This is the Reason Twitter Auto Direct Messages Suck and What You Can Do Instead

While I usually stick to more real life topics over here, I decided to address why Twitter AutoDMs suck here on my author account because I see authors over-utilizing this feature on Twitter, and it’s seriously affecting their ability to connect authentically with, and marketing effectively to, readers.

What is a Twitter AutoDM? 

Before I go any further, let’s define what I’m referring to. A Twitter autoDM is an automatically generated message a tweep has intentionally signed up to send out through a third-party service (Crowdfire, RoundTeam, TrueTwit — the irony bot that requires we click on a link to confirm we’re not a bot) to all new follows. It typically goes something like this:

Welcome new follower! Please download my book here http://allaboutme.co, review it, and tell all your friends. I’m also on Facebook at {insert link}, Instagram {link} and I’d love it if you can RT me because that’s how I can grow!

I wish I was kidding. This is an actual example (well, without the facetious link). You, as a user of Twitter, do not have to sign up for this shit (with one exception — more on that later). Twitter does not approve of these.

AutoDMs Damage First Impressions 

Why do I believe this?

First Impressions: I’ve been in sales, marketing, and training since 1987, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned in all that time, it’s when we connect with people the first time, our first impression needs to be our best — ya know, you never get a second chance to make a first impression and all that.

Do you want your first impression to be some lame-ass sale pitch to “Buy my book!” or a generic “Hey, have an awesome day!” message? Because what does that say about who you are as an author and your ability to write? If you can’t write a decent tweet, how are you going to sell your book? (P.S. spamming people with autoDMs to buy your book is a pretty ineffective way to sell. They don’t know you. Why should they do anything for you? Work harder.)

Relationship Marketing: As a true believer in the power of relationship marketing, the focus isn’t on a hurried, general ‘everyone is my customer’ sales pitch first thing, hoping in desperation for that one-time sale. As authors, focus instead on earning the trust of our readers, providing interesting content (ours and others), and when we do go for “The Ask,” it’s not awkward.

What is relationship marketing anyway? Here’s a simple definition:

“Relationship marketing is about forming long-term relationships with customers. Rather than trying to encourage a one-time sale, relationship marketing tries to foster customer loyalty by providing exemplary products and services.” (Source: MarketingSchools.org)

Auto-Scheduling vs. AutoDM: Finally, while a proponent of auto-scheduling some content (e.g., blog posts for #MondayBlogs or #ThursdayWrites), articles, visuals, etc., I take advantage of the visual marketing Twitter offers to make my branding very clear to new followers: what I do and who I am. That’s why we have bios, avatars, pinned tweets/posts, and headers. When someone sends out an autoDM that is redundant of what’s already on their bio/header/pinned tweets, they are wasting our time.

Let’s dig a little deeper.

What’s The Context?

When you have enabled sending an autoDM, what’s missing between you and the person you’ve sent it to is context. You’re sending a generic message to a total stranger into a void with no context whatsoever, a message where you’re assuming they are interested enough in your product (your book or blog) to want to be barraged with buy links or a throwaway ‘thanks.’

Is that something you want to receive?

Sure, they’ve followed you and that’s great. Does that mean this is the time to not only risk pissing them off and annoying them but also asking them to do things for you?

People who are in favor of autoDMs will argue that they don’t ask for anything. They simply want to say ‘thanks for the follow, have an awesome day,” and I get that. They don’t want to be rude. Again, what’s the context? It’s so generic. Snore. Here I say, nope. Sorry. That’s as bland as plain oatmeal. In fact, I almost fell asleep writing that paragraph.

So, What Can You Do instead? How About: 

• Thank them on their stream in real time
• Retweet them
• Fave one of their tweets
• Give them a shout out on #FF or #WW (Follow Friday or Writer Wednesday, if you participate)
• Take two seconds to read their bio, click on their site, read a blog post (another few seconds) and leave a comment (for the win!)
• Respond to one of their tweets — hey, there’s a winner! Live interaction — whoa. What a concept.

Please note:

If you do respond to someone in real time, don’t spam them. It should go without saying, but sadly, that’s not the case. People constantly spam their stuff on our live public feeds for ‘additional exposure,’ when savvy people with brains already get how Twitter works. We know how to look at their bios, headers, links, and pinned tweets. After almost ten years on Twitter, it comes down to three reasons people spam:

• Desperation
• Ignorance
• Laziness

That’s what comes across when you spam your work in a thank you, because really, is that a genuine thank you? No. It’s “Here’s what I want you to buy from me right now and I don’t know how else to engage with you, so I’ll just throw my book at you and hope you buy it.” Is that your strategic marketing plan?

Think about that.

The Optional Twitter-Approved DM Exception

Twitter has opened a door for medium to large businesses and developers to greet prospects with an automated DM — this is an option provided by Twitter only in these particular situations, and certainly not required. These autoDMs look different from your run-of-the-mill “Buy my book!” spam you are likely receiving from authors, so if you do get them, keep that in mind.

Here’s what Twitter’s Help Section says:

Businesses and developers have the option to show you a welcome message when you enter a new Direct Message conversation, which may include quick reply prompts with specific instructions to help streamline your communication. The welcome message you see may be tailored for you, including based on how you entered the conversation. For example, if you click or tap on a link or button in a Tweet to go to Direct Messages, you may see a customized welcome message to continue the topic or conversation.

Change Your Twitter Settings

To cut down on the DM spam you may be receiving, go into your Settings >> Privacy and Safety >> Direct Messages >> UNCHECK ‘Receive Direct Messages from Anyone’ >> Save (unless you want to receive DMs from anyone, that is).

If you are using an autoDM service, or you’re not sure, go into Settings >> Apps >> and click on Revoke Access for any app that looks unfamiliar or that you are not sure about. If an app you regularly use needs access, it will ping you.

Target Your Demographic 

If you’re not using an autoDM, congratulations. I’m so proud of you for moving over from The Dark Side. If you find you are consistently receiving tons of autoDMs from authors, and you are an author yourself, chances are you are not strategically targeting your demographic.

Unless your book demo is authors (as is the case for me with my BadRedhead Media 30-Day Book Marketing Challenge), you need to be following readers, book bloggers, book reviewers, publishers, agents, and other writing industry influencers. Read more about finding your readers on this BadRedheadMedia.com post. 

Twitter (and Other Social Media) is Free 

My friend said this to me about the autoDM issue: Twitter is free, so who are y’all to bitch about it? 

Here’s my point: I’m not bitching about Twitter. Twitter isn’t doing this. I’m irritated with authors who are cluelessly using it in a way that’s annoying AF. It’s about learning how to market your work, building relationships with readers, and building a robust author platform that includes far more than just Twitter.

Authors aren’t the only ones who do this of course. Millions of people use Twitter to hawk their crap, and that’s part of the issue of using a free service — you take the bad with the good.

And the issue isn’t limited to Twitter — we’ve all experienced spam on Facebook (people using PMs or adding us to groups without our permission grrrr to sell books, skincare, nail stuff, and what about those body wraps, gosh), Instagram (it’s getting so bad over there, too), Google+, Snapchat — it’s part of being on free social media.

Make An Effort 

Step one: write great books. Make them beautiful. If you’re self-publishing, hire an editor, professional formatter and graphic designer (or go with a company that does all these things for you in a package deal).

Step two: publishing is a business. Time to grow up. Unless you plan to write books nobody will read, learn how to market your damn books. “I just want to write,“ is a lofty goal, and more power to you. Until you make money actually, ya know, selling the books you write (and how do you plan to do that if you aren’t marketing them?) to sit in your hydrangea-covered bungalow up in the hills listening to Lana Del Rey, I suggest you learn how to market them.

Read through my BadRedheadMedia.com blog posts — they’re free. Buy my BadRedhead Media 30-Day Book Marketing Challenge if you want to spend $5 bucks. Find a way to connect with readers, book bloggers, reviewers, and other publishing industry folks. Even if your genre is small, find your demographic. Build relationships with your readers and they won’t let you down. AutoDMs are antithetical to everything I just wrote. So, make it stop.

Not to mention, all those messages do jack for your SEO, visibility, and Google ranking. If you’re not going through the effort of not bothering to connect with people, at least use a plug-in on your website to share old blog posts or something that will at least give you visibility. Work smart.

Bottom Line 

Social media is a huge part of our lives now, whether we embrace it or not. As authors, as professional businesspeople, the onus is on us to authentically engage with our end-user — readers, and I just don’t see how that’s possible with an automated greeting that asks/demands readers to spend money. Feel free to prove me wrong.

Find another way. Do the work. Better is possible.