I talk to companies everyday about the way to use a channel like Twitter the right way to engage and market to consumers. There are many clients doing it right including CPK, Zappos, Comcast and Citrix Online.

Then I see spam like this:

In none of my recent tweets have I talked about home ownership or solar panels. So why single me out with an “@” message that tries to sell me solar panels for my home? I often counsel clients on listening tools they can use to make sure they are part of relevant conversations that are happening on Twitter about their industry or their brand. When done correctly and with genuine intent, it can often lead to a sale – or even better – a long term relationship.

In this particular case Mr. Lester Sheets not only wasted his time by blindly Twitter spamming me, he did actual damage to his brand by harassing me in a very public way with an unwanted tweet. First off, even when I am in the market for solar panels this incident ensures I will never buy from him. Second, I immediately unfollowed him therefore severing any chance he had to build a relationship and market to me in the future.

Social media marketing is a lot like a cocktail party. You wouldn’t walk up to a group of people, interrupt their conversation and start handing out business cards, would you? No, instead, you’d walk up, smile and probably listen for a few minutes to hear what the conversation was about. Then, where appropriate, you’d add a comment or share a common experience that adds value to the group. Maybe after 10 or 15 minutes someone might say to you “hey, what is it that you do?” At that point you can elaborate and if they’re in the market for what you’re offering you have a reasonable chance at building a business relationship. That’s because you took the time to listen and add value before you shared details about yourself. It should be the same mindset on Twitter.

That said, I have a question for @SilverJingles: How often has you vomiting into someone else’s Twitter stream actually brought you a customer?