Bite-sized conversations are the new norm with Twitter helping to lead the way 140 characters at a time. You reluctantly enter into the Twitter fray to promote your brand and want to make a good impression, but for some reason, your Tweeps and other Twitterers are just not that into you. Despite your good intentions, you may be committing one (or more) of four cardinal Twitter sins.

1. You come on too strong

Simply put, you ask too much from your Tweeps before establishing a rapport. Avoid sending stacks of (unanswered) direct messages using a ‘me monster’ mentality: Subscribe to my blog, follow my enewsletter or tap me to write a press release. It’s great in theory, but you need to make sure the content you are promoting is of interest to or invited by the follower.

Take the time to glance at their bio before reaching out. Sure, it takes a bit of effort, but you’ll build a loyal following.

2. You lack depth and substance

You can only talk about that tasty nitrogen milkshake or your not-so-great day for so long before others lose interest. Adding personality to your business tweets helps to humanize your brand, but do so in moderation. Similarly, vary the business-related content that you share. Balance your own content with content provided by third-party resources (they’ll appreciate the recognition). A mix of infographics, videos, blog posts, news articles, stats, etc. helps keep it interesting.

3. You’re not exactly a great conversationalist

Conversation implies a two-way dialog, but some Twitterers frankly don’t get that. You can tweet until your heart is content, but it isn’t until you consistently engage with others that you begin to use Twitter to its fullest. When people reciprocate a follow, retweet your post or show any sort of Twitter love, publicly recognize them. Also ask questions, request feedback and jump into conversations. You will get back what you give.

4. You keep ‘em waiting

Remember that really cute guy/girl that you said you’d call… and then didn’t? You can kiss that one goodbye. The same applies to Twitter. Be consistent in actively promoting and updating your Twitter page. There are varying opinions about how often you should post. A dozen a day is a good rule of thumb, although quality trumps quantity. If your last tweet was two months ago, your followers will get frustrated and disappear.

What Twitter fouls have led you to unfollow others? In your experience, what’s the best way to build an active follower base? Simply leave your comment in the box below.

Nikki Martin (@nikkimartinpr) is the Chief PR Officer of MOOv, which means she blends traditional PR with social media strategies to spark conversation, inspire action and cause change. Someday she hopes to perfect a back somersault (seriously!).

Image courtesy of Rosaura Ochoa.