Private Investigator Twitter Mistakes to Avoid

• September 09, 2011
• by PInow Staff

For every beneficial way that private investigators can use Twitter for business, there is a big social media mistake waiting to be made. Far too many politicians, athletes and celebrities have had to apologize and even find new jobs after not filtering their thoughts when tweeting. We don’t want to see you suffer the same fate.

Because PInow exists to help investigators prosper, we thought it smart to present the 7 ways that they should not use Twitter. (If you know anyone who might be guilty of these mistakes, feel free to tweet this article.)

Mistake 1: Offending sensitive eyes
Some people find swearing amusing. Just assume your clients don’t. Don’t risk offending your clients by throwing out an F-bomb just for the sake of your friends’ amusement.

Mistake 2: Airing out dirty laundry
If a client, a competitor, an ex-spouse or anyone else tries to start a Twitter argument with you, take the conversation offline or switch to direct messaging. Airing your dirty laundry through social media, even if you take the high road, can only negatively impact people’s impression of your professionalism.

Mistake 3: Sharing risque photos
You know all of those politicians and celebrities who have had their sex tapes and nude photos leaked? Don’t be like them. The photos you take in your free time are your own business, so if they would be shocking to your clients or may get you in legal trouble, they should never come near your Twitter account.

Mistake 4: Giving free license to tweet
Which employees in your investigation firm are tweeting? What are they saying about your firm? What kind of commentary are they providing on the industry? If you can’t answer these questions, you probably need closer control over your tweeting activities. More than a few companies have had to apologize for Twitter fouls committed by rogue employees. Consider following the example of some companies that make their employees sign contracts defining what can and can’t be said about the organization through social media.

Mistake 5: Boring your followers
If your dog has worms, your basement flooded or a coffee-shop employee gave you the stinkeye this morning, realize that these things may be more important to you than your Twitter followers. To keep people hooked on your tweets, ask yourself whether the information you’re sharing is informative, interesting, humorous (non-offensive), or otherwise worthy of disseminating.

Mistake 6: Stirring up controversy
The topics that are usually off-limits at dinner tables (politics, religion, race, etc.) should also be left alone on Twitter. Your clients and others might not share your views, and they could be more inclined to work with someone who keeps their controversial opinions confined to their personal life. You can have separate business and personal Twitter accounts to tweet about different topics, but remember that what you tweet on your personal account can still come back to haunt you professionally.

Mistake 7: Over-promoting your investigation firm
This is one of the most frequent Twitter abuses committed by companies across all industries. Yes, Twitter is a useful marketing tool. It can also drive followers away quickly if everything you tweet is a plug for your investigation firm.

Instead of repeatedly tweeting your website address and messages about your services, share relevant news, ask questions and start interesting conversations, re-tweet fascinating news from others and more. The more intriguing people find the information you dispense, the more followers you will acquire and the more influence you will have over clients and the industry at large. For a quick refresher about intelligent Twitter practices, read our article on how private investigators can use Twitter for business.

We hope you find this article useful and will keep the tips in mind if you use Twitter. For more examples of how not to use Twitter, keep your eyes glued to the news for the next celebrity Twitter scandal happening soon.

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PInow is scouring Twitter to compile a list of the most influential tweeting private investigators, and we want to make sure you're included. If you're already on Twitter, post your Twitter handle (e.g., @investigator_pi) as a comment on the PInow Facebook page so we can add you to the list. If not, sign up today for a free Twitter account and then post your handle on our Facebook page.

To view the list that we compiled for process servers, check out 75 Process Serving Professionals You Should Follow on Twitter. 

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