Twitter is a great resource for everyday people to get in touch directly with brands. Most major companies have official Twitter pages, and a lot of them are run by social media representatives whose jobs are to answer to the comments and tweets people send their way.
However, as we’ve recently seen in a Tumblr blog Dumb Tweets @ Brands, tweeters are quickly abusing this power. Instead of sending constructive criticisms or questions that can be useful to others when representatives answer via Twitter, people are tweeting irrelevant comments, strange requests, and sentences we’re not even sure are in English. Unfortunately, the Tumblr doesn’t update as often as we’d like, so we did a little extra research to bring you 13 ways one should never, ever tweet at brands. That is, if you actually want results to your complains and questions.
1) Don’t ask awkward questions. Not only is it TMI, it’s definitely something one can figure out if they just read instruction manuals. I assume these come with instruction manuals … right?
2) Really? I hear paying to raise a baby is a ton more expensive.
3) Don’t act entitled. I mean, while you’re at it, why not complain about why Starbucks bathrooms are beginning to get locked from public access? Outrageous!
4) Tweet in a language easily understood by the brands to whom you’re trying to reach. And honestly, you might as well tip @BarackObama over this ludicrous complaint. Who puts lemon on their pizzas?
5) … this actually isn’t an offensive tweet as it is kind of awkward. Girl has big dreams. Big Mac dreams, that is.
6) Get your point straight. Like, seriously, where are my updates LOL just kidding I still love you but for real though. See how ridiculous that sounds?
7) Don’t ask silly questions. We’re assuming this is a rhetorical question, but it is also the quickest way for a brand, especially one as big as Facebook, to ignore your troll self.
8) Don’t be passive aggressive. The people responding to you are humans too.
9) Timely questions are great! But not this timely. This person asked Taco Bell, of all classy holiday dining establishments, just a little more than 24 hours before Christmas Day. Time stamps don’t lie.
10) Don’t ask location-specific questions, especially if they have nothing to do with the brand itself. What’s Walmart supposed to say about this, the guy was willing to work minimum wage so we let him get his swag on?
11) The signs outside of most Best Buy retailers encourage you to tweet them when you need them. But if you need them right now, just go up and talk to the sales associates!
12) Rude sarcasm is never appreciated. Also, how does one spend one million dollars on groceries? Can we come over for dinner some time?
13) If you don’t like something, ignore it. GameStop isn’t pleading you to sell your games. If you think it’s worth more, head over to Craigslist or eBay.
And there you have it, folks. Okay, so maybe some of these tweets are jokes, but if you’re going to make a statement about brands, make them witty. That way, you won’t appear on my posts and get made fun of. Good! Glad we have that understanding. Happy tweeting!
Image Credit: Some tweet screencaps provided by Dumb Tweets @ Brands
