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Four Ways to Identify Spammers on Twitter

November 6, 2012 By 13 Comments

You may be new to Twitter, or you may have been around for awhile. Spammers have been around for awhile, too, and are getting more clever all the time. Here are some ways to identify people who don’t have the best intentions.

The Person Does Not Know You, Yet Acts Like They Do

A potential spammer may call you out by name in a familiar way and ask you to do something, like click on a link, visit a website, or vote for them in a contest. Never click on links if you don’t know where those links go. If you think a message came from someone you know who doesn’t know what they’re doing, or your friend who has been hacked, you could write back “Have we met?” or “Have you been hacked?” Start with a Direct Message, then send a public message after that (many people don’t check their DMs). If you don’t get an answer back, that’s an answer right there!

You Receive Direct Message Phishing Tweets

Phishing tweets are often Direct Messages (DMs) which sound like this: “I can’t believe this is you!” and then a shortened link. Or “What are you doing in this video?” If it sounds like high school “drama” or something your friend (who may have been hacked) would never say, don’t click on it! Tell your friend to change their password—which may or may not stop the unwanted DMs from appearing.

Bad Typos, Incomplete Sentences, Too Many Followers

If someone follows you and their tweets are filled with bad spelling mistakes and incomplete sentences, that can be an indication of a spammer. Or if their tweets are just filled with @this and @that, at the very least that will be annoying after about 2 minutes. And if they only have 3 tweets, but 100,000 followers, that can definitely be an indication that they bought followers.

Porn or “Adult” Material

Just as with a Twitter account with bad spelling mistakes, an account with a naked person or pornographic image as an avatar is likely to be a spammer. My own opinion is just not to follow back. Unless they actively reach out to me, I ignore them. Just like anyone else, if they sell something I’m not interested in, I simply won’t follow them.

Other Annoying Behavior

Someone may not exactly be Spam, but they may be annoying! For example, they may be plagiarizing your tweets or stealing from you in some other way. There are zombies and ghouls around on Twitter, even when it’s not Halloween!

What isn’t Spam?

If someone advertises their services on Twitter and you don’t like those services, that isn’t Spam. Just unfollow that person. There is no need to block or report them as Spam. Sometimes newbies report as Spam people who are not spammers.

Ways to Block Spam

Follow @Spam on Twitter and report Spam to them.

Go to the Spammer’s profile page and report them as Spam. You do not need to follow them to report an account as Spam.

Slam the door on Spam includes ideas on how to report Spam (NY Times blogpost).

Want to know how Twitter is working behind the scenes to fix Spam? Sure you do!

Do you think Spam is getting worse on Twitter? Why or why not? Please comment!

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6 Ways to Work from Home & Stay Sane

September 18, 2012 By 21 Comments

I’m a Social Media Strategist who works from home. While I love working in my pajamas and bathrobe, things can get a little, well, dicey if I never go outside and see that yellow orb they call the sun. Here are some things that have helped me to stay sane and still get my work done.

Keep a Strict Starting Time for Work.

For me, that means I have had my breakfast and am sitting at my desk by 8:00 a.m. Usually a little before. I can still have coffee, but the breakfast has been cooked, eaten, and the dishes are rinsed.

Don’t Be a Slave to the Phone.

This is a really tough one because people often think that if you work at home, your time is their time. Not so fast! If you don’t pick up that phone, the next time they go to call you, they might think twice. You can return those calls later when you have time.

Schedule Breaks.

Frankly, I’m not very good at following my own advice here. But every hour, you should get up and stretch. Some people say more often. On the days I take more breaks, I feel better and get more done.

Get out and See People.

Now if you’re at all introverted, you may be resistant to this piece of advice. Even so, I’ve noticed that I feel much more lighthearted if I see two people face-to-face every single day.  Sophia Dembling, author of “The Introvert’s Way: Living a Quiet Life in a Noisy Word” agrees. A trip to the gym (if you actually talk to people there) counts. The other might be coffee or lunch date with another home-based friend. Maybe you’re fine with only one visit outside the office per day, but figuring out how much “face time” you need is the important take-away concept.

Know When to Fold ‘em.

That’s corny, but you do need to know when to quit. As in, before…

  • your fingers start bleeding from typing too much.
  • your eyes are crossed and your contact lenses are all dried out because you stopped blinking 3 hours ago.
  • you can’t finish a sentence because you’ve been working for too many hours.

You get the idea. If you work on or around social media, stopping is difficult because there’s always “one more tweet.” The Huffington Post article “Facebook Addiction” chronicles some of the telltale signs. Don’t be that person who loses sleep because you have to be social all the time. Go to sleep.

Own a Cat.

Or a dog. Or a tortoise. Or some little creature that makes you smile every once in awhile. My cat, Purrsilla, will dangle her paws onto my keyboard when I’ve done just about enough typing, thank you very much. Sometimes she’ll send me a message. It will say something like “[[[[[[[[[uuuuuuuuuu99999”. I’m pretty sure that means something in cat language. (Get up and feed me?)

What Helps You Keep Your Sanity?

Maybe you have something that helps you keep your sanity. If you do, I’d really like to know. No, really! I’m still trying to figure out how to work from home. And stay sane.

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Twitter Background: How to Make It Work

September 8, 2012 By 13 Comments

 

Your Twitter background says a lot about you. Even though it’s static you can add beaucoup information.

Get Fancy with Your Background!

You’ve seen those Twitter profile sidebars with all kinds of graphics on them. If not, go and take a look at a few Twitter profiles, expand them so they’re full-screen, and see what’s there, beyond the basic profile. For example, take a look at @kimgarst’s profile. Do you see the graduated colors? Notice that she has a different picture of herself there than on her main profile picture. She uses the profile background to expand upon her passions. Or look at @FitnessMagazine, with their simple graphic of balloons and their “Mind, Body & Spirit” tagline listed. Pretty snazzy, right?

The Sidebar is Fixed.

The sidebar can have other websites and information listed, but you can’t click on a URL on the sidebar. So it’s possible for someone to see a url, but they’ll have to copy it and put it into a browser window themselves—they can’t click and go directly to that address. Unfortunately, that’s a limitation within Twitter.

Adding Graphics.

If you’re talented with Photoshop or another graphics package, then you may want to add a picture of yourself—or something that inspires you—to the background. For example, if you’re a dog trainer, how about a picture of a giant dog? If you’re a cyclist, a picture of your favorite cycling route or bicycle would work.

Adding a Tagline.

If you have a slogan, adding that to your profile would be a great addition; it’s a way for people to remember you. A tagline — a short statement that combines your mission, purpose and brand — can be an important selling point.

Big Heart of ArtHire a Graphic Designer.

If you’re beyond a beginner at Twitter, you might be wise to hire help. A graphic designer can help you with a logo, color choices and photos. Having a professional to create your background makes you look polished. And you can use the same image or logo across all your social media platforms, such as Facebook and other sites. That’s leverage!

Most People Are Visual.

Since the majority of people are visual, having a stunning profile background on Twitter (as well as other sites) can cause more people to follow and connect with you. And isn’t that what all of us want on social media?

When customizing your Twitter background have you had any mishaps? Tell me your horror stories.

 

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4 Clues Twitter Followers Are Purchased

August 9, 2012 By 32 Comments

So I’ve noticed lately a lot of people with extremely huge numbers on Twitter. By huge numbers, we’re talking about tens of thousands. If we were in a grocery store, and these people were in the produce aisle, they would not be organic. Ok, maybe that metaphor isn’t really going to work. What I mean is, they have no relationship with those tens of thousands of followers. Among my friends who are social media managers (SMMs), we say those people “bought” their followers — they literally plunked down some cash so they could get a thousand or ten thousand followers.

How can you tell if someone bought their followers? Here’s what I’ve noticed.

1. Don’t have lists & not on anyone else’s.

If you’ve been on Twitter awhile, you use lists as shortcuts, a way to organize so you can cluster followers together. For example, your list called “locals” might have people in the same city as you, and so on. So, for someone to have, say…10,000 followers and not be listed anywhere? Suspicious.

2. No engagement.

Unless you’re a celebrity superstar or news channel, you need to have some conversations going to get big numbers. If you read a few tweets in the other person’s timeline, and there’s no engagement, and they’re not a celebrity, how did their numbers get so big? Also suspicious.

3. Huge number of followers, very few tweets.

Building a big following organically (read: not paying for them) takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight. So 10,000 followers and 200 tweets? Very, very suspicious.

4. Twitter start date is too recent.

If the account is only two weeks old, how could they possibly have 25,000 followers? Even a caffeine addict who never sleeps couldn’t add that many followers in two weeks. Extremely suspicious. Especially if their avatar is the Twitter egg.

We all know that having big numbers makes people look popular on Twitter. And sometimes being popular can impress others. But: so what? Who are they trying to impress with those 100,000 followers who have no real relationship with them?

If you’ve come across someone with huge numbers, would you follow them based on their number of followers? Please leave a comment below! Thanks!

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Excel4College

August 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment
excel4collegeJust received my social media strategy from Carol Stephen and it rocks! Is this what it is like to train with a Jedi Master?
Amy Gonzales
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Sundt

August 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

sundt constructionI met Carol via social media. She has served as a mentor and ally to me. She is a true social media expert. Carol lays out a plan and theme for each week, leaving herself time to engage with her followers. An excellent mentor, partner and friend. It has been a pleasure working with Carol and I cannot thank her enough for her help and guidance!

Wendy LaPlaca

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3 Ways to Be Social with Social Media

June 27, 2012 By 9 Comments

People use social media in a lot of different ways, and what works the best is when social media is actually social.  Visualize a big networking event. Aside from that one guy your cousin knows who always shows up and gets ripped, many are approachable. So there you are, with your fancy glass of wine in hand–now what? Here are three ways you can engage online.

1. Talk to Your New Follower About Himself. If you accept the premise that social media is a giant networking event, what could you talk about? Think about each Twitter or Facebook or Pinterest account as being a person or a business. What would you actually say to that person if you met them in real life? You could talk about their profile, or ask them about their business. One thing I love to ask about is their name. If you’re a shy person, networking is much easier if you have a topic. Since most people love to talk about themselves, engage them in a conversation about themselves!

2. Ask Your New Friend How She Got Her Name. Most people love to discuss their own names. So you can ask: Were they named after someone? Do they like their name? Do they have a nickname? Do others have a hard time pronouncing their name? Why doesn’t their name have any vowels in it? If it’s a common name, did they ever receive anyone else’s mail by mistake?

3. For a Business, Ask About What They Do. How long have they been in business? What is their service area? Who are their competitors? Has business been good lately? Is their business seasonal? There are hundreds of questions you could ask–and that any businessperson would love to answer.

If you start out just talking about yourself, chances are after awhile the other person is going to leave. But if you put the spotlight on the other person, they will probably think “What a great conversationalist!” even if you haven’t said a word about yourself. What a crazy idea, right? That of being social on social media.

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Twitter 101: How to Create an Inspiring Profile

June 1, 2012 By 8 Comments
Your profile, or bio, is your chance to tell the Twitter world who you are and what you do, in a space the size of a candy bar wrapper. It’s your online Twitter business card, so make the most of this tiny space. Give us some reasons to follow you!
 
Tell Us Your Interests or Purpose. What do you do? So many profiles don’t include an accurate or compelling description—make sure yours stands out a little. Pretend you’re introducing yourself to someone at a barbeque. How would you tell that person, in one or two sentences, something about yourself that she could understand? How will you be using your Twitter account? To educate? To entertain? To sell homemade amethyst necklaces? Then say that!
 

Here are some real examples:

@YouTooCanBeGuru

I offer my opinions, unsolicited advice, and #socialmedia tips. I’m not an expert; just opinionated. Love, @gidgey FB Page:http://on.fb.me/no7tJL

Dana Point, CA · http://youtoocanbeaguru.wordpress.com

Notice @YouTooCanBeGuru’s profile says she’s “not an expert.” And although her Twitter name is meant ironically, she actually is an expert, and does offer good advice.

@TheBloggess

I have friends in spite of myself.

Texas Hill Country · http://thebloggess.com/


People love to follow @TheBloggess because she’s funny. And human. And a lot of other things. And yes, in case you were wondering, hilarity does ensue.

@ToyotaEquipment

Toyota Forklift Dealer Engaged with our followers – From manufacturing to sales. Find us on Facebook http://on.fb.me/h7DCCU ~ Kyle Thill

Minneapolis MN · http://www.ToyotaEquipment.com

@ToyotaEquipment’s Kyle Thill is extremely engaged, and retweets often, even across platforms (Facebook to Twitter, for example). So when the profile says engaged, he really means engaged.
 
Other Additions

Add URLs: Add your website address in your profile so that others can find you and learn more about you. In addition, you may want to add a Facebook, LinkedIn or Pinterest URL. You can shorten your URL (bit.ly is a good URL shortener) and then add it, since the space in your profile is very limited. Note that the example profiles above all have their websites listed.

 Add Hashtags: Hashtags are those pound signs (#) that you see all over the place on Twitter. You can use them in your bio to highlight something that interests you, like this: #SharkLover or #Bicycles. However, if you overdo hashtags, that can look spammy (and unfriendly!).

 Add @ Signs. If your Twitter account has more than one person tweeting for it, add your @ signs so people know who’s tweeting. For example, if you look at the @oLyfe account, you’ll see my @ sign there (along with two others) so that people know who is tweeting for that account. @Kred does a great job using a carat sign (^) as a mini-signature, since they have multiple tweeters.

Add Your Location. While “Spaceship Earth” is great for someone into astronomy, adding your real location helps followers determine whether to follow you. If you’re in a tiny suburb, you can reference the larger area nearby, such as “Boston Suburbs” or “San Francisco Bay Area.” Some people will only follow people who are local.

Spend a little time looking at profiles and see what you like or don’t like about them. You might search within Twitter for someone who does what you do, and see whether you can use their profile as a model.

 

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Creating an Awesome Twitter Avatar

May 14, 2012 By 10 Comments

 

 

An avatar—that little picture that appears next to your tweets—represents you and your brand on Twitter. The success of your profile can hang at its weakest point. Your audience will initially look at your content and numbers (followers/following) to get a feel for who you are, but the real hang-up can be upon whom, or what, you chose to use as the face of your business.

You want your avatar to be instantly recognizable so that you and your brand can be seen as professional. Putting in a little time to create an avatar provides clients with the confidence they demand from a product or service they will invest their time and energy in.

Browse Twitter for Avatars You Like: Before you make a decision about an avatar, consider looking around on Twitter and choosing a few avatars that you like. Maybe pick 10 and then narrow it to three that you really like. Could you easily create an avatar that looks like one of them? Or find someone who could make one for you? There are some amazingly creative people on Twitter, so look around and see what makes you say “Oh! I like that one!”

People Like to Talk to People: The number one choice for all social media avatars is a picture of your face. People like to know that they’re talking to another person, not an object. That said, you still have some decisions to make.

Use a Drawing: Some people have created caricatures or drawings of themselves. Remember that time you were on vacation and that guy made a caricature of you? Maybe you could pull it out and use that. Since you don’t have a lot of space in Twitter, make sure to use the entire space up to the edges. Or maybe you have a talented graphic designer friend who could create a line drawing for you.

Use a Photo: One of the benefits of using a photo is that you probably have one that you can put up relatively quickly. Make sure it looks good on Twitter—that it’s in focus and there is good contrast. You don’t get a lot of space, so make sure it fills the entire space. If the photo looks unprofessional, that could reflect on your business. Consider using a professional makeup artist and photographer to get a really great shot. It really is a good investment.

Use a Group Photo: How about a group photo of the people who work in your business? Just make sure that the photo isn’t too small.

Logo: Although I like faces best, a logo or symbol could be terrific, too. A logo allows your business to look professional, multiple people can tweet from the same account, and other professionals will want to connect with you. If you already have a logo, that’s great! But don’t let getting a logo stop you from getting started on Twitter. Put up a photo and get going. You can change it later.

Mascot: A mascot is a fabulous way to get started. If you have a shop, you could have a shop dog. People identify with animals and will say things they wouldn’t say to a person or to a logo. (My cat, @Purrsilla1 has an account, and people love to chat with her.) Downside: a mascot might not be seen as “professional” in some businesses.

Anything But An Egg: If none of the choices above call to you, don’t worry. The main thing is that you get away from the default egg. If you keep the egg, a lot of people will look at you like you’re a spammer, and that’s the last thing you want. Any random picture (Easter bunny, daffodil, smiley face) is better than an egg.

 

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Promoto Marketing

December 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Carol Stephen has provided excellent advice and coaching for our company to get started and to prioritize our online marketing efforts to develop our understanding on how to effectively build our audience.

In taking the time to understand the nature of our work she has maintained a proactive approach in keeping us up-to-date and connected. We also found Carol to be extremely knowledgable: adapting her system to best complement our abilities; while being sensitive to the constraints we are facing.

Sam Lee

Filed Under: Testimonial
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