Why People Unfollow Your Brand On Twitter: and How to Prevent It?

By Lisa @Lisapatb
Learn why people unfollow your brand on Twitter and what you can do about it to prevent it.

The bond between a brand and its customer is tied to a thin thread called “unfollow” on social media.

The breaking of this bond doesn’t come with the pre-warning “we need to talk.”

When they click on the unfollow button, you know you have broken up with another follower.

And you’re left wondering why people unfollow brands on Twitter. You can also face the Twitter Jail situation if you don’t follow the guidelines on Twitter.

To get answers, we need to ask, why do people follow a brand on Twitter in the first place? Here are the answers according to the Sprout Social Report.

  1. To learn about their products and services
  2. To access their customer service
  3. To stay entertained
  4. To stay on top of company news

Image via Sprout Social

Despite the need to follow a brand, many followers still end up unfollowing them.

So, what could be the possible reasons why people unfollow brands on Twitter?

Reasons Why People Unfollow Brands on Twitter

Do your followers lose interest or your account is not engaging enough? Let’s find out why people are unfollowing you on Twitter

1. Focused on Self Promotion

This is one of the most significant issues that lead to a separation between you and your follower.

As we discussed earlier, consumers come to your Twitter account for exciting content, two-way communication, and to find a more social brand.

However, when you tweet only about yourself, your products, and your people, and don’t include your followers, it can hurt your brand.

Too much content on self-promotion can be a put-off for your followers, and this is one of the biggest reasons why people unfollow a brand on Twitter.

2. Not Interesting or Relevant

As we saw earlier, at least 48% of people follow brands to stay entertained.

However, most of your customers skim through the content. If the content is irrelevant, not engaging, doesn’t contain enough images and videos, or is too lengthy, they’ll hit the unfollow button.

Make your tweets relevant to your audience when you tweet.

You should understand the platform, and the people on it, and deliver content that fits them.

The content may not be linked to your business directly, but it should appeal to your audiences and eventually drive more targeted visitors.

So, if your content is not share-worthy or doesn’t drive interest, you have the answer to why people unfollow your brand on Twitter.

3. Post Frequency is High

This is another turn-off as far as customers are concerned.

Many people unfollow brands when they post too many times in a day.

Therefore, if you are not a news site posting a minute-by-minute update, people don’t want to hear too often from you.

It‘s not the quantity that drives the followers to your Twitter account; it’s the quality of these posts.

You should ensure that every post you put on Twitter improves your follower count. And when you space out the tweets throughout the day, your followers will enjoy getting messages from you.

Don’t forget to get a copy of my eBook (or paperback) on How to Tweet and Thrive!

4. Excessive Use of Automation

Many people also use Twitter as a direct line to customer support.

They want to get their queries solved immediately. When they tweet about it, they expect someone from the brand to reply.

However, if your brand uses automation instead of actual people to engage with the customers, it can increase unfollows.

When looking for a solution, your customers want to interact with real people behind the brand.

They are looking for interactive and fruitful communication.

Though automation is one of the best productivity hacks, you should avoid excessive use. Plan your automation carefully.

If you want to know why people unfollow brands on Twitter, one answer is excess automation.

5. Lack of Engagement

If your tweets don’t stir your audiences, it might lead to unfollows.

Lack of engaging conversations is one of the most significant answers to why people unfollow brands on Twitter.

People don’t indulge in relationships that don’t engage them online or offline.

It would help if you connected with customers on their tweets about the brand, responded to direct messages, and even shared mentions on your account. And that’s why it’s essential to leverage CRMs as they can help you keep a tab on your conversations with your audience. This way, you can respond to them and keep them engaged.

Conversations flowing from both sides can lead to impressionable followers for your brand.

Happy Monday!
This weekend, I had an unexpected encounter.
And you?@AnthonyGaenzle@JKatzaman@Anita_Clark @AceConcierge @poulomi_basu @RyanBiddulph @SueAnnBubacz @thecorsta @DIYMarketers @amabaie @Lisapatb @WoFreelancers@TomPick@HaveSippy@NewHorizons123@kimschob pic.twitter.com/cFQwLIgBGy

— Erik Emanuelli (@ErikEmanuelli) May 16, 2022

How to Prevent Unfollows?

You are now aware of why people unfollow brands on Twitter.

It is essential to avoid these unfollows and retain followers on your Twitter account.

Let’s take you through the steps you should follow.

1. Post Relevant Content

Whether you want to share a joke or a piece of content, make sure it is relevant to your target audience.

While sharing your day is irrelevant, you can share about your team’s behind-the-scenes activity.

You can share jokes or memes that your community understands. It should interest them, connect with them, and even help them stay on your Twitter account longer.

Any #CincodeMayo Plans for dinner? @AnthonyGaenzle @RyanBiddulph @SueAnnBubacz @thecorsta @JKatzaman @amabaie @LElkan @WoFreelancers @TomPick @HennekeD @kimschob @marierleslie @Luca9797 @Anita_Clark @myphillymedia Getting ready for mine! pic.twitter.com/HlueSVM8uz

— Lisa Sicard (@Lisapatb) May 5, 2022

Use keyword research tools such as Semrush or Ahrefs to find topics that might interest your audience.

2. Overpromotion is a Big No

Earlier, we saw why people unfollow brands on Twitter, and one of the reasons was overpromotion.

To avoid being unfollowed, you should promote your brand or product a limited number of times.

You can collaborate with influencers and other brands to ensure you don’t promote your brand alone.

This way, you can promote their brand while they promote yours, and it becomes a win-win for both of you.

It is essential to avoid too much salesy content to retain your follower count.

And most importantly, avoid getting your account suspended by following all the Twitter rules with regard to content and other matters.

3. Consistency is the Key

While it’s not essential to post frequently, it is imperative to hold on to consistency.

If you are posting once a day and people see you’re consistent, they will interact with your account and even share your tweets.

If you don’t post often, it could become one of the reasons why people unfollow your brand on Twitter. They may not even see your posts with the algorithm changes on Twitter.

Be sure to tweet with consistency on the Twitter social network.

The good news is that you can maintain consistency by scheduling your tweets using a tool like SocialBee.

Create engaging tweets when you’re free or feeling creative, and set a time and date when they’ll get published.

Don’t forget to get a copy of my eBook (or paperback) on How to Tweet and Thrive!

4. Avoid the Machine-like Conversation

You probably use lots of automation in your business, such as email list management. But you need to put this aside if you want to reduce unfollows on Twitter.

As we said, people like interacting with humans.

They look forward to flowing conversations. If you use automation and a bot to connect with people, they might lose interest in you.

Engage people to interact with followers on your Twitter account.

You should also train your bots to be personal. The more human-like the conversations are, the more likely you will improve your retention rate.

Conclusion of Why People Unfollow Your Brand On Twitter

If you want to answer why people unfollow your brand on Twitter, look at your account and see what your content lacks. You will know how to optimize your content and further your following.

However, it is essential to know your audience and articulate the type of content they like before tweeting about it. Therefore, keeping it relevant and straightforward can improve your follower base.

Lastly, keep your Twitter account engaging, free of promotions, and more social.

Are you finding more unfollowing you or your brand on Twitter today? We’d love to hear from you on this topic in the comments.