Twitter might be the latest social media networking tool that lets users communicate openly and freely across the world, but even open communications has rules and its own special style.
There are also a number of legal considerations to think about before tweeting.
Twitter Etiquette and Rules
In Joel Comm’s new book called twitter power (John Wiley & Sons, New Jersey, 2009), the author provides a good list of style guidelines and etiquette rules to follow. The author also provides a list of legal considerations for tweeting.
Comm wrote, “There are a few things that the company needs to do to blend in on Twitter and make sure that the image it’s putting across on the site strikes a cord. The first thing it needs to do is be human.”
The author suggests that companies choose a user name that reflects who they are, use a background image that promotes the message, converse with followers versus talk at them, and follow as many tweeters as is following its tweets.
While repetition is key to success, spamming is not allowable. If one is spamming, they lose all of their followers. One final rule, give credit for retweets when used. Retweets are tweets that follows pass on in their orginal wording.
Twitter Style
Tweeting is an informal communications tool but not quite as informal as text messaging. When sending text messages, abbreviations, symbols and numbers are often used in place of words. For example, c u l8er would be a text message for 'see you later'.
Style rules for Twitter differ in great degree from the informal texting style. Some of the style rules Comm writes about include:
- Use real words and not SMS abbreviations.
- Uppercase indicates that you are yelling, so using all uppercase letters should be avoided.
- Spell out all words and avoid using numbers for words.
- With only 140 characters, using sentence fragments is allowable.
- Stick to the 140 character rule.
Legal Twitter
Comm provides the following legal considerations where one can find oneself in trouble when tweeting:
- Defamation: damaging someone’s reputation.
- Privacy: disclosing someone’s secrets.
- Interference with business relations.
- Negligence which harms someone.
- Contract: ending up in an enforceable agreement.
- Trademark: confusing tweeters about a brand.
- Copyright infringement, don’t use someone else’s words.
Twittering
Using Twitter for future business is almost a must-do for any company because of Twitter’s massive following. To make sure Twitter is being used according to proper Twitter culture, following the few but important rules is imperative. A good place to learn is with Comm’s book.
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