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56 Comments

Maker-Twitter is getting more useless every day!

Did you guys seen the change in devs/makers/entreprenuers getting more and more ridiculous lately? Almost everyone is trying to post some threads with generic "tips", which are mostly useless and then adding their newsletter, YouTube or TikToks as a second post.

What do you think of this shift from makers on Twitter? I, personally don't like it at all and already unfollowed many makers because of this.

I get it, that people want to share their other projects like YouTube channels and newsletters, but if there are useless tips or 1:1 copy from other makers then it is getting out of control.
Of course, this is mostly due to rise of popularity of Twitter tools.

I really miss the days, where a Twitter thread was really to put out some good tips or talk about interesting topics and not to market the authors other social media channels.

  1. 19

    I don't really get what part offends you.

    Is it that people plug their newsletters? Or that the content is mediocre?

    The solution to the second problem is easy. Stop following people who put out content you don't like.

    And I always find it strange when people complain about people's self-promotion. If you're not promoting your stuff, no one will. Your Twitter account can be banned or hacked at any time. But your email list stays with you forever. So it's a smart strategy to drive people from a borrowed channel like Twitter to an owned channel like a newsletter.

    Creating great content takes a lot of time and effort. Why would anyone invest in content it if they're not getting something in return?

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      Mate you're supposed to give for free 😉

      On a serious note, I think if the balance is there it's fair game.

    2. 3

      I thought exactly the same.
      If you do not like your twitter stream unfollow the people you don't like and follow the ones you do.

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        Yeah it's not hard to do - you're meant to curate it

    3. 2

      We can't simply ignore stuff that annoys us, right. You don't like traffic, stop using a car. Problem solved.

      I think the problem here is we don't really know if self-promotion, shameless plugs actually works. There is no indication or metric to tell. We see it online and replicate without knowing if it's the right approach.

      I've sold several digital products, almost none of the sales happened during active marketing phase. Just like this comment, someone saw this, get curious to check my profile, find my marketing post and bought whatever I'm selling. It's an invisible process, almost too hard to notice.

      Maybe it's not always the best to be one click away. Let curios people to investigate and find their own ways to your portfolio/newsletter/blog. Giving them a chance to enjoy the moment of finding a treasure. That's my two cents. We may becoming blind to those self-promotions.

      1. 2

        If you don't like traffic you can move to an island without cars or at least a walkable city with no cars allowed in the center.

        If you don't like people's content, you can unfollow or even block/mute them.

        ANd why shouldn't we be able to tell if self-promotion works? I can tell exactly how many newsletter subscribers I get by plugging the link at the end of thread, and you can track how many sales you make by using url parameters etc.

        There are of course also indirect effects that are harder to measure. But I think it's a lot more honest to just ask directly instead of using some kind of covert contract and then getting frustrated if it doesn't work out.

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    4. 1

      It amazes me that a business-focused forum would not know this is common sense. Of course people are going to promote their products, they're building a business.

  2. 13

    The issue is that everyone's been told they should build an audience (not necessary at all) and the easiest way to build an audience and keep it growing is to post thoughtless, repurposed junk that is often pseudo-inspirational nonsense or the same "tips" as everyone else.

    1. 3

      Honestly, if everyone is doing the same thing, it's clear that it's not the smartest path forward.

      The sheer saturation will ensure that no one gets anywhere by doing the exact same thing.

      There has to be an edge or a moat somewhere.

  3. 10

    People! I think you misunderstand Yasin's post.

    His problem is not the self-promotion, but the useless, recycled tweets and threads that everyone posts. Often they are generic and meaningless.

    I see the same problem in my timeline (and I'm not even following 80% of those accounts), and it's just annoying and boring.

    1. 1

      He said:

      "I really miss the days, where a Twitter thread was really to put out some good tips or talk about interesting topics and not to market the authors other social media channels."

      So he is also talking about general self-promotion, not just useless, recycled gimmicky tweets.

    2. 1

      As mentioned above, the solution to this problem is easy: stop following such accounts.

      1. 5

        As mentioned in my reply I do not follow them.

        I just see their tweets because they're also developers and/or indie hackers just like me, so Twitter thinks I'm interested in them.

        For example, I just checked in. I don't follow any of those accounts:

        1. 3

          I think the chronological timeline fixes this.

  4. 5

    It could be a sign that you are spending more time than required on Twitter.

    1:1 copies, same old jokes was always a thing. Maybe people started to use these more often with the automation tools.

    However the days you were missing are the same as today, there is a huge circulation in social media. Something old to you is totally new and inspiring to the thousands joined yesterday. Those good threads and tips was old news to the older users.

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      Do you not like my jokes 😢

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        Wait, were you joking? 🤣

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          You will never know ;_)

  5. 3

    I actually have a framework for that. Anyone who crosses 10k followers starts publishing more junk & fluff compared to beneficial content. And when they reach 100k followers the ratio is more or less 90% junk and 10% useful content. Around 500k followers the junk content completely takes over. So the best thing to do is automatically unsubscribe them when they reach 100k :)

    When they share something useful, the other people below 10k whom you follow already retweet that. So you don't miss anything and keep your sanity.

    1. 1

      "When they share something useful, the other people below 10k whom you follow already retweet that."

      This is an underrated comment. I've never followed accounts with big followings since their whole shtick is quantity > quality (and supposedly the algorithm also rewards this). Their top filtered content makes its way to my feed via intermediary follows haha

  6. 3

    This is going to be an unpopular opinion, but the rise of certain Twitter companion apps (whom shall not be named) that allow users to just copy + schedule to queue popular tweets with just one click probably has something to do with it.

    They log into their scheduling app, they're presented with a collection of the hottest/best-performing tweets written by other people in their niche, click "reuse," and then it's automatically added to their posting queue.

    This results in everyone basically copying each other, saying the same thing, posting the same old tired platitudes, and interspersing their copied content with their promo material/links.

    All in an attempt to growth-hack their follower count as quickly and easily as possible.

    Hell, our users for Zlappo are also pushing very hard for this feature, and I'm still considering if it would be a net benefit to the signal:noise ratio in the Twitter space (though I'm sure it will be great for my own bottom line).

    I'm just giving one perspective as a founder of a Twitter growth tool where this repetitiveness/lack of authenticity might be coming from.

    1. 2

      I'm glad you've said this. For my next side project I was going to start building a social media manager, content scheduling being a commonly requested feature.

      The one thing that has me on the fence is contributing to a dreadful signal:noise ratio. I don't really want to help people spread inane noise to build audiences.

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      I like the project you're up to, but how your tool helps to build a profitable audince? Is it because of the gumroad promocode feature and auto DMs?

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        Yes, you can pre-schedule Gumroad sales and automatically direct your engaged users into your sales funnel via auto-DMs, but those are just 2 of many mechanics we use to turn Twitter accounts into funnels.

        The main strategy is really just to help our users create genuine content that builds trust and authority, help post those content at the best possible times, and get the full mileage out of said content through judicious auto-retweeting.

        If you have that as a base, an audience that's engaged, trusts you, and eagerly awaits your next tweet/thread, selling anything will be an absolute breeze.

        Also the focus is to employ automation for the most tedious tasks, such as retweeting and plugging your offers.

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          Can you explain the genuine content that builds trust and authority part?

          Curious as I'm now paying for Tweethunter and Feedhive.

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    the worst thing is ppl are using AI to generate the tweets which means you are spending an actual time consuming an AI generated content

    Creator is winning by using AI and consumer is loosing

  8. 2

    Think the issue is that the algorithm prefers the mainstream junk stuff.

    But you can ignore that (also click on things that you don't like and tag is as not interesting).

    Follow people who you find provide value.

    DONE! : )

  9. 2

    those days were gone, we're in the phase of numbers over quality.

  10. 2

    As a person who's made that mistake in the past I can tell you it is often quite innocent. You want to provide value and you want to promote your thing and you do it in the same breath. You're right that it doesn't work, it is annoying and takes value from the community. It's a better strategy to provide real value upfront and self promote second. But that doesn't come naturally to everyone. Some people need to learn. Some people never learn. Some people have different values than you do and don't mind ruining your experience if they think they can gain something from it.
    You're not going to change anyone that doesn't want to change. Possibly your best option is to leave twitter.

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      The problem is not self-promotion. It's totally okay. The real problem imo is the recycled tweets and threads published with Hunter and Fury.

      They are literally recycled 100x times and become so generic and low-value.

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        ah fair point. You can't change it though. The moderation of the platform can mitigate the problem. I don't see another good choice but to leave a platform once the cost outweighs the value.

  11. 2

    YES! 98% of threads are regurgitated content already seen so many times

  12. 2

    I feel the same.
    Feels like I'm getting ads from the author with in-between ads from Twitter. Lol

  13. 1

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  14. 1

    We are in the "build an audience" era so everyone is trying to build an audience by creating a very generic thread ( most of the time entry-level subject ) in order to grow rapidly. The problem is that this model work ( the twitter algorithm is always recommending this type of useless threads ) and everyone knows that it works so everyone is doing the same thing and this is destroying twitter.

  15. 1

    Those who make content that is not like everyone else will become more popular. I am sure that the content will evolve soon.

  16. 1

    I feel the same too,
    Just recently I posted the tweet for us Founders:

    Which is: There should be #100DaysOfStartup instead of just code thing.

    Everybody knows code now-a-days already!

  17. 1

    I used to only use twitter for entertainment and memes. Not until recently, I discovered you can find all sorts of educational/meaningful content. It really just depends on who you follow. if you feel your feed is full of useless threads, maybe you have to refine who you follow.

    I also agree with the comments- if you're not going to push your content...who else will!!! you have to be your own biggest fan.

    Someone also said generic content is what gets attention and i feel like thats somewhat true...if you think about best practises when it comes to content creation, simple language makes a big difference. With that being said though, balance is key. you have to be able to dive deeper than the basics to keep and build your audience.

  18. 1

    I wrote about the "7 tips to use that will help you avoid this" over on my YouTube channel, remember to subscribe, like, ring the bell, and bark at the moon and I'll send you a free guide on how to start a free guide drip campaign. </sarcasm>

    Actually twitter needs to implement a duplicate content filter system akin to google's search results so a retweet is fine but wholesale cut-and-paste rip-offs are not.

  19. 1

    I totally agree with you.

    Back in the good days, people could find accurate information on the web but nowadays you will match whatever you search for. If you google "best tips" you will find it however if you search "worst tips" you will find it too.

    People keep copying content from others and show them as their own. Everybody is paraphrasing.

    Also, huge miss information is out there and the young generation is completely vulnerable to it. They are absorbing every stupid idea like a sponge. :D I am afraid our future is going dark.

  20. 1

    Agree. But...

    What's your side hustle?

    Reply with what you're working on.

  21. 1

    I block those people so they don't appear in my feed again.

  22. 1

    I think those posts helped me a lot and I also found a lot of no-code tolls and save that ton of time in development so I think this is a good direction looking forward

  23. 1

    I don't think the tips are useless and generic but rather they're TOO many - all over the internet - and the framing of these tips can make gold look like 💩

  24. 1

    I left Twitter in 2020, and since then, I haven't been able to go back. Sometimes I open it with a dummy account I have, aiming to convince myself to go back, then I see what people write there, and I conclude that I cannot bare it.

    I personally have been using IH as a way to read interesting thoughts.

  25. 1

    I totally get where you're coming from.

    My strategy is to BE the content instead of creating content.

    I aim to keep my journey authentic and just share what I'm doing. If people think it's cool awesome if not well GG rip I don't really care.

    In terms of others content I suggest filtering out copy cats and going right to the source. At the same time though, good advice is good advice. Who cares where it comes from?

    Again, I feel you. I feel like most people are trying to copy someone else's clout chasing strategy instead of authentically sharing their experiences.

    Does that make sense?

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    1. 1

      This is the exact reason why IH is dying out. What the ****

  27. 0

    I seriously think makers who are not into marketing think that just talking about their daily product updates, features will cut it out.

    It won't.

    Because the customer who will buy is not interested in your product, but the problem it solves for him.

    Build in public just adds more credibility to your profile and some exposure. But not the north star metric of getting that sale.

    Ofcourse, you will get some sales, but that is not consistent.

    I am currently launching my new product Affiliate Corner, I didn't build in public. Infact, I did the opposite.

    Last 2-3 weeks of the building, I did a lot of valuable threads that infacts help people.

    So what I recommend to makers out there is, create content on how you can help your customer, add value, add your insight, whatever experience you have in your job in terms of skillset, showcase it.

    Let people know how experienced, skillful you are in terms of helping solve the problem. Don't just talk about the product feature, copy, etc.

    Talk directly.

    Eg:- If you have a Twitter Analytics tool, then don't talk about product at all. Why would anyone want to buy a Twitter analytics tool? To get insights and increase following right?

    So talk about it. How do you increase your following, what is stopping the growth , etc. Just talking about the product won't cut.

    This is what content marketing is all about. Talking about the pain points, adding value.

    This particular strategy helped me get to $5800+ in pre-sales alone. Power of directly adding value to your end user.

    Just check out my Twitter Threads here and you will find some gold nuggets. Ofcourse, my audience is bloggers, affiliate marketers but you will get my point.

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