Twitter, or the “Twitterverse” as I like to call it, can appear to be overwhelming. However, it doesn’t have to be. Whether you’re new to Twitter, a seasoned tweeter, or somewhere in between, these quick tips are applicable to help any “tweep” become more proficient with Twitter:

1. Stop sending automated direct messages.

Some DMs (direct messages) try to sell something, some say a friendly (but automated) “nice to tweet you,” and still some others are simply confusing.

Stop trying to sell your products and/or services through a DM! If someone has decided to follow you, they probably would like to check out your tweets before they buy your handmade goat sweaters. This type of DM is equivalent to proposing on a first date. Yes, it can happen, but not for most people.

Even the friendly DMs are not fun to read. DMs are for having a private conversation, reaching out to a connection, or networking when it’s appropriate to do so.

2. Auto-tweeting like a machine.

Auto-tweets can be very powerful. They can help authors make book sales through consistent messaging, they can generate inspirational quotes that everyone wants to retweet, or they can help direct traffic to your website. But auto-tweets with the same message over and over again? Not very effective.

Stop using the same quote(s) over and over. Your followers don’t want to read about “quitters throwing in the towel and winners getting back in the game” EVERY day on your tweet feed, for six months. Diversify and switch out your auto-tweeted content often!

3. Be a generous retweeter.

It’s nice to give back on social media by sharing what others have posted/tweeted/pinned/etc. However, a word of caution in Retweet World: If the tweet contains a link, make sure you check it out first. Even with retweets, you should be sharing content that is building your brand, not hindering it.

4. Use a website like justunfollow.com to get rid of Twitter “deadweight.”

Justunfollow.com and similar sites are very helpful when it comes to unfollowing people on Twitter who either don’t follow you, or have little to no interaction with you and your brand. When you grow a large following, of course you can’t interact with everyone, but you can get rid of spammers and bots that will never help your brand. Also, if you are trying to get past the 2000 “following” mark, these types of websites are very helpful. You must have 2000 (or close) following you on Twitter as well, until you can begin to follow more tweeps.

5. Use a URL shortener when sharing a link.

If you’re sharing links on Twitter (or other social media platforms), shorten the URL link. I personally use bitly, but there are others that you can use as well. It especially helps on Twitter, when you’re limited to characters. Simply copy the link you want to share, paste it into the URL shortener tool, and then copy the new link to insert into your tweet.