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If you want to keep those Twitter followers climbing and engaged, stay away from social media sins.

ContentPlus recently explained the do's of Twitter – ask questions, request retweets and include the platform in content marketing plans. We now tackle what not to do on Twitter – and the list is somewhat larger!

A new Econsultancy study has revealed that a brand or individual who tweets too much is why 52 per cent of people unfollow them, while 48 per cent hit the delete button if a business or person promotes themselves too much.

SMEs can use Twitter to highlight new products, services and sales – but not to the extent that people get fed up of seeing these messages. Brands should offer those who retweet their post a chance of winning something. Followers will be more happy to see a promotion if it means they get a freebie or discount out of it.

The survey also found that 43 per cent of Twitter users unfollow as a result of boring tweets. We have outlined the perils of being uninteresting before. Rather than simply retweeting customer feedback (doing this too much is also a no-no, according to the study), we suggested SMEs add their own thoughts and opinions to a tweet to make it unique.

SMEs need an engaging Twitter presence

It is also not a good idea to reveal all in a tweet, but rather hook a follower in and encourage them to click a link, whether it leads to your website or blog.

Unprofessional tweets put 28 per cent of people off from following a brand on Twitter, while 21 per cent of members switch off if tweets are not conversational.

Another reason cited by a respondent was if they no longer use the company in question. SMEs can reduce the risk of this happening by ensuring their content marketing remains engaging, unique and provides something to loyal customers who continue reading blogs, articles and social media posts. Whether this is a discount or exclusive content, small businesses need to think how they can stay on the right side of their Twitter followers.

What are your top tips for boosting your brand's Twitter engagement levels?