Beware of Twitter Bots!

I recently read a headline on CNN that said “Twitter is the new Facebook.” There’s no doubt that Twitter is growing in popularity at an extremely fast rate and businesses are buying into the hype. Everyone is taking full advantage of the free, real-time social media platform to engage their customers. Now, the question has transitioned from whether or not to have an account, to how do we expand our follower base? Enter the Twitter bots. AHHH!

Twitter bots are basically software programs that are designed to roam Twitter, find popular hashtags or words, and then capture the users who utilize those specific words in their tweets. Then it begins following those users hoping they will return the favor (as most people usually do). Once you fall into their trap, they spam your feed and direct message inbox until you remove them from your account. Some Bots promise to increase a company's Twitter base up to almost 3,500 followers per week!

My question: sure numbers are important in a world so concerned with metrics and yeah, I can see why it’d be fun to tout your massive amount of followers – however, wouldn’t you rather have a solid group of tweeple, whatever the size, who chose to follow you on their own accord and not only support your brand, but are also engaged with it?