How do you choose people or businesses to follow on Twitter? Do you submerge yourself in a comfortable echo chamber, only conversing with likeminded individuals? Do you look for lively debates? Do you simply want to follow someone to see what they say next, or do you choose to follow people who will engage in real conversations with you?
There are many different reasons you might choose to follow someone on Twitter. Let’s take a look at five examples that might help you find new interesting people to connect with.
5 Reasons to Follow, Friend, or Connect with Someone
- They keep you informed. — You might follow someone in your niche or industry because they effectively curate information. Or you might follow a company on Twitter (or a specific employee of a company) because they keep you informed about what’s going on there.
- They entertain you. — You also might follow someone on Twitter because they make you smile or laugh on a regular basis. Maybe you follow your favorite comedian for their wisecracking tweets. Or you might follow the creator of a Web comic you love so you always get the latest links.
- They make things easier on you. — Sometimes it’s worth following someone in social media outlets because their content makes your life a little bit easier. This might go back to that person who curates industry information for example. By following them you don’t have to piece together what’s going on from as many sources on your own. You also might follow your favorite news outlet so you get easy access to headlines rather than having to search their site or wait for your television news program.
- They are already an active member of your network. — Another reason you might follow someone on Twitter is to connect in a new way to existing members of your network. While I don’t suggest nagging everyone you know to join every social media site you decide to play with, if they’re already there it doesn’t hurt to connect. For example, I follow colleagues that I email frequently and I follow readers who regularly engage with me on my blogs.
- They are someone you’d like to get to know. — You could also follow someone you know very little about in an attempt to get to know them better. For example, a colleague might recommend someone you’ve never heard about. You check them out and they seem interesting. Following them on Twitter and striking up short conversations there can be an effective way to introduce yourself and get a better feel for how the person thinks — what they care about enough to talk about for example.
Why do you follow the people you follow on Twitter? How do you decide who to connect with on this or other social media sites? Leave a comment below with your own suggestions, and tell us how you’ve met some interesting people through social media sites.
I usually follow a person if they are tweeting interesting things that are related to my my field. I don’t mind them tweeting something personal once in a while but if that is also happening frequently then I hesitate a bit when following them.
That’s interesting Nishadha. For me Twitter is largely about being more personal. It’s a way to give readers of my various sites a glimpse into the “real” me as opposed to always being in business mode. So far that’s worked well for me, but I certainly can understand that different followers have their own styles and interests. It’s not for everyone. That said, I do try to share resources and interact with colleagues regularly, so maybe there’s just enough niche focus to keep that group interested as well. I hope so. 🙂
very interesting topic, Thanks Mattern.
You’re welcome. Are there any other reasons you personally choose to follow (or not follow) someone on Twitter?
J. this is the best, most succinct Twitter follower-reason list I’ve read. I agree with each of your 5 reasons and subscribe to them. So much so that I’m incorporating it into my autoresponder right now.
I read this article months ago, but it’s resonated with me and I intend to spread the message. These are the reasons why I follow people on Twitter and the reasons why I hope people would want to follow me on Twitter.
Kudos!
As someone new to Twitter, I appreciate the insight.