102 Autoresponders in 1 Day…. OMG!

I remember when I first signed up for Twitter, another Social Media adventure, and how exciting it was to get a Direct Message (similar to receiving an email to your inbox). What a boost for the ego. I thought wow I can’t believe that a total stranger was willing to reach out and send me a private message. Quickly my Twitter innocence vanished, as I began to realize that most of the Direct Messages seemed lack luster, were uninformative and frankly self serving. Just like that the honeymoon was over.

How the Heck Did I Get So Popular?

Basically, many of the Direct Messages I received were generated by an autoresponder. This feature is not part of Twitter.com but rather used through outside applications like Tweetlater.com. You simply set up a message in the application and when you get a new follower… bada boom your verbiage is sent to your new buddy’s DM box. This is such a handy tool but let’s weigh the pros and cons before you start sharing a cheery hello to your followers.

Pros:

Time Management: You are geeked about how quickly people are following you but have limited time to send a quick note to them, so an autoresponder gets the job done.

First Impression: A new follower is most intrigued immediately after they start following. Your goal is to secure enough interest (create a Twitter WOW-factor) so they remember who you are and actually read your future tweets.

Cons:

Self Promotion: No one likes to feel as if there is an alterative motive to a message. Here is an example of a DM I received. "Thanks for the follow, will look up ur tweets but in the meantime check out how i make some easy bucks..." Not only is the message trying to sell me but it still has the Twitter default picture. Looks like I would be buying from an Owl… no thanks!

Spamming: Droves of unsolicited self serving mumbo jumbo including links to more of the same. This screams please unfollow me, I really don’t care about you.

Important Messages Missed: Because of the barrage of autoresponder DM’s coming into your inbox, chances are you will simply miss the messages you really do want to read.

Unqualified Followers: When you first start in the Twittersphere, the more the merrier is the motto but when your numbers grow into the 1000’s direct message hell can set in. For example let’s say you decide to follow an expert in your field who has 15,000 followers and are thrilled when this person follows you back, only to discover shortly thereafter they are no longer following you. Why because you sent them an automated DM and that sends a red flag to a major Twitter player. They are looking for the real deal.

With the cons outweighing the pros, is it really worth the effort? Let’s face it… an autoresponder DM is like an Alien Invasion where unknown entities blast away at you while your thinking, "I wonder if they come in peace"?

Jodi Mallow Maas