My thoughts about how a stock tweeter can be a useful resource to others:

1) If you tweet an entry, tweet an exit. It’s acceptable if you tweeted a stop and mention it’s a hard stop. We’ll automatically assume you’re out.

2) If you tweet an exit, make sure you tweeted the entry before you do the victory dance. Just stay quiet otherwise.

3) If your entries are consistently far away from current prices, at best you will stop being useful and most likely we will stop believing you. Try to post them while they’re still relevant, and especially before you know the trade is already going your way. We know that it’s not always possible to tweet timely, just try to do your best.

4) If most of what you’re doing is touting how awesome your last play was, you are not generating ideas or useful comments. So you’re useless. We’ll unfollow you. It’s fine if you do it every once in a while. We know that traders tend to have big egos.

5) Try not to marry a stock and even if you do, stop tweeting 27 times a day about it. We get it, you have the next MSFT and you want everyone to know it. We just think there is a tiny little chance that you’re wrong and want to be following a bunch of other stocks as well, you know, just in case.

6) This is serious business, make sure you tweet correct information. “Oops, earnings were $0.50 per share not $3.50, my bad.” First time you do it, it’s a mistake. The second time, you’re a manipulator.

7) Constantly asking “what do you think about XYZ” to “elite” traders is probably annoying them. Try to limit it or ask more elaborate questions.

8) If you get an idea from someone and make money, give credit to them. Don’t be a jerk, chances are someone is following both of you and he’ll know that you stole someone else’s idea.

9) If you lose money, it’s cool. We all do. Don’t just pretend it didn’t happen. We will remember that you had 50000 shares of CTIC at some point. Where are they?

10) Wherever possible, tell us more than just what you buy and what you sell. Tell us why, give us a timeframe. That’s usually more helpful than the trade itself, especially to new traders.

11) If you’re new, mention that in your profile page. It’s easy to look smart on twitter until you don’t. Don’t drag down other new traders with you.

12) Stop blaming the market, MMs, robots, Goldman Sachs, Chuck Norris or any other entity every time things don’t make sense. Markets don’t make sense. Markets are rigged. Get used to it. Whining is noise on our twitter feed, we’re there for awesome stock commentary.

13) Twitter wars aren’t uncommon and you may find yourself in one. Try to keep your calm, controlling emotions is one of the virtues of a great trader. Show us.

14) If you have a paid service, we understand you’re on twitter to get more subscribers. But give us something good for free once in a while. When I divide amount of self promotion by useful commentary it needs to be below my Unfollow Threshold. Otherwise you lose a potential subscriber for good.

15) Don’t point fingers and brag when someone was wrong and you’re right. This is the stock market, roles may easily reverse the next time.