Death To The Auto DM (Automated Message) on Twitter

Rachel Thompson

Author • Poet • Advocate

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Death To The Auto DM (Automated Direct Message) on Twitter

by 69 Comments

Thanks for following. Please like my Facebook page, buy all my books, clean my kitchen, and hold my wig.ID-10077804

Okay, I didn’t really get that tweet from someone, but I might as well have. The auto DM (direct message) has become the ‘cockroach of Twitter’ (says Kane Consulting), and I couldn’t agree more.

HISTORY

When Twitter started, and throughout its phenomenal growth since 2006, active users discovered quickly that’s it’s virtually impossible to keep up with new followers, thus the birth of the autoDM — a message generated by a third-party program (for the record, Twitter doesn’t recommend them and suggests you unfollow people who do it).

The trouble with the ‘Thank you for the follow,’ DM is that people decided to make it a marketing and/or selling opportunity (as in ‘I don’t know you, we’ve never met, but will you like my Facebook page, read all my books, RT my entire timeline, and fold my laundry?’), which sound pretty ridiculous. But the requests people make in DMs have become so aggressive and outrageous, it’s almost the same thing.

UNFOLLOW

Can AutoDMs help or hurt you? According to Optify, in a study they conducted, AutoDM use led to a 245% increase in unfollow rate. Ouch. So, if you have an autoDM set up (usually through sites like JustUnfollow or SocialOomph), go in and delete that mofo.

REASONING

There are numerous reason to NOT autoDM people, but let’s review the main ones:

  • It’s lazy. Listen, I’m a busy girl. I run a lot of streams, played a lot of slot casino games and more other stuff to do infront of computer. As much as it pains me not to be able to thank every single person (and bot and spammer) for the follow, somehow we all get by. As a follower, I prefer you not thank me. Crazy, I know. Rather, do something else, like: retweet me, introduce me to someone you think I’d like, share my books, read my blog, join my newsletter mailing list, etc., all activities which are other-focused.
  • It’s impersonal. We don’t know each other, so when you ask me to like, buy, review, etc and we’ve only just not met, it tells me this: you are not only lazy, but you don’t give a shit about me, my interests, or who I am. People are on Twitter for all kinds of reasons — rarely, however, to do stuff for you, the person they’ve never met and aren’t likely to, ever, in real life, especially if you send them a request to do something.
  • Shortcut. Companies decided to try to make automated DMs more ‘personal’ by allowing you to customize a message, and even add in the follower’s first and/or last name. This makes the autoDM even funnier and the automation more obvious. For example, my business name is @BadRedheadMedia. So I get DMs that say, ‘Welcome to my stream, Bad,’ which makes me laugh every time…after I unfollow, of course.

BOTTOM LINE

If you’re not sure what to say on Twitter, gawk (observe) for awhile. A good guideline is: 1) be yourself and 2) ask yourself this question: would I say in real life what I’m saying here? If the answer is no, then don’t do it!

I’m sure you’re probably a very nice person who thinks that thanking people is more important than not thanking them. And for the most part, I get that. But you need to savvy up: there are many ways to thank people (as I mentioned above) and think about this: wouldn’t you rather someone retweet you or leave a blog comment than send you a message asking you to do stuff for them?

Twitter (and for that matter, all social media), is about relationship-building. It’s not about the hard sell. Those who do nothing but request you do stuff for them are likely not selling many books or creating a dedicated fan base. Have a little self-awareness and recognize that this practice not only hurts you and your credibility, but can create issues as you attempt to grow your account.

(And don’t even get me started on TrueTwit validation — an automated DM that asks me to confirm that I’m not automated. Run away.)

What say you?

 

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Comments

  1. Rachel,

    Or should I say, “Bad”…LOL!

    This was an awesome article. Seriously! I blogged about this very thing the other day. I actually do send a “thank you” when people follow and I was happy to read that you don’t think it’s necessary. It makes total sense to return the favor in the form of some of the ways you mentioned, so “thank you” for that. Honestly. To tell truth, the times I have thanked these people are the times they come RIGHT BACK with one of the, “pay my rent” messages and then I’m pissed because it’s like I just took the time to basically introduce myself and acknowledge you and you come at me like I’m some sort of groupie, fan, or irrelevant, when I’m an author just like you! It’s so annoying. I NEVER push my links down anyone’s throat and I don’t with it done to me either. The message I’ve sent has been something to the effect of, “Thanks for following, it’s nice to meet you. I’m following back…see you on the timeline.” THAT is to let them know that they don’t need to respond to me with a damn link and a plug yet they do it anyway EVERY SINGLE TIME! Ugh! So glad you wrote this and I hope that it gets RT’d to death so that they can know that the masses are turned OFF by that behavior. Sorry for the book of a response, but this called for it 🙂

    Great article, girl!

    ~Perri~

    Reply

    • Thanks, back girl!

      Honestly, I cringe when writers leave these messages. They remind me of puppies, jumping up and down, chasing their tails, getting nowhere fast. That’s why I suggest authors put their link on their bio — then you can just say ‘link on bio,’ and be on your merry way.

      There are some people who will ALWAYS thank people for follows and RTs, and that’s fine. I just feel like there are other, more significant ways to connect. I appreciate your comments and am so glad we have connected on Twitter!

      xx

      Reply

      • You’re right and brought forth some really good points on there being “other, more significant ways to connect,” that I will be adhering to. “Thank you…” clearly doesn’t apply, in the grand scheme of things over on Twitter because the return investment is not quite an investment, just something to get ya ready for anger management! Lol!

        I’m happy we connected too 🙂

        xoxo

        Reply

  4. Another great article that everyone should read. I never read DM’s unless someone tells me they are sending one. I think they only serve a purpose if you’ve made a connection but wish to take the conversation off the timeline. My favorite are the people who tell me I am starring in a racy movie, who knew I was so talented!!?? My former (notice I said former) web developer and I had a fight to the death over the DM. He refused to turn mine off and when I told him I thought it was obnoxious he told me I had to learn how things work on social media. Clearly he should be reading your posts. Thanks for always sharing such helpful tips and hey, I’m selling vacuum cleaners for extra cash. 😉

    Reply

    • Ha!

      You know, some people are avid supporters of automation. For me, it depends on the type of automation. I’m all for scheduling in blog posts (i.e., for #MondayBlogs) but when it comes to interaction, that should ALWAYS be live.

      thanks for visiting and sharing, Steph!

      Reply

    • Exactly. There are levels of automation — i.e., Hootsuite is where I schedule in blog posts or quotes or pix. Everything else is live when I can. I’m not sure why people ‘set it and forget it’ when it comes to Twitter. I mean, why even bother?

      Reply

      • To be honest, when I was new to Twitter, I didn’t know anything about the DM’s and I was miss happy shiny new face and went to every website they referred me to… until I got so many and it became too much to keep up with and I realized it was just a promotional tactic, they were auto, etc. I grew up and realized what DM’s were all about and I was done. Kind of like dealing with people in the real world. So I guess they can at least get the newbies. Maybe that’s why they do it. Some probably think it’s a great way to make connections. I personally think it’s better to provide good content and intrigue people into checking out my other media outlets. Some just want their name in your face, hoping it will stick. I suppose those are some reasons they bother, but I don’t agree with it.

        Reply

        • Cindy, from talking to a couple of people about this (I mean people who did them, before I put ’em right!) I don’t even think it’s as calculated as ‘getting the newbie’ – I think it’s laziness and stupidity. One chap I talked about book promo with extensively had much to say – we met because he sent me a spam ‘buy my book’ message on Goodreads. Of course, even though (if he looked) he would see that I was more ‘successful’ than he, but of course because he’s an English middle-class man with a £3000 flashy website he still knew best – ANYWAY!!! He did DMs because he had read all his books on marketing and knew he had to use all the social media sites, so he pumped out all those auto ‘buy my book’ updates that appear on Twitter and Facebook and Google+ and probably in the mist on windows, too, and he’d also read about the facility to shove your links at any person who Twitter followed you. So he did it. He never actually uses any of the sites, he just feeds all this auto crap into all of them. My sister in law (who calls herself a ‘mediapreneur’ – that should tell you enough!) also does this. She asked me once what I did about scheduling my tweets throughout the night so they reach the US. I said nothing, because I get about 100 RTs during each night. She looked at me blankly. She doesn’t actually go on Twitter, she just pumps things out via Hootsuite. She actually didn’t know what I meant. Yes, she also does auto DMs….

          Reply

  7. Rachel, I’ve started something new – every time someone sends me one, I send them this post. Mind you, they’re probably the people who do Twitter only via auto apps anyway, so won’t ever read it – which is the problem – the people who do this crap never see the posts telling them that everyone hates it!!!

    Reply

  9. Power to Bad Red my fav media poster, not that any of it is of actual interest to me, I just love looking at your eyes Down With DM’s check my latest post I’ll be saying a proper goodbye later xxxxx

    Reply

  10. So Bad – has a chance to check out emmy Curl yet? :p

    I think I’ve pretty much pegged the auto DM now and the ones I receive get the following from me;

    1. A return – organic – DM from me saying “Really?? Seriously???”

    2. A chance to redeem themselves with a few days grace to respond.

    I’ve had a reasonable success rate in receiving organic DMs and subsequently cultivating meaningful relationships.

    I’ve also had a reasonable success rate in being told to fuck off.

    Reply

  11. Re what Dean said – I usually get ignored, which is fine, and like you, Rachel, I can’t even be bothered much of the time – BUT! am happy to say just had a positive reply to posting this article at one auto DM! She thanked me for the advice 🙂 Out of tiny acorns, etc!

    Reply

    • That’s so interesting, Laura. Because of the client work I do (as a social media manager), I see something similar, particularly for an actor. People are VERY polite and solicitous.

      And maybe that gives us insights into the whole process — how people treat us depends on what we do, maybe? I don’t know. Interesting thought to ponder.

      thanks for reading and commenting, Laura!

      Reply

  13. I HATE autoDM’s and unfollow anyone that sends me one.

    If someone wants to say hello that’s different, as long as it’s not an automated message.

    What is TrueTwit? I’ve not heard of that.

    Reply

    • you’ve probably received the message that says: ‘So and so uses TrueTwit validation service. To validate click here (link)’ and I immediately unfollow. Why? Because I’m not going to take the time (or risk) to click on an unknown link and I’m too dang busy to prove I’m human. If they took the time to click on my timeline, they’d know that.

      See, you done got me started, Casey!

      xx

      Reply

  14. Amen to that! I get so many auto DM’s now that I pretty much ignore them… Which often makes me miss the occasional genuine direct message that I get, oh, once a month.

    My favorite auto DM’s are the ones that promise me a gazillion new followers each day from people with eggs for icons who have 22 followers themselves.

    ~Tui

    Reply

  18. I love this.

    This is why I told my entire class to subscribe to you, Rachel. Then I reminded them, and then I put your web address on the class summary.

    By the way, when people use that validation service, I ignore them. That’s the one I hate the most.

    Reply

  19. I did not even know those “Thanks for following” messages were auto-generated. I just thought those people were extremely polite. I felt kind of bad that I was not chasing every new follow down and saying, “Thanks!” I am glad to know that if I did do that, I would look like a bot and get unfollowed. (How about that? Being lazy/too busy actually worked in my favor for a change!)

    You said, “TrueTwit validation — an automated DM that asks me to confirm that I’m not automated.”

    I lolled.

    That is such a wonderful description. That should be the title of your rant about that specific problem so I can have that line in my Twitter feed. I love that line.

    Reply

  21. Hey, Bad,
    So that’s why you haven’t (1) liked my Book of Face page, (2) read all my books, (3) agreed to give me a 5* review for one of my books if I give you a 5* review for one of yours
    Well, I never…

    You’re so cool, you probably think this note is about you…

    Love your posts, as always, Rachel, I mean, Bad…

    Reply

    • Manual DM: Hi Gil, here’s my email info: http:// whatever, etc. if you’d like more info on blah blah blah.

      AutoDM: Thank you for the follow. Please like my FB page at … etc.

      One is generated by us personally; the other is automatically generated by a program someone has signed up for.

      make sense?

      🙂

      Reply

  24. Hi Rachel,

    Thanks for a) the timely reminder on etiquette b) the common sense approach and c) for making me think I’m not going mad by getting wound up with the DMs trying to sell me stuff. I will be taking your advice and deleting all offenders from now on.

    Cheers me dear

    Graham

    Reply

  25. I hate them, I hate them, I hate them and I just unfollowed one of my new followers who DM’d me… hey, like our FB page and then to top it all off, one more of my biggest pet peeves and to me a sign of social media knowledge, they used a FB link on Twitter instead of a “real” one. I also sent them a link to this article when I unfollowed them and told them I hate fucking automatic DM’s. Thanks!

    Reply

  27. There are even annoying tweeps who RT the auto DMs. I’m not quite sure if that’s more annoying than TrueTwit – yes, maybe it is but only by a hair’s width becaus TrueTwit exists to make money from newbies on Twitter.

    What would help people who want to thank you is to pin a tweet you would like retweeted to your profile. I visit many tweeps where it’s difficult to find something they’ve tweeted to retweet.

    Reply

    • Agree, John. Excellent suggestions. Pinning a retweetable tweet is one of the top suggestions I give folks in the webinars I teach and you know what? They don’t even realize that’s an option. My guess is that 80% of most people on Twitter have very little idea of the capabilities.

      Thank you for weighing in.

      Reply

  28. Sure there are allot of spammers on Twitter using Auto DM’s and allot of businesses using the feature wrong. It does not however mean that an auto dm is a bad idea. Using it to promote a blog or some other useful resource is fine and can do wonders to increase blog traffic. Just because people unfollow doesn’t mean an auto DM is a bad idea. Followers don’t matter to begin with. Engagement does. The DM just needs to be relevant to prospective followers.

    Reply

    • HI Stephen and thanks for commenting.

      You may want to look directly at Twitter’s own rules and guidelines on autoDMs which states: “In efforts to prevent spam and protect our users from potentially malicious activity, we discourage sending links in the body of an automated Direct Message, and the action may be denied.”

      I agree, engagement is important, though I disagree that followers don’t matter. It’s the quality of the followers that matter — our job is to connect with our demographic. I’m glad you find autoDMs helpful. Good luck with your strategy.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  9. […] Do not use auto-direct messages. I flat out hate auto-DMs and, to the best of my knowledge, I have never seen one that includes my name. This fundamental fact also makes them glaringly obvious and the message you are delivering is …“You aren’t important but, please like my page.” Sorry but, it’s just plain rude. […]

    Reply

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