The Harsh Truth About Auto Twitter DM’s

I conducted an informal survey the other day on twitter about what people think about auto DM’s.

As some of you may know I have multiple twitter accounts two of which are @chadengle and @DCTH.

What having multiple twitter accounts has made me able to do is to discover new things that I would not have been able to if I only had one. For example: my personal account (@chadengle) I follow people based on RT’s and connectivity (do you chat with me etc.).

On the Design Community Twitter Account (if you don’t know what DCTH is check out #DCTH. I am following any and all designers/creatives. This has enabled me to see what mass and mass amounts of people use Auto DM’s. I personally hate them, canned responses that say “Hey thanks for the follow here is a lame plug for my website so I can get more traffic. www.lametwittermarketing.com”. Lame right? On my personal account I would unfollow without hesitating. But on DCTH I am just letting it fly. I polled my twitter followers the other day about what their thoughts were on Auto DM’s here were their responses.

@chadengle: QUESTION: Do you think that personalized DM upon follow is annoying?

@nickwichman: nope, if its for reals and meaningful, its cool. automated = lame-o + 1.

@chaseswindler: A personalized one is nice, not a canned response. Now if it’s a canned response I get pissed.

@kristofcreative: Re: personalized DM. Only annoying if it’s a canned DM or pitching a product/service. If it’s sincere, it’s cool.

@cdharrison: If you’re going to send someone something, just @ them. A DM gives the impression it’s potentially automated, IMO.

@andrew_cohen: Personalized? no. Automated, yes.

@moritzangermann: Ohh yes. I’m if someone sends me a DM the likelihood I will unfollow him is very high.

@mckelvaney: It can be, if it has any kind of boiler plate text in it.

@visualrhetor: If it seems genuine, I don’t find it annoying.

@mrrichardson: I would say personalized DMs are good. Automated not so much.

bellmas: No, just don’t sub a name in a canned response. If you make the time to DM make the time to briefly vet the person you’re DMing.

@robbmajor: just my opinion, but I think DMs thanking me for following, thanking me for RT, thanking me for a #followfriday are unnecessary

@CardinalPtREVA: Personalized DM not annoying. Prefer public convo BUT don’t think u should judge how someone uses Twitter – not 1 size fits all.

Ok, so as fate has it Auto “canned”, one size fit all DM’s are not the best method for twitter. Most people will tolerate them if they appear to be genuine and original per each user. So then ehy oh why do so many people use them? For that I am unsure. I am hoping that lame twitter marketing somehow educates these people and makes it easier for people to learn the correct way to use twitter.

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Be sure to read “Drop Your AutoDM’rs Day“