This is kind of embarrassing, because you’d think I would know better. But when you’re excited about something and you want to share your enthusiasm with others, it can blind you to obvious things you should pay attention to. So I’m going to tell you this little story about how I made a faux pas on Twitter the other day so that you can avoid doing the same.
Grant Griffiths and I are hard at work putting the final touches on Blawging Lawyers, an resource to teach attorneys how to blog and grow their law practice (Grant’s the former lawyer in our dynamic duo, in case you couldn’t figure that out. 
). When I’m in the zone like this and completely immersed in getting something ready to launch, I hardly think about or spend time on anything else.
So, anyways, I hop on to Twitter, my favorite social media platform, and I see Brian Clark on there saying something about lawyers to someone, and I have Blawging Lawyers on the brain, right? So I just jump in with one of those “check this out” kind of tweets, thinking that Brian would be interested in seeing what I’m up to, for a couple reasons: he used to be a lawyer (and knows they could use the help) and I’m using what I learned in Brian’s Teaching Sells program (now closed again, sorry) to do it.
Here’s where I made my blunder, and where you can learn from my mistake: I figured he would be interested in hearing about what I was up to, and normally he would be, but you see, Brian was in the middle of a heated discussion with another person on twitter and he was being accused of all kinds of outrageous things by this person. The subject was not lawyers, but both of them are (or were) involved in law in a sense.
So I just jump in with an enthusiastic pitch for my program… and the timing couldn’t have been worse! Luckily, Brian’s a diplomatic dude and that prevented it from being any more embarrassing.
But… do you see the problem? On Twitter, people are involved in other conversations you’re not aware of, and you only see their half of the conversation. Just like you would look both ways before crossing the street, you should take a moment to check on another Twitter user’s current conversations before you just jump in with something. It only takes a second and it’s worth saving youself a little face.
Now, I know this episode wasn’t that big of a deal, but what if it was? At a social gathering in physical space, you would make sure you weren’t butting in inappropriately (unless you’re “that guy”), so why would you do that on Twitter? It pays to pay attention.
Twittetiquette is an important facet of Social Networking that makes you [us] stand out and reap the benefits of connecting with others in a virtual setting.
It *is* about being appropriate and engaged and it’s not as simple as it may seem.
You’re such a responsible cyber friend, Mike. I love that about you .
Thanks for sharing all of gems of information.
That’s a useful confession to share
I do try and check back in the stream before jumping in to conversations so I can work out what people are talking about. Not always, but this is a good reminder of why it’s a good idea
I have to admit, I’ve made some similar “blunders” on Twitter. I think sometimes it’s easy to forget that you’re not the only “one” having conversations via Social Media. Your contacts aren’t just sitting around waiting for your Tweets. They’re connecting with others too, and having conversations of their own.
When you only “see” one side of what’s going on, it’s easy to forget that there is another side you don’t “see.” That happens to all of us at some point or another, I think.
Thanks again, Mike, for so openly sharing yourself and your experiences. It helps remind us all what we easily forget, not to mention, reminding us that you’re human too – making some of the same mistakes us “little people” make. I have to say, it’s one of the things I truly enjoy about you.
lol this could be your 1st embarassing moment with twitter but i agree to what you say, It teach you to pay attention more and don start conservation until you are sure that you are in the right place and time to start it.
Hey Michael,
Thanks for being so open and honest and sharing your experience with us. It’s so true, you definitely have to look at the conversation in detail before jumping in.
I appreciate you!
Dali Burgado
Good point, it is very easy to forget that the steam of tweets flowing under your nose has a context you are not aware of.
I would argue that the heated discussion should have been moved out of the private domain into a DM stream and it is not your fault you landed in the middle of the argument.
Ah, Twitter. I recently joined it and am trying to figure out the best way to utilize it. This sounds like something I would do in a moment of .. “OH! They might be interested!” So, thanks for the useful “don’t do this” tip! =)
This is great advice and something I hadn’t thought about… lol. Thanks! Im not on much and planning to start it up again…just followed a bunch of folks so there are more convos going than ever on my page..I’ll keep this post in mind
Just good old common sense, but not something you would think to do unless you were forewarned! Thanks so much for the tip. Great info! I’m following YOU!!
It takes a big man to share a blunder for the benefit of others, Michael, and good on you for doing it! This is exactly the kind of concrete how-not-to reminder we all can use from time to time.
Good for you for sharing your blunder so that others won’t do the same. Very ego-less of you.
I’ve always been the sort at parties to listen until I have something to add, so on Twitter I tend to surf back a bit to find out what conversations are happening, before I start typing.
“On Twitter, people are involved in other conversations you’re not aware of, and you only see their half of the conversation.”
This is one thing that sucks in Twitter. When people with lot of followers post a question it is very tough to track responses. They should have a conversation view.
lol sometimes you’re just in such a hurry that you forget to analyze the social context. We all do that sometimes.
Michael,
Just curious. What tool do you use to take the extra step to view a conversation between two folks? Tweetdeck?
John
@John – Yes, I use TweetDeck. I just click on the name of someone and when their profile appears on the right, I scroll down and get the context (when I remember to, that is).
One thing though–re: twitter, you can’t be TOO cautious. It’s skimming, mostly, and you need to find ways to connect, and I’d advocate reaching out more than not.
Micheal,
I could visualize that happening in an offline setting. It’s so funny because the rules you would apply to networking socially offline almost always apply online. I’m super guilty of elbowing my way into conversations also. I’m learning to use some social etiquette when connecting with people on various social platforms. Great post!