Write2Ignite

You’ve had your drivers’ license for longer than you’d care to admit. By now, you’ve learned a thing or two about the rules of the road. Did you know that Twitter rules of the road are similar?

1. Don’t drive without a license.
No matter how much you may hate your drivers’ license photo, you still need to carry that license with you whenever you drive.
When you open a Twitter account, be sure to upload a profile image. (Unlike your drivers’ license, you can choose the photo!) Also, be sure to complete the bio. Twitter is about relationships. People want to know who they are following.

2. Don’t speed.
Most roads have stated speed limits. We pay a steep fine for breaking the speed limit.
Twitter isn’t about speeding your way to thousands of followers. It takes time to build a substantial following – time and solid content. Instead of begging for followers or retweets, post tweets that offer value. Followers will come to you.

3. Don’t litter.
I hate it when drivers and passengers toss trash from their car windows. Nobody wants to see garbage lining the roadway.
Twitter users can be guilty of littering, too. Don’t litter your posts with announcements of what you had for breakfast. Your followers don’t need the clutter…or the litter.

4. Don’t be a self-centered driver.
Have you ever driven behind someone who doesn’t care about anyone else on the road? They don’t signal, they don’t allow anyone into their lane, or they back up traffic by driving below the speed limit in the fast lane.
Self-centered Twitter users don’t care about anyone else. Their tweets are all about me, me, me. Buy my book. Come to my event. They don’t post tweets that meet the needs of followers. They don’t retweet, or if they do, they copy others’ tweets without giving credit. The occasional self-promotional tweet is fine as long as long as it doesn’t dominate your posts. Follow the 80/20 rule – no more than 20% of your tweets should be self-promotion.

5. Don’t drive with windows tinted too dark.
Many states prohibit windows tinted so dark that you can’t see inside.
The Twitter equivalent is setting up a Twitter account, then making it private so followers have to request permission to follow you. If that’s what you’re doing, then you don’t understand Twitter.

6. Don’t carjack.
Carjacking is illegal.
Hijacking a Twitter feed should be illegal. What do I mean by hijacking? It’s when you post a bunch of tweets all at once, taking over the feeds of your followers instead of scheduling your posts throughout the day. No one appreciates a hijacker, no matter how substantial your tweets are. Think of your tweets as salt: sprinkle, don’t dump.

7. Call it in.
What do you do when you see a vehicle obviously weaving all over the road? You call it in before someone causes an accident.
What do you do when you receive Twitter offers for free iPads, smart phones, or cruises? Take a moment to report it as spam. With more than 200 million active users sending 400 million tweets each day, you’ll be doing the Twitter community a favor.

Proper use of Twitter will get you safely to your destination, while making it an enjoyable journey for everyone!

What Twitter rules of the road can you add to this list?

Ava Pennington is a writer, Bible teacher, and speaker. Her newest book, Daily Reflections on the Names of God: A Devotional, is endorsed by Precepts Ministries founder Kay Arthur. Additionally, Ava is co-author of Faith Basics for Kids. The first two books in the series are Do You Love Me More? and Will I See You Today? She has also written numerous articles for magazines such as Clubhouse, Today’s Christian Woman, Power for Living, and Called.
In addition to her writing, Ava also teaches a weekly, Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) class. She is a passionate speaker and teacher, and delights in challenging audiences with the truth of God’s word in relevant, enjoyable presentations. For more information, visit her at www.AvaWrites.com