To continue my ranty trend, after complaining about blogs last time, this time I'm focusing on Twitter and specifically, the things that stop me from sharing your post. Please note that this is my own personal viewpoint on the things that have stopped me mid-tweet and sent me away forever.
1. No Twitter Button
C'mon – Twitter provides a button code, so how hard is it to get a button and include it on your site? And if you are blogging on WordPress, there are plenty of social sharing plugins that include Twitter. In fact, there are even WordPress themes (like the one on my blog) that incorporate Twitter sharing functionality, so there's really no excuse.
2. Too Many Clicks
Having said that, I hate going to sites which make it too difficult to tweet. I do not want to authorize TwitThis or another tweeting application before I can send a tweet. I want to do it with a single click. If I can't, then I'm out of there and I may not even bother to comment.
3. Authorizing Twitter Applications
I know Twitter was probably doing us a favor by allowing bloggers to build apps to authorize tweets from particular websites (in fact, I bet that's a plugin), but I won't do it. If I click on a Twitter button and it asks me to authorize a website app (even if it's OAuth), I go elsewhere.
The reason? I already have a bunch of authorized apps that I actually use; I don't need one for each website I visit too! (There are a few exceptions, where I like the site enough, but mostly having to jump through hoops sends me away.)
4. Twitter Button Not Working
5. No Change to the Default Info
If you are using a Twitter, Digg Digg, AddThis or other button, then for heaven's sake, fill in the username information so that when I tweet it's included in the tweet automatically. And fix it so the post title is included too. While I might type it in for the first tweet of the day, if I'm having a tweetfest and I come across too many tweets which are not auto populated, I'll give up and go elsewhere.
This is what you need to do so that your Tweet looks perfect!
6. Too Many Twitter Hashtags
In contrast, some people really know how to use that auto populate tweet feature. Not only do they have a title, link and excerpt, but they've added so many hashtags that there's no room for my username or comment. I like to be able to say something about what I tweet, so leave me room to do it.
7. You Want Something in Return
You know all those tweet to download, tweet to access, tweet to … well, you get the picture. I hate them. Occasionally, I think that the resource is worth downloading and I'll tweet, but most of the time I leave the site forever. The truth is, that if you make it non-opt in accessible and I think it's good, I'll be so happy that I'll tweet it anyway and will come back looking for more. Something to think about, isn't it?
So those are some of my pet Twitter sharing peeves. I don't know if I'm typical or just a curmudgeon, so help me out and share your Twitter peeves in the comments.
Hi,
Evey one was busy posting “Why you should share a post”. So this post stands unique. Nice written. But I would suggest though twitter sharing requires a few clicks, which is bit annoying, those clicks are often an encouragement to amateur bloggers and hence they are means by which you can gain respect from those novice bloggers 😉
I can see that it wouldn’t be an issue for everyone, Jakes, but it is for me, sometimes. 🙂
Yes, that’s right.
That’s the reason why I prefer clicking on the Plus1 button or Facebook like to make recommendation to others. I don’t like the Tweet button much it takes more time and I can see the error “Twitter is over capacity” very often. Hopefully they will find out another way to retweet, a small popup like the Facebook like button would be better.
I’d forgotten about the over capacity error, Tuan. Again, that’s not the blogger’s fault, but if I go on to something else because Twitter is down, I may never get back.
Couldn’t agree more to the points mentioned Sharon!
These very same factors are the main reason that put me off as well and stop me from Tweeting a post. Some posts have the share button with Twitter that even ask you to connect to some application before you can tweet a post- another time consuming point. Or some blogs open the post on another page with just the title and link of the post- the rest of the information is missing!
Thanks for the reminders for those who miss out on these valid points 🙂
The more info there is, the better, Harleena. I once deleted a Twitter sharing plugin from my WordPress blog because it didn’t allow me to input my own username. Luckily, it was fixed in a later release.
Great post, Sharon. Number 5 is a pet peeve of mine. I was to attribute my tweet to the author, not to @AddThis. If the author doesn’t care enough to add their Twitter ID, then they’re making more work for me.
AddThis and AddtoAny both do that, Carolyn and I’m sure it can’t take more than a minute to change the default. Less work, more tweet, in my opinion, so make it easy, right? 🙂
Ah Sharon,
I too have some similar reasons as to why I would not tweet somebody’s post. I mean who would bother to tweet the post if there is not twitter button in the post or blog. This world is full of lazy people and people wont bother copying the post link and then shortening it and sharing and then tweeting it. Lol..that even to think is a long process. And on the other hand someone use authorization technique I would hardly tweet their post. It really is spammy these application stuffs.
Nice an a unique read
Glad you enjoyed it, Shiva.
Another great artiocle from Sharon. I agree with all these points, and especially (3). If a site requires me to authorize an application before I can send a tweet, I’ll go elsewhere.
Agree about too many hashtags too. In my view hashtags are over-used generally, and it’s especially irritating when they appear in pre-populated tweets. I normally delete any hashtags before tweeting out a message.
Sometimes there are so many hashtags that it seems pointless, Nick. I usually delete most of them, except the ones I would have put anyway (no more than 2 per tweet, usually).
That’s a lot of buttons, Sanjay. If you’ve got the basic ones (Twitter, Facebook, Google+) as well as a couple for blog promotion sites like BlogEngage, that should do it.
Geez, you’re cranky! 🙂 No, I absolutely agree! Simply put, if you want me to share your content then make it as easy as possible for me.
Exactly, Tory. 🙂
If I’m able to tweet without authorizing any new app then I’ll do it happily but if I have to do authorize any app then I would say Good Bye!!! I really don’t like to authorize app one crucial thing is security that’s it.
Sharon,
Great list of complaints here. I have to agree with you on them all. The biggest ones that irk me are not having the @address pre-filled and the, “tweet to post”.
Like you I will often tweet anyway if it is a good offer, and while I’m open to a “please tweet” encouragement/reminder, I don’t like feeling I’m forced to do something before I even see the value.
That’s the key, isn’t it, Steve? Encouragement rather than coercion – and don’t get me started on the sites where I have to enter my email address every time they release a new resource. If they have emailed me to tell me about it, then I should be able to do a straight download. I can feel another rant coming on. 🙂
Sharon, here are my toppers:
1. Too many clicks (I prefer the default Twitter button for this reason). Authorizing is not only too many clicks but most of the time it wait and annoying.
2. No Twitter handle. I would like the blogger to know that I’ve tweeted their stuff, plus I want my followers to know about the source blogger. @Addthis, @Sharethis – nope!
Thanks for sharing!
Jane.
Maybe the developers of those sharing plugins should make it obvious how to change usernames, Jane. If it’s obvious enough, maybe more people will do it.
It is experienced based and fifth point is the most attractive for me.
Since Buffer operates externally (i.e it’s not a built in site Twitter tool), then I think it falls outside this rant, Riya. I occasionally use Buffer too, but since it doesn’t include usernames, then it adds to the amount of work I have to do to tweet something.
Thanks Sharon, It’s my first visit to your blog and I’m glad I saw this post because after reading #5, it made me look at the Twitter share button I have on my blog and I noticed that the wrong text was being used when someone clicks to Tweet. Just fixed it. Thanks.
Glad to have helped, Dave. 🙂 Doing that makes sure you get the credit for your posts when someone tweets, so it’s pretty useful for bloggers, not just their readers.
Nice point Sharon, I was using addthis as my primary sharing plugin on my blog and now I have reduced it to just bottom of the post as it was creating extra effort for the readers. Now I am using the twitter button to handle my tweets with my twitter handle and can see the difference.
I agree with you about the points. I get just crazy when I need to register the app and when the Twitter button doesn’t work. But at the same time I may neglect everything if the site is really great.
The most important takeaway is to make it really easy for others to share your posts. Give them working share buttons and don’t make them jump through a bunch of hoops just to share.
Another wonderful post Sharon you gave us here. You are always sincere and truthful, straightforward and direct to the point. Neither do I trust twitter; I agree with you on all of your seven points. I would like to add one more from my little experience; ‘Twitter DM spam’. When I decide to follow Twitter updates, all of a sudden, messages were sent direct to me telling me to sign up to some newsletter or join a group or a forum. I took it as something selfless, which really bothers me.
Thanks for your input, Sanjeev, Anna, Richard. 🙂
Well, maybe I’m being a curmudgeon, or maybe the strss of my wife being in the hospital with a tumor is just making me cranky, but if I had to kow-tow to every Twitter “expert’s” demands on when they would or would not share a post, I’d have to give up blogging.
I use the tools I know about. If you want to alsuggest others, fine, but if I can’t get them to work with Blogger (or whatever platform I have already established for years), then I won’t use them.If that means you’re goin to be petty enough to refuse to share a post, that’s your decision, not mine.
I post for people to read. If someone wants to share it, I would hope they would share it, if not through the built-in capabilities then throug add-ins on your browser. If you’re too importanat to be bothered by that, it’s the loss of your friends & followers.
I never claimed to be an expert, Joe, just listing some of the annoyances I’ve had when trying to tweet stuff. One of the tools I use regularly to get round the absence of a Twitter button is the bit.ly bookmarklet, which auto-populates the tweet with the post title and link and usually leaves me enough space to comment.
I agree with some of this but I have to say by and large that I don’t mind the authorizing apps unless of course it takes multiple steps in order to authorize (like email, password, twitter id) and believe it or not some do. The reason I don’t mind is because those new bloggers really need some support and how else will they get it if we’re not sharing a great post
The thing that stops me from sharing a tweet more than ANYTHING is when I try to Retweet something and I can’t get it in the 140 characters and the ReTweet winds up being too long (Even after link shortening). They sadly I just reply to them or do nothing at all.
Thanks for sharing your insights, Nikki. One of the best tips I had on tweeting was to make them short enough so that when retweeted there was room for your username and a few words of comment.
Hi Sharon,
Interesting article, These are some really annoying reasons which certainly discourage your readers to tweet your post. You need to make it simple for your readers to tweet your post at any time. This is not a difficult task though as you mentioned some alternatives as well. 🙂
I like this. I never gave much thought to all of these other elements. The main reasons why I share information is because of the value of the content WHEN the button is available. Thanks for enlightening me.
I share things I find valuable, too, Marcie, but I can think of half a dozen occasions in the last week where I’ve given up on sharing something because of one of these issues.
I share information is because of the value of the content WHEN the button is available. Thanks for enlightening me.
this is so great article here. But I have buttons to share on my site.
You make some excellent points here, Sharon. As bloggers who want their stuff shared, we need to make it as convenient as possible for the readers to do so.
Thanks, Ana. I think one of the key ways to do this is to click the buttons ourselves when we install them and see what we get. Then we know exactly what our users are experiencing and whether we need to make any changes.
I hate when I have to register for a site just to tweet or comment on a post. I wish people would just keep things simple. If I have to register just to tweet a post, forget it.
I also hate those that make their twitter buttons hard to find. It is discouraging if I really like a post, and would like to share it, but I can’t find a Tweet button. I like things to stay simple – one click = one tweet.
Simplicity is key, Paul. I won’t register to comment on a post either.
I’ve gone through your list, and I’ve decided that because I comply with all those conditions that you’ve laid out, that the reason nobody tweets my posts is because nobody’s reading them! Either that or all my readers are very mean :p
Well, lots of people visit and don’t tweet, Robert – hang in there! 🙂
Sharon,
Good post.
I agree with you. When I am reading posts and commenting, I do not want to spend allot of time trying to tweet the post. If it is set up for me I will tweet it.
I try to tweet and share all of the posts I go to but when it gets difficult I just move on.
I think even beginner bloggers need to learn how to make things easy for people who are reading and commenting on their posts.
Having said that. I went and checked on how my blog is set up. I think it is set up so it is easy to tweet or share my content.
Thank you for a great post.
~Dee Ann Rice
Thanks, Dee-Anne. I see I’m not the only one who likes it to be easy to share stuff. 🙂
I personally think any twitter feed worth reading moves entirely too fast to catch anything that’s worth while…. I have my facebook tied in to Twitter and vice versa, but i never post directly to Twitter nor re-tweet anything.
Hmm…. You’re such a Curmudgeon, Sharon.
Kidding. I’m more or less the same.
Extra hoops to jump through? No thanks. No @handle? I’m less inclined to bother.
Have tended to forgive those who are using the ComLuv+ ‘Tweet to get dofollow’ carrot, because I love ComLuv so much (and use it myself).
Good stuff though. I run across blogs aplenty who wouldn’t get a tweet from you, and I’m sure they’re losing tweet potential with other visitors too.
I’m not alone here, am I, Jym? If I really want to share, there’s always Buffer or the bit.ly bookmarklet, but when I’m doing a quick pass, I don’t want any hoops.
The too many clicks is the one main reason I won’t share it. Such a hassle
Hello Sharon, Thank you for sharing your thoughts. That is also my problem with Twitter, that is why I haven’t using it for quite sometime now. It is really annoying and time consuming too.
OK, Sharon, you caught me! LOL I do tend to add a bunch of hashtags but you have my permission to remove one and add your comment.
Actually, I don’t have a tweet button at the top or on the side. I do have a box at the end of the post (by WP-Tweetbox) to make it easier (I hope) for visitors to retweet right after they read an article.
Your last one, “wanting something in return,” is the one I probably dislike the most. Even if I were inclined to request whatever it is, usually there is not enough information about the offer to know if it is even worthwhile.
Nice compilation. Rant on!
Hi Vernessa, that Tweetbox box can be useful. I’ve seen it on a couple of sites and it doesn’t always work, but at least it makes it easy to copy and paste the text.
As for ranting, you should hear me on the subject of people who want you to register before you can even find out if they have valuable info on the site. 😉 It makes me appreciate people who are generous with their info and their time (like you, Ileane and Gail Gardner of Growmap) even more.
I have my facebook tied in to Twitter and vice versa, but i never post directly to Twitter nor re-tweet anything.
Sharon, while most of the reasons you’re listing are valid, I’d like to share my perspective on the #1 reason why I (meaning me, Erich) won’t tweet a particular post: the post simply sucks. It’s not about the convenience that a post page provides the reader for tweeting. It’s all about the post quality. Whether or not, for instance, I put a handy one-click “tweet this” button on my post, if my post touches the reader at gut level, that reader will walk one, two, three miles to share my post to his/her social network. Tweet buttons are just conveniences. They’re pure gravy.
It’s true, Erich, that there are a few great posts people will share even if it’s difficult. For the posts that are merely good, for me personally, falling down on one of the areas I list means that I may not share it, even if I like it.
Hi, Sharon. You know, I realized that my previous comment was best-suited for an ideal world where bloggers wrote platinum-quality content–or at least the majority did. The sad truth is that a tiny fraction of bloggers today write only gold-quality, and the whopping majority write bronze-quality. So, yeah, for posts that are “merely good,” I myself won’t take pains to register for a service just to retweet a post.
I wholeheartedly agree with #3. News sites really upset me with this. Reminds me of a Mitch Hedberg joke about Pepperidge Farm bread and not liking the fact it is wrapped in two layers of plastic because he doesn’t want another step between him and toast. Why put that extra step in there. The Tweet button should be as convenient as humanly possible. You don’t want to give anyone a reason to give up on doing it.
Glad you agree, P A 🙂
I have seen many blogs with no twitter button on them. And thats the main reasn, the blog doesn’t becomes socially active and rather becomes just an onetime visiting blogs. I will keep all the points in my mind and will stick to them on my new blog.
Guess I’m not too trendy but since I don’t use social networking, and never will, Twitter ‘buttons’ or lack there-of, don’t concern me. Could never understand why half the world needs to ‘share’. I’ve used email for years and see no reason to further complicate my life.
Some News sites have a Twitter button, but the included text is too long for a tweet. This needs to be edited and sometimes I cannot be bothered.
Good point, Shanks Wabbit – it’s another pet peeve. 🙂