5 Reasons I May Unfollow (Or Never Follow) You on Twitter

Everyone has their own reasons for unfollowing a person on Twitter.  Although many “Social Media Gurus” will claim there are a set of actions you definitely should NEVER do on twitter, I only agree with 50% of that statement.  Items like inappropriate comments or posting certain (ahem) vulgar pictures are obvious ways to not only get unfollowed but possibly kicked off Twitter.  Other times, these actions are merely “social faux pas” deemed annoyances.  It is important to remember that Twitter rules of engagement are built by its users.  While I may not like the way you handle your twitter, another user may.  These social norms vary from group to group, so it is important to recognize that many “rules” are merely opinions of a group of individuals believing in the same ideas.  Keep this in mind when reading my 5 reasons, as your views may reflect mine or be far from similar.  There are plenty of other reasons as well, but these are five I thought necessary to bring up. 

From least annoying to “if you ever do this I may just scream”:

1. Your Foursquare updates are sent to Twitter and you update your location every 2 minutes.
   
   To a certain extent I am guilty of posting Foursquare updates, sometimes overkill, to Twitter.  Most people absolutely hate this.  I’ve gotten more selective and found that, within limitations, it may be useful for other users like myself.  I have friends who refuse to get Foursquare for various reasons but like to find out where I am one night in the city, for example, and can do so via Twitter.  Within moderation, I (and many will disagree with me) think it is ok, as long as your Foursquare blasts aren’t the only items posting to your Twitter.  Keep in mind that there is such a thing as TMI (Too Much Information).  The rest of the Twitterverse doesn’t care that you checked into the bathroom at the local BP Gas Station.  Congratulations on your accomplishment, but this is considered overkill.  Also, remember that unlike Foursquare, Twitter is a much more public service.  Never check in too near to your house or especially at your house as this makes it easier for stalkers, burglars, etc. to find you and figure out when you are not home.  
   
   
2. You retweet, retweet, and retweet some more.
   
   As much as those you are retweeting probably appreciate your support, it carries no value when you spend twenty minutes every hour trying to send out as many retweets as possible without adding any of your own content.  Retweeting here and there is very productive and should be part of your marketing strategy, but don’t abuse it.  I am a firm supporter of using the old style of retweeting by adding a “RT username:” before the retweeted content and even adding commentary before the “RT” to personalize it.  I find it very annoying to view profiles with thousands of tweets, none of which are that person’s original work.
   
   
3. You have an automatically generated “Does Not Follow Me Back” list and forget to set it to private.
   
   Many people would like to know who they follow that doesn’t follow back, and I don’t blame your curiosity.  If you use a 3rd party to create this list, be sure to set it to private.  Not only is forgetting to privatize it a perfect way to show everyone who is NOT interested in what you say (skip the negative publicity), but it also may offend the person you began following.  
   
   I can name the exact instance this became an annoyance to me.  I had not been on twitter for a couple days (crazy, right?) and finally checked to see who was following me for the first time in 48 hours.  I noticed I was added to a new list, the “Does Not Follow Me Back List.”  The Twitter user, who will not be named, was someone I actually found interesting and one which I would have followed back had he or she not publicized this list.  I don’t blame him for having it, but blame him for publicly irritating me.
   
   
4. You are a serial follower then unfollow when they don’t return the favor.
   
   Yes, twitter has rules against certain obnoxious following behaviors, but many still seem to sneak past with caution.  There is nothing more irritating to me than people who clearly just follow a bunch of people with the intent to have the favor returned, then unfollow a day later when that person doesn’t return the favor.  
   
   Twitter is not Facebook.  I repeat, Twitter is not Facebook.  The main idea is not to have mutual friendships, although I still do encourage helping a friend out by returning the favor, assuming the content seems interesting to you.  Nobody is obligated to return a follow.  The premise of Twitter is that you follow people to create a stream of interesting content that is relevant to you.  Many seem to forget this crucial idea.
   
   
5. You are a serial follower then unfollow once the person returns the favor.
   
   This is even worse than the previous annoyance to me and, in my opinion, poor Twitter ethics.  Most of us would love to have millions of followers and may agree that the more you follow the more that follow you, but this follow/unfollow action is plain rude.  I would almost call it trying to cheat the system. 
   
   If you are that desperate for attention to your Twitter that you feel the need to add people just for them to see your name pop up in their “followers list”, you need to rethink your social media marketing strategy.  Remember that having thousands of followers won’t mean anything if those people are not even fully paying attention to your content and merely followed you back just to be nice.  You need to catch the eye of your prospective followers, make them want to consume your information blasted throughout tweets.  Stop being a serial follower with no real marketing strategy!  Bad Twitter user, bad!
   
   

These are just a few of my Twitter behavior issues, aside from some obvious ones like over abbreviations and an abundance of swearwords (what would your grandmother say if she saw your vulgarity?).  Now that I’ve explained my twitter annoyances, what are yours?  Complain away!