STEAL THIS POST: How to respond when people ask you to tweet for them
I’m speaking at a conference in a few months – keynoting it, in fact. I’m obviously not going to mention which one, it could be any of the countless conferences at which I’m speaking over the next six months.
But the person running this conference has sent me (and my assistant) no less than five emails a piece asking me to blog, tweet, or otherwise do free PR for their conference. Knowing that I have over 50,000 followers, this conference organizer suspected that getting me to tweet about my attending would be an easy way for her to get free PR.
Ain’t. Gonna. Happen.
I’ve built my Twitter following on what I preach in my speeches: Honesty, transparency, brevity, relevance, and top-of-mind presence – i.e., offering you valuable information in exchange for you letting me into your life. The day I start shilling for other people is the day my Twitter stream becomes nothing more than advertising, or than a press release submitted over a wire.
Ain’t. EVER. Gonna. Happen.
So… Next time you’re doing something and someone asks you to “just make a quick tweet” for them to promote for them, feel free to steal my email below.
Dear XXXX
My assistant Meagan and I have received your multiple messages regarding my tweeting and blogging my speech at your conference.
I’ve built my Twitter following to well over 50,000 people by obeying some very simple rules, which I’ll share with you here:
1) I don’t blatantly self-promote.
2) I post links of interest, and links of value.
3) I don’t waste people’s time with repetitive posting, or tweets that serve no purpose.
4) I don’t double or triple post.As we get closer to the date of the conference, I will make mention that I’m keynoting your event, in a way that benefits my followers. I will not, however, advertise for you to my followers, who sign up to receive valuable insight from me, not blatant advertisements.
I tweet about all my keynotes, XXXX. But I do it in my voice, on my time, in a way that’s not blatantly advertorial, self-promoting, or self-serving. Those are my rules. I don’t violate them. Ever.
I’m sure you understand.
Best regards,
-Peter Shankman
EDITED TO ADD: I mistakenly left the person’s first name in the second XXXX in the last paragraph. That was an editing mistake, and I never intended to “out” said person. I have no reason to. As such, I’ve removed the name, and all references to this conference or person. This post was designed to talk about my Twitter rules, not to take anyone to task.
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:31 am
Hmmm. I commented on the lack on anonymization, and while the post was fixed, my comment was deleted. Where is the transparency in that? Don’t worry, I won’t post the name of the conference.
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:32 am
What if your entire job is selling out……. eeek. Ha, great post and might help me fend off some requests. You are so wise.
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:33 am
Although I do blatantly self-promote (because Backpacking Dad and the Backpacking Dad brand of cologne for men who want to smell like they’ve been hauling a toddler around all day are both vital for the economy in these uncertain times), rarely post links of interest (I may have Rickrolled your mom yesterday), constantly tweet to no purpose (I make a point of posting tweets about my cat rolling over, although those are basically lies), and often double or triple post (you know, because that one guy in Michigan may have missed the tweet about my cat Rickrolling his mom over when I tweeted in the morning) I have to say I do appreciate your Reject-a-Tweet letter. I often receive e-mails from a charitable organization whose goal seems to be to get inner city kids into the fields to look for land mines and they’d like me to tweet about their new projects and I never know what to say.
Well now I do. From now on I will tell XXXXX that I have rules that I just won’t violate.
;}
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:33 am
Actually, ANON, your comment wasn’t posted because you chose to list your address as “anon@anon.com” – That’s not too transparent, y’know? Want to be listed here? Post your name.
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:41 am
Peter, two words: well said.
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:43 am
@Peter – Touche
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:01 am
Refreshing to hear! When I joined Twitter, I decided that I would be a small business owner that shares her simple day + support the causes I believe in..I will let people know if I will be somewhere, but, I don’t remind them over + over. I figure that if they enjoy what I have to say, they are big enough to look at my profile & possibly visit my website. I also don’t “beg” for followers – what a turn off! Lastly, I try to hold my tongue + not lash out about the bad day I’m having (rarely happens anyway), because not only am I representing my business, but, myself. I try to strive for positive energy. Thanks for sharing your rules!
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:02 am
For the record, I DO appreciate the Reject-a-Tweet letter. Totally not trolling.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:10 am
I love this. As my Twitter following grows, I try to be more and more respectful of what I send out to almost 11K people. Especially when promotion is involved. It is a delicate balance.
As a conference host, I can not imagine making demands on speakers to send out specific Tweets about @BlissDom. The beauty of Twitter is the organic nature of the feedback we receive.
“I tweet about all my keynotes, XXXX. But I do it in my voice, on my time, in a way that’s not blatantly advertorial, self-promoting, or self-serving. Those are my rules. I don’t violate them. Ever.”
Excellent.
Thank you for this post. It is a must read.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:18 am
[...] This post was Twitted by ianooy [...]
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:25 am
As one of your 50,000+ followers, I would just like to say thank you for sticking to your rules.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:34 am
You have probably bust a gut to get where you are, so why compromise! Bang on approach.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:35 am
Hey, Peter. Perhaps the thing to do is to put this letter in your up front agreement to speak at the conference. That way, everyone’s saved embarrassment, and you can do the REALLY principled thing the moment someone suggests pimping their gig, and pull out on the spot, leaving them to clear up the mess. THAT is the way to teach people who piggyback others’ goodwill that they can’t get away with it.
That sounds negative, but it’s not meant to. I love the sentiment. I just think it’s easier on everyone and makes for better relationships all round if you’re totally open up front. That way no one’s disappointed and, knowing the rules of engagement, everyone can get on happily.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:44 am
Peter,
Thanks for such a great topic for discussion. I get the same request every time I speak and have done my best to oblige in a way that does benefit the receiver of the msg. I so appreciate your clarity and candor in laying out your rules. Your letter will certainly help with those anoying and pesky repetetive emails.
I may not be as stringent in my twittering – hey I do ocassionally repeat a tweet – not the same as retweet
and like to think that 99% of what I have to say is of value to someone (other than me). Ocassionally I do go off on a tangent Gotta. Work. On. That.
Thanks too for a great program at PRSA Miami. And for allowing me to take a pic with you and Jessica Kizorek!
Stay well,
Heidi Richards Mooney
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:55 am
You make a very good point. Thank you for giving me another moment to stop and take a good look at my social media policies.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:56 am
Love the letter Peter! I think it is totally acceptable to be Tweeting when you are about to attend a conference. I even think it is okay to let your 50,000 followers know that you have signed on as the keynote speaker. I mean, they obviously enjoy hearing what you say! I follow you and admit that if you were speaking at a conference in my area, I would like to know about it so that I could see about attending.
What is not okay is having the conference bully or beg you into Tweeting on their behalf. Not cool. You obviously know how to Tweet and don’t need to be told how to do so. Kudos for putting XXXX back in their place!
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:58 am
Congrats on the upcoming keynote.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:03 am
Thanks for being above the fray! And actually, I just noticed yesterday you are keynoting a conference in my town (Houston) next month. I hope this wasn’t the organizer bugging you but I’m going to do my best to go anyway. And if not, would love to tweetup.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:06 am
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September 3rd, 2009 at 11:13 am
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September 3rd, 2009 at 11:24 am
I may get banned from the popular kids’ club for saying this, but isn’t starting off this post talking about the countless conferences you’re speaking at self-promotion? Why not send a tweet for the conference organizer? Help out someone who is helping you!
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:30 am
I find this to be valid, as long as you made your Twitter guidelines known to those who booked you. When I pitch myself for speaking I also pitch my Twitter and fanpage feeds. But that is because I only do talks/workshops on things I actually think my followers would be interested in….So I don’t feel bad pimping a gig.
There is an assumption in the public speaking circut that speakers will promote a conference because it ulitmately promotes THE SPEAKER. Which as we all know is part of the job. But maybe because you are so dang popular and no longer feel a need to advertise yourself…you are one of the few who do not want to promote your speaking engagements.
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:08 pm
I love you! It’s so refreshing to know there are still people out there who stick to their beliefs and still come out ahead in the long run. Nice guys don’t always finish last.
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Marcy and Amy: That’s really what you took away from this post? That I’m “too big” to promote my speaking engagements anymore? wow. Totally not what I was going for.
I wrote: “As we get closer to the date of the conference, I will make mention that I’m keynoting your event, in a way that benefits my followers.”
And I will – but in a way that adds value to my followers. Saying “I’M SPEAKING HERE COME SEE ME TICKETS ARE ONLY X DOLLARS!” wouldn’t really ad value, would it? But “Speaking at a conference next week with brilliant minds like X Y and Z talking about social media and small business” might.
Sorry you didn’t see that.
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:58 pm
GLAP – “as long as you made your Twitter guidelines known to those who booked you” – that’s the point I was making. I’ve been thinking since I posted it – maybe it’s the British cynic in me, but I wonder if there’s something a tad disingenuous about claiming moral high ground when someone doesn’t make their principles known from the start. Transparency. Transparency. Transparency. The three rules of trust.
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Obviously, I wasn’t on the receiving end of the reminders you were receiving. They may well have been pushy or annoying, which would in turn inform the irritated tone of your response.
I think there’s a balance here, however, between rejecting requests to help with promotion of something you’re a part of, and ALL CAPS Billy Mays-style GET A TICKET tweets.
It’s possible they’re asking because they’re having trouble selling tickets or getting attention for the conference, because there are — as you said yourself — countless other ones on the go, too.
Not to mention that there is a lot of promotional noise out there… which is, no doubt, part of what informs your Twitter guidelines.
However, I’m not sure it’s fair to completely disregard them.
A quick, “Wanted to give everyone a head’s up about an upcoming event with some great folks” isn’t a blaring sales message, and responds nicely to any sense of panic the organizers may be experiencing — especially if the person emailing you is under constant pressure from *someone else* to get the word out.
Waiting until the time feels right to you might mean you announce something after ticket sales are over (most venues need a firm number of attendees a while before conferences occur), or that people who would have enjoyed the opportunity to hear you made other plans for those dates.
I’d just say, “I’ll absolutely give it a mention — thanks!” and then I’d ignore any other requests I thought were extraneous. I don’t really think emails from conference organizers are really tantamount to harassment or “bullying”, as a previous commenter suggested.
Why? Because isn’t a matter of “shilling” for someone else (it’s your keynote, even if it’s their conference), or a grab for free PR (although what’s wrong with free PR? Hello, social media!), even if their approach in requesting it is a little nutty — but again, there are pressures behind that, too.
Granted, since you speak at “countless” things, I guess they can just see you somewhere else, but I still advocate for a thoughtful balance.
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:47 pm
(Also, I have a faint memory of a HARO giveaway explosion — wouldn’t that be encouraging others to “spam” their followers like mad to win something?
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Very cool post and I commend you for stating your policies and it speaks to the fact that each individual can control their own Twitter experience, but I will argue that there is no true or right way to use Twitter. However, getting blatant requests to promote is respected and valued. I constantly get DMs from people to ask me to RT their posts and if I think my stream benefits from them, I do. Most of the time I do RT, but there are times I don’t because I don’t believe it. I do come from the school where giving is just part of what I do, and if I worry about people not following me because of this, then I stop being myself. In the end, those who stick in my steam decided to do so because I am being myself, and I think that is what you do, which is great. State your policy and embrace it. Nice post.
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:07 pm
I just had to say AMEN here my friend. I’ve run into the same thing more then once and it is annoying. If I’m compelled to talk about it then I will, but I will do it for my own reasons.
Thanks for saying what more then one of us has been thinking!
September 3rd, 2009 at 7:43 pm
I couldn’t agree more with the sentiment expressed. In fact, I created a short video on Twitter that speaks to a similar subject, promoting products on Twitter: http://bbltwt.com/hbna0
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Dear Peter —
Your notes are always helpful, and as someone who teaches and inspires young people in the business — I think you are doing a wonderful job. Some of these early – comments, are either nasty or sarcastic – or trying to be funny, and perhaps – I’m just not getting the nuance of the internet medium, or just have a bit of burnout from a summer with a teenager.
I know a lot of people in PR, Marketing, Branding and Social networking that are probably coughing up fur balls of jealousy, and should realize that if they work hard, think creatively and have incredible talent; that they too, can succeed. This business has been very, very good to us, indeed. I know your philosophy and mine – everyday is to do something wonderful for someone else – and it makes us happier, and healthier – and there is nothing wrong with it.. we can still be successful and still have the edge – we just don’t have to be so bitchy and nasty.. Have a wonderful night. Hope to see you at my party on Thursday for Fashion night — I’m doing a benefit for Epilepsy – THE PURPLE EVENT —bring some friends if you like — 7:30 p.m. — 10 p.m. http://www.akfus.org/purple-event.php. -
Sony Plaza Atrium
550 Madison Ave, NY
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Very well put. I wanted to say, “Go man. Let her do the work of building 50K Twitter followers and see if she will give you free publicity.” I expect someone like that does not understand the Twitter we know and use. I am glad you do. Thank you for this blog and passing on an ethical stand in a practical way-transferable denial letter! Bob
September 4th, 2009 at 7:15 am
Good for you Peter. I can’t tell you have many people I have un-followed for violating these simple rules.
September 4th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Thanks, Peter! I completely agree. When I attended your speaking engagement/happy hour at the OkieSmart conference, you reinforced these values and basically put into words the values that I try to exemplify every day in my business.
Also, you pointed out that you don’t blatantly self-promote. So true – people who are reading this are people who have chosen to follow you, whether they’ve personally heard you speak or heard about you from others. And further, there is no need for you to tweet about conferences at which you are speaking – you post your schedule on here for all to see. If they choose to attend that conference, that works to benefit you and the organization hosting the conference. Thank you for putting this out there, once again putting my thoughts into clear and concise words.
September 4th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Just here to second what the majority have already said. Thank you.
I plan on using this letter myself whenever I am asked to tweet to my followers. I’ve worked hard at building my brand by tweeting my way; I don’t plan on having companies use my tweet stream as free advertising.
Thanks again.
September 4th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
As one of your 50,000 followers, I like the way you handle tweeting about conferences, much the same as you tweet about meeting up with your friends or a good article you just read — It really IS what you are doing right now.
September 5th, 2009 at 3:21 am
well said – thanks. helpful even for the twitter novice
September 5th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
[...] This post was Twitted by Anaya_midz [...]
September 8th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
This is why I tell people that you’re a good role model. Not just ’cause you’re a spaz that lives life the way they want to, but because you practice AND preach good values. I may have to copy that letter in the future.
September 16th, 2009 at 7:54 am
I read this blog a week ago and I am so glad that I did. We were confronted with a similar situation at our office this week and it was wonderful to have a formulated answer to draw from when crafting my response.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this topic.
February 11th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
I really appreciate how you take a stand against sending out garbage on twitter. It is just as bad as facebook “status updates” that inform me some idiot had cornflakes for breakfast or worse is thinking about McDonald’s for lunch. Say something meaningful, interesting, funny or actionable. Otherwise shut up or we’ll have to take your keyboard away.