A new study demonstrates exactly what actions will make Twitter users ignore posts - or worse - alienate influencers.

Twitter may not have the reach of larger networks like Facebook (18 percent of the adult U.S. population versus 71 percent), but it’s still an excellent tool for giving content a wider scope. Brafton has reported that if Tweets reach influencers, they’re well on their way to views from additional prospects.

However, there’s still a fine line to walk when conducting social marketing on the network. Recent Twitter adopters might not be inclined to stay for very long, so marketers need to be very careful about the activities that drive new users away.

Don’t be repetitive

Deutsche Bank recently published a study of people who have quit using Twitter, and the results are highly illuminating for marketers who want to understand what would make someone give up a social network in this highly connected age. For example, 82 percent of those surveyed said they were getting information they saw on Twitter from other sources, while 77 percent claimed there was no useful information on the site.

This is as an easy-enough problem to skirt: Make Tweets interesting. Automated posting and flavorless Tweets aren’t going to do content any favors, which is why some of the best Twitter users are the ones who share links to blogs and news stories with a bit of commentary or humor.

The businesses on their best behavior – with the best Tweets  – are the ones that will certainly see the most clicks, engagement and loyalty

Avoid flooding feeds

Respondents also responded that they saw too much content – 76 percent said they had too many Tweets in their feeds and that they would prefer some kind of filter. The solution to this problem is two-fold. First, don’t Tweet more than a handful of times each day. Second, only solicit interactions from people who are the most likely to actually become customers. It may look impressive to have 100,000 followers, but they would be a waste of effort if 99 percent would never buy businesses’ products or services – or Retweet content to those who would.

Be visual

Photos and visual media were missing for 54 percent of the people surveyed. Fixing this issue is a bit trickier, but it can be accomplished. Remember that pictures are possible on Twitter, although not in the same variety of size and shape as on Facebook or Google+. Additionally, Twitter is constrained by its 140-character limit, and there aren’t many bells and whistles when it comes to identifying content. Yet companies can be descriptive with their photo-enhanced Tweets by saying “Watch this video” or some other identifying phrase.

One business will never be cause for a person to back out of Twitter, but the reasons people quit the service are still faux pas. Committing these marketing don’ts means alienating leads, or even worse, turning away influencers who can spread content even further. The businesses with the best Tweets are the ones that will certainly see the most clicks, engagement and loyalty for content marketing materials posted on the platform. 

Alex Butzbach is a Marketing Writer at Brafton. He studied Communications at Boston College, and after a brief stint teaching English in Japan, he entered the world of content marketing. When he isn't writing and researching, he can be found on a bike somewhere in Metro Boston.