For those of you who use Twitter, you should know that Twitter has started suspending accounts that they felt were violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). This rash of suspensions begs the question, What exactly does it take to get suspended or banned from Twitter?
Firstly, the suspensions are a good thing, since the rules and regulations are in place to keep spammers and bots from filling up news feeds and interfering with the benefit that Twitter offers. Ok, so if you’re a die-hard spammer, this article isn’t for you, but if you’re trying to promote your business and/or products, then read on.
To avoid an account suspension consider the following red flags:
- Avoid following a large number of people in a very short time. This is a practice that spammers often use in the hope that they’ll get reciprocal follows in return so they can spam them. It is generally best to follow a relatively small number of people who you believe will be interested in your tweets. For example, if they follow a similar brand/product, this this is a viable bet.
Ok, so assuming you are following a large number of people, avoid the mass unfollowing. This is another tactic of the spammer when there attempt at reciprocal follows doesn’t produce results.
- Another flag is if you the number of people you follow is considerably more than the number that follows you. And yes, I know, if you’re a new business, it takes time to get followers, so again, just take it slow.
- Avoid updating primarily with links, and not personal statuses. Try to avoid the impersonal, … remember, this is social media, so it’s about building a relationship, not just providing information.
- And the big one … know that if a lot of people are blocking your profile, or writing complaints, you’re going to get suspended.
Of course there are times where one might inadvertently “spam” by posting the same thing, especially links, such as for a upcoming event, special, request to vote, etc. So avoid duplicate updates.
- Avoid selecting a user name, and then just sitting on it. If you don’t use your account very often there is a good chance your account will be suspended.
Another important consideration are hashtags.
- It’s best to limit hashtags to 1-2 per Tweet. When you include a link, which is generally best, include a clear call to action, eg. “read the full story”.
- Avoid writing in ALL CAPS. If you want to emphasis consider emojis and a singular exclamation point.
Twitter suggests that you use a conversational tone in your tweets, and to include media to help it stand out in the timeline. That being said:
- Avoid images with heavy text
- Keep videos short (15 seconds or less)
- Consider using a website button to make your image / video clickable (a website card is needed for this)
- Use captions or another “sound-off strategy” for videos with dialogue.
In summation, it’s important to follow Twitter’s rules to ensure that your tweets are well received and to keep your account in good standing.
