Twitter SPAM can get you BANNED!

April 19th, 2010 by Search Influence Alumni

No one likes SPAM! I’m not talking about the canned meat product. I happen to like the stuff myself. It reminds me of camping when I was a kid. What I am talking about is that which clogs our inboxes, dilutes and degrades the integrity and usefulness of … well, pretty much every new form of communication that arises.

No Twitter Spam

In Twitter’s blog post “State of Twitter Spam” they identify

Twitter SPAM as “behaviors that range from insidious to annoying. Posting harmful links to phishing or malware sites, repeatedly posting duplicate tweets, and aggressively following and un-following accounts to attract attention”

Their progressive and aggressive approach to taking down the spammers has been a good fight. I’ve had numerous odd accounts follow me who seems to disappear due to “suspicious behavior” before I even got around to seeing who it was. I don’t know about you but I like that, a lot. It gives me confidence that I won’t be completely inundated with crap – I mean spam.

Some forms of Spam as identified under Twitter’s rules are (as quoted from their forum):

  • If you post duplicate content over multiple accounts or multiple duplicate updates on one account;
  • If your updates consist mainly of links, and not personal updates;
  • If you repeatedly post other users’ Tweets as your own;
  • If you have attempted to “sell” followers, particularly through tactics considered aggressive following or follower churn;

Here are a few perfect illustrations of Twitter SPAM “duplicate content over multiple accounts”

Twitter Spam Example

and the next one ….

Twitter Spam Example

And another….

Twitter Spam-50 Health Tips Every Woman Should Know

And another…

Twitter Spam - Best Hair Accesories

If you were to partake in this sort of evil for yourself or on the behalf of clients, the consequence could be an immediate termination of the account or accounts in question. 

Obviously, as marketers we need to consider the consequences of what we do for our clients. Ignorance of rules and policies does not exclude anyone from the repercussions of not following or understanding them.

If your client’s account is terminated, you put them at risk. Your efforts to create your Twitter brand awareness and embrace their customer base will alienate those customers and tarnish their name.

In the least, a lot of time and effort is lost. All of your building then has to start from over step one. If you did this in a client’s name, I would say it’s a safe bet their Twitter rebuilding efforts will be with someone else.

As users and viewers we can practice vigilance. If you see this type of behavior, flag it! Let Twitter know. If you’re not sure how, find out here. By all means, don’t follow the links or buy the products. Sometimes it’s hard to spot, but it’s important to be prudent in your clicking and buying.

Remember, every action is a vote. Don’t vote in favor of spam …

… unless it’s the salty, occasionally delicious, when-sitting next-to-a-campfire meat product.

Related reading:

Internet Marketing for Plastic Surgeons – Less Scary than You Think

You Can Buy Brand Love on Twitter?,

The Secret of Small Business Social Media – You Must be Present to Win

(Thanks for the pics! “hegarty_david” and “pabo76“)