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How To Get Your Twitter DM Read

byDouglas Ian
June 15, 2011
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DMThere’s little doubt that tweets are the lifeline of Twitter. When Twitter was launched, critics were quick to point out that there’s not much you can do with 140 characters. However, I’ve always believed that the character limit has been a blessing in disguise for Twitter as it encourages users to write meaningful and to the point tweets.

When Osama Bin Laden was killed last month, Twitter recorded a phenomenal 12.4 million tweets per hour (more than 3,000 tweets per second). While tweets and retweets rule the Tweetosphere, direct messages (DM) have often played second fiddle. In my opinion, direct messages are perhaps the most underutilized feature of Twitter. A number of people don’t read DMs simply because they don’t know about it while others feel DMs offer little value.

In this post, I walk through handy tips to get your Twitter DMs read.

Automated Direct Messages

First things first, I’ve no qualms in admitting that I’m not a big fan of automated direct messages. In fact, I usually don’t spend too much time reading automated follow DMs as they make little sense. On the contrary, I prefer reading meaningful direct messages which have been sent by humans and not by tools.

In fact, Twitter doesn’t have a great past with automated DMs as a large number of users have labeled these as spam.

Personalize

A DM literally means ‘direct message’. Therefore, it’s meant to be personal communication between you and your follower. It’s crucial to impart a personal touch to your DM to ensure that the reader feels the need to read it. It’s a good idea to include the recipient’s name and personalize the DM so that readers know you didn’t merely copy and paste the same message to all of your followers. Perhaps, compliment the user on their recent tweets or ask them for their feedback on a topic that interests them.

Interaction

A DM should have a purpose. It should encourage the reader to respond back or fulfill the intended call to action. A DM that lacks interactivity and fails to evoke a response from the reader is of no use.

Users like to read DMs only from trusted sources. Therefore, use DM as an exclusive channel to interact with your followers. Answer their queries, solicit their feedback and encourage them to ask questions about your industry/ business.

Don’ts

A DM is not a tweet and vice-versa. Therefore, what sounds as a perfect tweet or a retweet may be a disastrous DM. I strongly recommend Twitter users to avoid these common pitfalls

* Mass Messaging – If you send the same DM to all your followers, it defeats the purpose. Why not just tweet it? A mass DM lacks appeal and is likely to be treated as unimportant.

* Meaningless Information – If a DM lacks meaningful information, you are probably better off not sending it as it’s not likely to be read by your followers anyway.

* Pushy Marketing – DMs are not the place for placing pushy marketing content. If anything, such unwarranted DMs are likely to irritate your followers.

Lastly, if you don’t have the time or the purpose of sending a DM, don’t do it.

Do you use Twitter DM to interact with your followers? How do you ensure that your DM is read? Please share your experience by leaving a comment below this post.

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Douglas Ian
Douglas Ian is the Chief Editor of Smedio Magazine, Bestselling Author, Strategist, Speaker, and Trainer, who helps businesses grow their revenue through specialized business optimization strategies.
49 comments

  1. In most part, I agree with the above.
    Many of us are still learning some of the arts of using Twitter & Social media.
    As one of the older members of the new era of computers never mind IT’s rapid growth.
    Twitter allows for an international way of at least saying “Good morning or afternoon to a passing stranger”.
    Much as the conversation is limited to these simple words. It can and does open up further social intercourse.
    It does not have to be profit orientated and not all off the conversations that ensue are geared to business.
    A lot of good can and does come from these interactions.
    and some strong freindships follow.
    Surely this is a way forward. Direct Message from Mick a social and sometimes annoying member of the Twitter community.
    Outwith feel free to visit our website via Twitter.
    Note I have not included my web within the content of this comment!

    1. You not including your link actually made me to click through to see your Archery site @b1d3e910bf3a49ddab65e3b7190705ac:disqus 🙂 Be interesting and others will be interested. And it comes down to tweeting others the way you’d like to be tweeted.

      1. So true, if you notice others, they will notice you! Great post Douglas, I think DM’s are very valuable if not used in a spammy manner! 🙂 

  2. Thanks for another great article. 

    Douglas, I try to send a personal message to every person I follow back. 

    One of the things I do to differentiate my DM from spam is that I use the person’s name and often include a reference to something I see on their timeline, bio or on the blogs/web site. It’s very time consuming for me to do this, but I feel it has contributed to stronger relationships with people who are following my feed. 

    Because I’m on for a limited time each day (as opposed to tweeting all day/night), many of my followers will DM me throughout the day while I’m working, just to chat, and unless I am not here, I’ll usually go back and forth however many times are needed to conclude our conversation.

    Finally, I’m offended when I write a personal DM to someone and they respond with a “canned SPAM-like” DM, asking me to be their friend on Facebook or “like” their fan page. I’m like, “WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD I WANT TO DO THAT!?” 😀

    Cheers/Keep up the great articles/Terri

    1. Precisely, @google-ed7bd56e24b77e15069ebac7211918c5:disqus . It’s that personal touch that’s missing in most DMs. Many people see it smart to welcome every follower with a canned DM. There’s nothing more alienating than that on Twitter. Like you rightly said, nothing compared to a personalized DM that stands out among multitude of spams. It says, “I’m real and I really want to connect with you, and oh! I find you interesting.” Like you do Terri, you make it about that person and not you. That’s how great relationships, online or offline, are borne.

      Thanks for another great contribution Terri!

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