While self-proclaimed Twitter experts have long touted the idea of mass following in order to gain large amounts of followers on Twitter, lately, there’s been a complete 180 in this stance. With one prominent Twitter user after another posting long, drawn out treatises on their blog justifying the removal of large amounts of followers, many people are completely reconsidering their Twitter strategy.
As posted here before, there is an ondoing discussion over how Twitter is used best. There are those who feel that the personal connections are the most important aspect of the popular social media tool, while other experts recommend amassing tens of thousands of followers, making it difficult to establish any kind of real connection with followers. Recently, many proponents of the “bigger is better” Twitter school of thought have completely changed their minds.
- As far back as February, Loic Le Meur wanted to repair his “broken Twitter experience.”
- The trend seemed to really pick up speed with 15 year old Joel Drapper, who realized that mass follows carry no weight or meaning.
- Ari of AriWriter.com unfollowed everyone after a software reinstall and rewrote his “Twitter rules.“
Of course, with every new movement, there are dissenters.
- Gerald Weber of Search Engine Journal believes that unfollowing everyone is a terrible idea.
- Ben Tremblay explains why he is against the movement – because the users in this position got themselves into it in the first place.
- Robert Scoble has a very interested FriendFeed discussion going on the topic of unfollowing everyone.
This new trend brings up a lot of questions, not about whether or not mass unfollowing is a good or bad thing. The deeper questions here are much more interesting.
How much weight do you put on the opinion of “Twitter experts?”
Is there a right and wrong way to use Twitter?
Should anyone have even sought out that many followers in the first place?
Do you feel that you have to apologize or explain yourself when you choose to unfollow someone?
While the Twitter unfollowing movement is certainly a complicated, bringing up questions about reciprocal following and the “one best way” to do things, the underlying issues prove to be much more intriguing.
{ 2 comments }
I grant so-called experts very little weight.
I prefer viewing & following tweeters that have a good public purpose, & not just tweet with no worthy mission.
Broadcasting media could communicate content of high utility value to recipients, but they don’t; neither do most tweeter’s.
America needlessly lost Trillions of dollars & a tremendous number of valuable lives were lost or destroyed, due to a lack of the right kind of effective communications.
My website is: Wisdom Principled Empowerment Communications
I try to live up to its, “People Empowerment,” standards.
First of all, Twitter has not been around long enough for there to be any “experts.”
Personally, I have never subscribed to the philosophy of follow everyone who follows you. Nor do I believe that it should be a popularity contest.
If you are really looking to connect with people, there are limits. If all you want to do is broadcast and engage in a popularity contest, then by all means, follow 1000+.
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