other social media sites, such as Instagram or Pinterest, or to sign up to receive your blog / website automatically via email. You get a message in your mailbox that someone mentioned you. Curious, you check it; but no, you are only summoned to go to their Facebook account and LIKE their page. Or, they send you the link to their book’s sales page. Do they sign up with Twitter only to advertise their wares? My reaction is to immediately UNFOLLOW. Thanks, and nice to meet you…
  • Don’t ask them to vote for your book (which – for sure – they might never have heard of, nor read it).
  • Don’t try to get your new followers to sign up for your mailing list—this includes trying to tempt them with a free gift for a free anything in an automated DM.
  • Never, Ever, Use TrueTwit Validation Service! At first, I answered, telling them that I DO NOT use TrueTwit Validation Service, but then I gave up and just ignored the sender. The irony is that these people often follow me, and then when I follow them back, their annoying message appears! Why did they choose to follow me, and then want ME to validate??? in order to follow back. Hey, you just lost a reader, a customer, a potential fan, a potential reviewer…
  • The most successful direct messages do not come with any links at all. These are seen as more trustworthy and can open the door to further communication!
  • You don’t need to add links to blog posts that your followers would be interested in. Thanking a follower on social media is enough. Recommending an article to them can be done much better in a tweet. And if you introduced yourself professionally on top of your Twitter page, you don’t need to tell them about your own blog or website. Compare it with a party where you meet new folks. You don’t say hello, nice to meet you – and add a commercial-like sentence next.

Do What I Say – Don’t Do What I Do  : )
Try to check your direct messages regularly and respond to them if possible. This is a huge trust-builder and will lead to more engagement in the future. Good advice for Twitter accounts under 5,000 followers…

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More About this Topic:

Why Twitter should remove DM’s altogether
http://www.socialtechzone.com/wordpress/twitter/twitter_remove_dm/
Who to Follow on Twitter
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/10/02/whom-to-follow-on-twitter/
All Mistakes to Avoid at Twitter
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2014/04/21/17-social-media-mistakes-to-avoid-on-twitter-2/

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