Last year, and even up to a month or so ago, I thoroughly enjoyed following other entrepreneurs on Twitter. This, however, is something that I have come to realize isn’t as interesting or helpful as I once thought. You see, there’s an issue with that. Entrepreneurs tend to be very opinionated, cocky, and full of self-promotion. It’s specifically this last topic that turns me off.

I don’t mind reading a few 140 characters rants every now and then. In fact, I quite enjoy reading what other business-minded people are upset about and want to see change. The same goes for being cocky entrepreneurs. I personally believe that if you are not cocky/confident about what you have to offer to the world, it isn’t good enough. It might seem strange to those who aren’t accustom to it, but surely some of you recognize my feelings towards this. Essentially, you should always be proud of your work. That’s something we can ALL relate to.

The issue comes with the self-promotion, or product promotion. Yes, I am fully aware that I just said you should be confident, cocky, and essentially boast about what you have to offer to the world. But let’s please realize that there will come a point where it is simply SPAM.

I’m happy that you have such pride in the product/service you’re offering. I truly appreciate the hard work other entrepreneurs put into their passions, but there does come a point where it’s too much. Sadly, a lot of businessmen do not recognize this fine line between spam and promotion.

Let me give you an example of what I’m specifically talking about. For this instance, we will use a well-known entrepreneur to whom I have a high amount of respect for – Mark Cuban.

Cuban is one of those entrepreneurs who has a fantastic story that all types of people can learn from. It varies from perseverance to expanding your personal knowledge to being able to look forward in business and life. Personally, I’ve spend countless hours reading his personal blog, short biographies, and watching documentaries. I find his work fascinating, and I would love to be in such a respected position. There is, however, one thing that bothers me about him.

Mark Cuban constantly promotes his business endeavors on Twitter; however, more often than not, it seems to be just one of these businesses – CyberDust.

I love the idea of the app. I believe there is a lot to be said about how a simple text message, under the right circumstances, can be used as evidence against you in a legal situation. Simply put, I think it’s quite pathetic, as words can easily be taken out of context in text format. Thus, I love the idea of an app making your words disappear. There is one small thing I don’t love, though, and that is the constant promotions on @MCuban‘s personal Twitter account.

Note: Keep in mind this isn’t specifically about Mark Cuban. It’s about most entrepreneurs. Cuban is simply a well-known name with an example. I would never publicly bash another passionate businessman, so it is important to realize that is not what this is about.

Now, I’m sure that this has been selective listening, or reading for that matter, of Cuban’s tweets, but it seems as if a majority of the updates coming through are retweets or quotes about how this new app can change the way you communicate. I’m not knocking the app, but I am saying that sometimes the promotion is simply too much.

Essentially, this is the simple reason I have started to unfollow most other entrepreneurs. There seems to be no understanding of the line between promotion/pride and spam.

What are your thoughts on the difference between self promotion/spam? Personally, I think a couple tweets a week are more than enough for the same product. If you’re promoting updates or new products, tweet when it’s new. After that, it becomes too old after a few times.

People often say that connections in the business world are essential to success, and while I do agree with that, I believe there are few effective ways to make that happen – Twitter spam would not be one.

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