DON'T:
1. Use TrueTwit.
I say this all the time, and I'll say it again: DON'T USE TRUETWIT. It's actually quite ironic. TrueTwit is intended to stop spammers from following you (why you would care about an extra follow, I have no idea), yet it's become the most common form of spam on Twitter. It would be funny if they weren't making money from this ridiculous model. Learn more about it here.
2. Unfollow someone when they follow you back.
You may be able to trick some, but many users can tell when you've unfollowed them via services like justunfollow or a quick look at your following to follower ratio. This is spamming, plain and simple. Don't do it. You'll lose credibility, and you'll (hopefully) be banned from Twitter.
3. Post without interaction.
The point of social media is to be social. Regularly posting is a must, but if that's all you do, then you're wasting your time. Like other posts, comment on blogs, retweet, reply, you name it. Not only can you connect with new people, but I'd say interaction is at least 3 times more effective than a simple post.
4. Cause unnecessary controversy.
When communicating with strangers, the general rule of thumb is to avoid two topics: religion & politics. Unless it's directly related to you as an author or your books, then you're better off avoiding these topics on social media as well.
5. Auto direct-message on Twitter.
This is just as bad as TrueTwit. First impressions are important, and "spammer" is not a good image to portray to a new follower. Yes, there are some who utilize auto direct message in a positive way, but 98% of the time, avoid this like the plague. How about you send a custom direct message or mention instead? Your new follower will be flattered, will pay attention to your future tweets, and is one step closer to becoming a fan.
6. Post links without content.
Whenever you post a link on Twitter, Facebook, or wherever, make sure to add a sentence or two enticing your readers in some way. Summarize the article, comment on the content, or list it as a "must read!" If you don't, no one will click on that link. Why should they? They know nothing about it, and you haven't made any effort to convince them otherwise.
7. Become a "thank you spammer."
Thanking for a follow, like, retweet, favorite, comment, etc. is great, but you have to be careful. Make sure it's personal, custom, and not too regular. If your follower finds that you used the same exact "thank you" with 100 other people in the past week, it loses its use, and you can even come across as "spammy."
8. #Overuse #Hashtags #Wink
Hashtags are great (on Twitter, at least). They can add a layer of meaning, and they make your tweet easier to search for. However, you should never use more than 2 or 3 hashtags, and they should always be related!
9. Ignore mentions/comments.
If someone takes the time to comment on your post, blog, or tweet, then you better respond. Seriously.
10. Promote without a purpose.
Of all these "social media no-no's," this is the most often abused. You know the type of posts I'm talking about. Tagline, review, a few stars mentioned, and a link to a book on Amazon. Has this ever worked? Of all the thousands of authors on Twitter/Facebook, I swear half of them believe this is a great way to social network. If you yell loud enough, someone will hear it, right? Wrong. It's okay to promote, but be creative! Plan a campaign, make a joke, run a blog tour, you name it. There are hundreds of imaginative ways to promote your book.If you care for your fellow author, or are as bothered by these 10 "no-no's" as much as I am, then share this article with regular offendors. Hopefully they'll learn and become one step closer to a social networking master.
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