Sarah Zibanejadrad

1. Referring to someone as a “Twitterer,” “Twatter,” “Twit.” Someone who sends tweets is a “tweeter.” ‘Nuff said. You would be amazed with how many news outlets, media aggregates, and alleged social media gurus don’t know the correct noun to use in this scenario.

2. It’s called a “tweet.” With #1 said, when someone sends a public post via Twitter, it is a tweet. The verb for this is “tweeted,” again not “twitted,” “twatted,” “tweetered,” etc.

3. Automatic Thank Yous. For some reason, it really irks me when someone sends a DM (direct message) or tweets “Thanks for the follow!” after I decide to follow their feed. I equate this to the Myspace days of telling someone “Thanks for the add!” I understand wanting to appreciate your followers by sending a message, but it’s neither personalized nor necessary. It won’t keep someone as a follower if you spam their Twitter feed, don’t post enough, or don’t post relevant content.

4. Cursing. Don’t get me wrong, in reality I curse like a sailor. However, there’s something trashy about cussing incessantly in every tweet that disqualifies everything you say, even if I agree with the statement. Plus, your Twitter feed will be there for an indefinite amount of time. So, even if you think that it’s cute to drop f-bombs while you’re in college or happily employed, it will come back to haunt you when you’re looking to get hired or your boss sees it.

5. Trash-talking your job. I understand your jobs sucks and you hate your boss, but going back to #4: Your boss could easily see these tweets after a quick Google search. If you don’t mind getting fired or finding a new job, though, knock yourself out.

6. Checking in on Foursquare every 5 seconds. I don’t care if you’re at home, at the grocery store, or using the bathroom. It’s cool to check-in if you’re visiting a location that is a bit out of the ordinary or a landmark, like the White House, the Space Needle, or the Hollywood sign. Or, if you’re checking in at a business to get a discount or perk that you can only retrieve via Foursquare, checking in makes sense. Let’s face it, though, unless you’re trying to notify stalkers, who cares when you check-in at “Poorly-Lit Target Parking Lot.”

7. Tweeting the exact same thing over and over. I understand that you want people to read your blog, but you couldn’t come up with 140 new characters to promote it? Even if you’re using an account manager to schedule posts, add some variety to your posts. After all, variety is the spice of life.

8. Spammers, bots, and tweeting just a link. Self-explanatory. Why is it I have an odd-feeling that you don’t actually make thousands of dollars via Twitter every year by working from home and that you’re not actually a doctor from Nigeria?

9. Companies with a dying Twitter account. Getting involved in social media is becoming a must for companies in today’s marketplace. But, having a Twitter and neglecting it is worse than not having a Twitter at all. Either get someone to update it regularly (once a week is NOT regularly) or decide if Twitter is a good fit for your company.

10. Not “joining the conversation.” Twitter’s entire concept and brand is founded on their slogan “Join the conversation.” Just posting random tweets and never interacting with followers simply defeats the purpose. It’s like talking to yourself: The only people who do that are neurotic, socially awkward,  or overly self-involved.