Why #FollowFriday or #FF is wearing itself out... Please RT!
When I first joined Twitter, and I got my first #FF or #FollowFriday, I was excited! I was new to Twitter and it was cool to have new followers for no reason other than for some reason, someone else thinks their followers should follow me. I didn't know why and I didn't really care to be honest. I started to get into it though, and I noticed what sparks attention. Twitter is a powerful tool and when you first start using it you don't realize just how powerful it is or can be.
But The Follow Firday Fad? Come On....
It's wearing itself out. On Friday, under my @dreamslikefire account, I will get like 10-15 #FF or #FollowFriday mentions on Twitter, and I normally get about 2 or 3 new followers. I want people to follow me because they're interested in what I'm talking about, they want to discuss different views on different topics, and communicate, that's what Twitter is all about, right? If you're going to pimp me out on Fridays... I would like you to include some reasoning. Why do you think that your followers should follow me? I don't really want a group of people following me just to have as many followers as possible like some sort of competition. It just seems so much like a myspace prog, adding as many friends as possible, to get high play counts and profile views. If your music sucks though, does it really matter how MUCH you market it?
I see the networking and social media marketing side of things too, don't get me wrong, you never know who you're going to run into. I could post something right now, tomorrow or next week that strikes a chord in someone and there is a new relationship. Something new, awesome and amazing.
I want people that follow me, to know why they should follow me, and that's for the substance of the my tweets, interest in me, or building a relationship. I have a business Twitter (@atomicjoe), and I have my personal / freelance twitter. I tend to spew my thoughts into twitter, and here. It helps me a lot mentally to stay focused on all the stuff I have going on in my life and I get a ton of respect and props for me just telling it like it is and keeping it real. I'm not fake and my tweets aren't fake. It wouldn't make any sense to me to follow me unless you are honestly interested in something I have said in the past, present, or just want to connect on the Web Design / Web Development networking side of it, and don't be a stranger...
All I am saying is that if you're going to #FF or #FollowFriday me, do something similar to this...
"I'm only pimping @dreamslikefire @krysvs and @combustionglass today. Ppl who inspire without even knowing it."
http://twitter.com/bullybully32/status/2571565770
I think maybe the new fad should be #CoolFollow or #InspireFollow or something neat like that, I'd pay WAY more attention to something like that.
In The Spirit Of Follow Friday Here Are Some Cool People
@jameyjasta - Vocalist for Hatebreed, Kingdom Of Sorrow, Icepick. Previously hosted MTV2's Headbanger's Ball. THE hardest working man in metal. He's a pure inspiration. His words are uplifting and that's hard to find in someone who's been through a lot and who has SO much going on. He will inspire you too, so go follow!
@mikejarrell - Simply a connection through Twitter, and a great person of advice, and always around when I have a question, or need help with something. I've recently hired him to help me with a bunch of the Stillborn Records / Hatebreed stuff. So far he's been a pleasure to work with and is always busting his ass.
@destrovox - One of the greatest people in my life recently. We've both been through some times, and it's brought us closer as friends. He is in one HELL OF GREAT band, The Destro. He hired me to complete the CD Packaging for their new record with release details and cover artwork leak coming in the next few weeks, hopefully!
@dino2gnt - What a great guy. If I ever have any server / coding / web related issues this guy is always the first to respond and give his helping hand. It's all about helping out other people and putting smiles on everyone's faces. I can always count on this guy to offer his expertise when needed. Had dinner with him this week while he was here for some Traninng classes, and he's a VERY intelligent person, follow him and learn something.
@bullie666 - A very uplifting person to follow and have following you. He's way into music, and design. He's not afraid to voice his opinion either, which is always appreciated and respected. Follow this guy and share opinions and a laugh. It's awesome that he's in a totally different time zone than me and I'm a night owl. So when I'm just getting in the zone, so is he.
Comment, ReTweet, Go! I want to hear your opinion, no matter who you are!
9 Comments
Love your opinion on it and I think everyone I promote is amazing, and I could tell you 10 great things about each person. It would cool if it worked out that way! Have an awesome day!
1- folks whose blogs I already read and subscribed to-- folks like @justcreative, @chrisspooner, @aaroni268 and @freelancesw. I started reading them because I found their blog posts interesting, useful and creatively/professionally inspiring, so following them on twitter became an extension of that. As a side note, it's kind of flattering when people in this category follow back, especially if it's not an immediate reciprocal follow, b/c it tells me (well, at least I'd like to think it does) that they've taken the time to read what I have to say and find my random musings interesting as well. Actually, it's flattering when ANYONE follows back.
2- Other people, like @eddidit, were followed as a result of knowing them/of them through non-twitter forums, and seeing that their tastes/sensibilities/view of the world gelled with mine. There are others (@cherubrock_123 and @mrrichardson for example) that I'm following based on someone's recommendation, mention, or RT of somthing-- but only after reading a large number of their tweets (so, if you have your tweets protected, you can bet I WON'T be following you) and non-twitter material (blog, for example) and seeing if they are a fit. I just don't automatically follow people-- ever.
Some of the people on these categories I've also chosen to connect with in other places, like Facebook and LinkedIn.
3- Finally, there are the couple of "celeb" follows and various organizations (like @wfmu, NAPP, HOW mag).
I hope this at least gives you an idea of where I'm coming from when I say everyone I follow is FF-worthy-- including you.
I guess it sort of just comes down to an exposure sort of thing like advertisements not everyone watching is necessarily part of your target audience but some are, and the more people come across your name the more likely it is for them to recall your name when thinking "I remember that one designer I liked..."
Perhaps we can talk the folks at twitter into giving us an extra 20 chars to explain on fridays...
I always try to provide a reason for a #FF, even if it's just a hashtag like #drupal or something of that nature. Seems more genuine and useful.
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