In Business, we've all heard the expression that you're only as good as your last deal.  Today's consumer doesn't have an incredibly long memory, so it's up to us as product or service providers to represent our business to its full potential with each and every transaction.

In a case of Twitter copying business, there have been some recent changes to the Twitter interface that make each of us only as good as our last tweet. 

You may or may not have noticed that Twitter has changed the following and followers screens.

On the following screen (seen below), you now see an "Actions" button which gives you the choice of Mentioning the user (addressing a tweet to a specific user by using @username to begin your tweet), Unfollowing the user, or Blocking the user.  How helpful!*

On the followers screen (seen below), you have the same "Actions" button that the following screen is equipped with, but now you also have a very convenient "Follow" button that only appears next to users who you aren't yet following.  It's now very easy to scan through your pages of followers and notice which ones you aren't yet following back.  (Yes I am following Jeff Belonger...I just had to unfollow him to get this picture.  Don't worry Jeff, I'm coming back!)  Now with just a click of a button you can make a follower a "friend" by mutually following them if you so choose.  And speaking of choice, Twitter has now made it so much easier to made educated ones!

If you notice, next to each user's avatar and under their user name and location, there is something totally new on the following and followers page.  Twitter has now started publishing in these listing your last tweet!  So now when scanning over those people who are following you, it's much easier to make an educated choice whether or not you want to follow them back.

So if you see that @PanchenAlec is following you, you'll also notice a few extra details.  The name listed for this account is Johngoogle.  And the last tweet from the account says "May I take your order? chenese food" with a shortened URL at the end of the tweet you can probably guess that this user is a spammer.  If you're not convinced, click on the URL to find a mocked up Chinese Menu with profanity built right in.  This is an unfortunate reality of Twitter right now, but at least it's easier to spot the trash.

On the other hand, you might see @Jason_Pollack (pictured at the top of the following page photo) who tweets "U manifest what u think, think positively and u will manifest positivity", and you would probably think, wow that guy sounds like he might have something to offer....I should follow him back (and I highly recommend that you do).

So if you're ever tempted to sign up for one of these get 400 followers a day schemes where all you have to do is follow the people they tell you to follow and let them send out tweets from your account singing the praise of their spammy hollow progam...think twice.  Instead of selling someone else's pyramid scheme, give away your own valuable knowledge and perspective.  Be authentic.  Be the best representative of yourself and your business because now you're only as good as your last Tweet.

Jason Sanders @ValuePagesGroup
Business Networking Specialist