There are two schools of thought pertaining to who to follow on Twitter. One is what I refer to as the Guy Kawasaki method which says, "forget the influentials," "defocus your efforts," and "get as many followers as you can." It's more of a mass marketing approach.
Up and until Twitter imposed limits on the number of people that I could follow in a given 24-hour period, that's pretty much the school to which I subscribed and just about anyone and everyone qualified (minus the spammers of course).
Since then, I've had to be more discerning and have actually found that to be a good thing. So, here are fifteen suggested Twitter follow dos and don'ts based on my current Twitter follow modus operandi:
Dos...
1. Focus your efforts - If you're in sales and marketing, hopefully you've outlined specific target markets based on demographic, psychographic and technographic profiles. Maybe you've even created a persona of the ideal client or customer. Find those folks and follow them.
One good way to do that is by using Twellow, which is a Twitter "yellow pages." It categorizes Twitter followers based on geography and industry and covers everything from aerospace to Web development.
For example, a search on my city, Lafayette, LA, brought five pages of returns totaling 100 people. Not a lot, but consider that a) Lafayette is a small city by comparison and b) it's in the deep south which is often the last to catch on to new trends. If you're in a more metro area, chances are your returns will be manifold times this.
What might be more relevant is search by category. For example, Bizzuka, the company I serve as marketing director, is targeting the legal industry. A search for lawyers brought over 930 returns. We are also targeting healthcare. A search returned almost 100 hospitals.
Apply that same methodology to your own situation and see what comes of it.
Twellow defaults to ranking returns based on number of followers, but you can also sort by
recent activity and/or whether the person has verified their Twellow account.
Each person listed has a profile associated with their entry which, depending on whether they've verified their account or not, could contain lots of information, including a bio, latest Twitter updates (good for knowing whether they're an active user or not), and link to their Web site or blog.
2. Follow those with real names - That's one way to know it's a genuine account. (It's always a good practice when setting up a Twitter account to use your real name.)
3. Follow those who follow you - In most cases it's a common courtesy. Chances are they're in the same industry or have some relevance to you.
4. Follow those following the people who are following you - Same rationale as #3, just once removed.
5. Follow those following the people you are following - If you've chosen to follow a particular individual for whatever reason (maybe they fit the profile mentioned in #1), there's a good likelihood at least some of the people following them would be relevant for you as well.
6. Follow those in your industry - Obviously, one of the best uses for Twitter is as a vehicle for networking, gathering feedback and getting advice. It's a great tool for meeting others in your industry or discipline.
7. Follow those you find interesting and/or entertaining - In all the mad rush to turn Twitter into a business communications and marketing tool, leave a little for pure fun. If you find someone's posts interesting, maybe they're worth following as well.
8. Follow those who use the same hashtags (ex. #nms08) to follow a conversation - Again, if they're interested in the same things as you, consider following them.
9. Follow those who @reply you - @replies can be sent into the public timeline addressed to people you're not following. If a user has addressed you in that way, might be fruitful to add them.
10. Follow those interacting with people you follow - If you see a tweet with an @reply addressing someone you're following that comes from someone you're not, they may be worth following. Check em out!
Don'ts...
11. Don't follow those with numbers behind their names - This is a technique often used by spammers (Twammers) due to the fact that have multiple accounts. It's a dead give-away. (One word of caution: When setting up your Twitter handle, don't use numbers. Your real name will do nicely.)
12. Don't follow those with no avatar - If you can't see their face, company logo or some sort of avatar, don't follow.
13. Don't follow those who only broadcast - Unless you know it's an account set up strictly for that purpose - a news, shopping or "tips" type account - don't follow. If they don't participate in conversations with anyone else, they won't with you either.
14. Don't follow those who aren't active - I don't know the number or percentage, but I bet the number of people who've subscribed to Twitter and aren't actively using it is sizable. If a user is not actively maintaining the account, chances are it's dead.
15. Don't follow users based on their follower count - In social media, it's not necessarily how many eyeballs that count but who those eyeballs belong to. There are some very influential people who may not have huge numbers of followers.
There you have it - 15 tips for know who to follow and who not to. That's my list at least for now, though I'm sure I'll add to it. BTW, you can too! What criteria do you use in determining who to follow. Please share it in a comment. Thanks!
Finally, if you're not following me, please do. My Twitter handle is @pchaney.
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Great info and post!! I didn't know about Twellow! Wow, that will make it easier for me! Duh! But, I wasn't able to use my real name, or a version of it, it was all taken, so I needed to put numbers behind my name. You say this is a no no. I was told I might be able to change my username now?
I still very deep in the learning curve for twitter. I was not aware of Twellow and many of the dos and don'ts in your post. Very helpful information. Thank you
The problem with following as many people as you recommend is that can anyone actually "follow" several hundred people? :)
Thank you for the info. 2009 is my year to jump into Twitter and Facebook. I've already had great response from Facebook. Great way to connect.
Twitter is a great tool. What do you think about following more twits than follow you?
Paul, great advice. Someone sent me Guy's list the other night. I think it depends on what kind of business you are after to want to get that many followers.
When I get a follow request, I accept anyone affliated with my industry and things of interest to me. I have used Twellow and need to go look again and Twitter is growing so fast with folks joining all the time.
I love following news from Ann Arbor @a2Snooze and the Detroit Free Press, RedWings, Wolverines ( not this year, LOL)
Ohhh really great advice and thank you for giving me that site I was never sure how to find the people that I wanted to find on twitter.
Hi Paul, Thanks for all of that. I was trying to narrom down who I follow...guess that's the wrong approach, huh? :0)
I have never understood how it would be beneficial to follow thousands of people. I feel like those that do are really enjoying the numbers race. I happily follow around 50 at all times and have 40 following me. I also agree that you should dump those that are not active, to me it has nothing to do with the number of followers but the content in which they post. Tweet Tweet! Great Post!
On twitter- @malisia
Greate information. For real estate, I'm still not sure how this generates more leads or leads to future business, apart from the social aspects and perhaps a tad bit more visibility.
The analogy I've heard about Twitter is that it's like attending a giant cocktail party and hearing snippets of conversation, and then deciding which ones you'd like to engage in. Thus, one school of thought would be to listen to, or "follow" as many as possible, but there are those people who spam nonsense or ads or links and there are those who are the "drive-by" crowd. They'll set up an account, not get instant gratification and leave.
As Paul says, not having an avatar (the little icon, Twitter's default is brown), is a good starting place. Using Twellow is good, as is following those people who have the Titter logo in their own blog or website. I also look to see who the people I'm most interested in are following.
Don't expect immediate results. Like anything worthwhile, getting into the network, building your following list and establishing a presence, takes time. Be sure to be yourself. Don't just talk "shop" or send your own information, take an interest in other people.
Here is a list of 101 Twitter Resources. I find that using Tweetdeck is a really tool because it nicely sets out your different message categories and helps (in my opinion) make Twitter far friendlier to use.
A final word of caution - be careful following links in DMs (direct messages) that take you to Twitter login screens). There have been several hacked accounts over the past few days including some celebrity accounts. If you got the DM, you're logged in, you shouldn't have to log in again.
Dave (http://twitter.com/dsegrove)
PS - I have an avatar and only write interesting posts so it's okay to follow me :) :) :)
What Dave just mentioned is kind of interesting and makes me think. I have started tweeting more about business lately than just having fun, and even though the rule of thumb is not to advertise on there...I'm getting some pretty unreal traffic and responses.
So that gets back to who to follow, right? It appears that maybe there are several different kinds of crowds on there.
"I don't care about your personal life, I want to know how we can benefit each other in business"
"I don't care about your business, I just want to joke around"
"I'm going to pretend to care about your business so that you will read my blogs and comment"
and I'm sure if I put some serious thought in to it I could think of more.
Paul, what do you think? Are you seeing the same thing?
Paul - this is excellent advice and some great suggestions for making your Twitter following and followers list worthwhile and effective as opposed to relying purely on "how many." It seems there are more and more folks out there now who want to follow but are not participating, along with spammers, etc.
Jeff
Thanks for all the information on Twitter. I am a newbie in the Twitter world. I am looking for ways to increase my internet leads and also garner more ideas on being a great realtor. I really appreciate you taking the time to post this info.
Great discussion going on. I am still not using Twitter on a regular basis but have a good number of following and followers. I like the idea of twellow. Thanks for this great information!
Paul, thank you for the excellent advise on the tweet system. I'm still trying to understand the fundamentals of groupie blogging. I'm one of those who drive by and quickly leave the sense before engaging into an orgy conversation.
~ Life is Good
This is interesting because I was thinking about this this morning. I usually follow who follows me, check. Don't follow someone without an avatar, check.
I did not think of the full name registration, but that makes sense. I have been on Twitter for less than a year, this is very helpful. I think I am one that is more social on Twitter. I love reading the information brought to my attention, I need to spend more time finding articles to share with others, maybe this one would be a good place to start :)
@AgentAudrey
I've joined twitter, and did not know about twellow. Thanks for the great tips!
Hello Paul - thanks for the information. Quick question why do you use the @ before your name?
Paul, I'm just starting to explore twitter and your post is very helpful. Thanks for the information.
I have been only following people I know and people that are in the Real Estate field. I did do my profile on Twello
Paul,
I was not really familiar with this, but I'm going to check it out.
Thanks for the info.
Brian Madigan
Paul - great post and congrats on the feature. Thanks for the information about twellow - that is very cool. I use Twitlocal to find people on my zip code, but I like more options.
Paul - Thanks for the info on Twellow - for my town there are less than a 100 Twitter accounts.
When you're looking on Twellow, or anythwere else, also ensure you join groups of interest, both inside and outside your industry, If you have a hobby or shared interest with another Twitter user, it's something in common and perhaps a chat about that can lead to a relationship...etc...social media it's best - outside the box :)
Dave
http://twitter.com/dsegrove
Paul thanks so much for the post some good information! I am trying to embrace twitter but have to admit I feel lost when I watch the feed and the conversations fly I do feel like I am at a cocktail party and totally lost. I appreciate Dave's comment about the twitterdeck! That is going to make it much easier to use and learn.
Paul - I agree with your list completely. I do have a question - have you ever experienced the inability to follow someone (i.e. have you ever been limited)? I saw a guy today on Twitter who followed 1000 people yesterday alone, and he even tweeted about it. I believe him, since he has 4 tweets so far. I noticed that the link to the limits doesn't spell this out explicitly.
follow those who follow you , like any social networking, it is not really networking effectively if it is compeltley one-sided
#3 - I check people out first- because sometimes they are spammers or people you really don't want dropin' "crap" onto your page - but even then its not the end of the world.
Paul, thanks for the list, and being explicit about #3 & #4 - who's on first!?
Thanks for information! I am still a little befuddled about Twitter... but now totally intrigued about Twello! I really enjoy your posts. Thank you for sharing!
I am still new to the twitter way. Thank you for the post it makes sense and helps out folks like me that are still new to it.
thank you for the heads up on Twellow. Your tips are great
Thank-you, still trying to figure it out, this should really help!
Ditto on the Twellow, didn't know about it. Thanks for the info
Great list! While I no doubt think Guy Kawaski's method may work for him, if you aren't already as well known in the industry it doesn't work well for everyone, so you're definitely on the right track with your dos and don'ts.
Another way to find people is by searching tweets. You can go to http://search.twitter.com and search for things people are tweeting about. For example, for SmartHippo, I'm looking to connect & converse with mortgage and real estate professionals so I will search "mortgages" or "mortgage rates" and usually find some very targeted people that way.
Thanks!
Kelly
follow me on twitter - @smarthippo
Thanks for sharing thiw wealth of information about the best use of Twitter. Twitter has been very confusing to date.
Thanks for the post for those of us who really don't know how to use it. It's really helpful information.
Not one mention of "Drunk twittering" on the list :)
I have tons to learn about Twitter...I'm on it and still trying to understand it. Thanks for your insight!!! tweet tweet!
This is great...I learned two things...to consider following those that are following my followers / followees and also that whole #hashtag deal...didn't know anything about that yet! Thanks, Paul!
Very cool - I am starting to figure out the Twitter thing - hopefully it will end up with some results worth all of the fuss! Congrats on the feature and thanks for the post - I'll follow you on twitter! And I love Lafayette, Louisiana - it's such a cool small town that really seems to embody all that Louisiana is about!
Twitter is still new to me and I have found that some of the people I followed tweet about every 5 min all day. Is it rude to stop following someone? Do they know that you stopped?
Hi Paul- Congratulations on a well deserved feature. I'm bookmarking so I can spend more time going through your list. I'm on Twitter, but remain unconvinced of it's usefulness, so I maintain an open mind and learn where I can. Thanks much :-)
Paul, thanks that is a GREAT list! I'm going to add Twellow to my article, http://activerain.com/blogsview/855710/Twitter-Tools-Who-should-you-follow-Whos-NOT-following-you
Join my NEW group for professionals who work from their home office at http://activerain.com/groups/virtualoffice
Regina P. Brown
Paul, I've really appreciated your posts on Twitter. They have been helpful. This one especially so, thus it is bookmarked! :)
Twanks for the twips! I'm off to check out Twellow.
Interesting, I've yet grasped the philosophy behind Twitter. I have three followers - am not following anyone yet but the more blogs I read about Twitter the more fully understanding it becomes - Thanks!
This is great. Apparently there is much more to Twitter than I imagined. Actually I misunderstood it all together.
Thanks for that explanation. I am new to twitter and really appreciate the guidance.
Definitely bookmarked, thanks for the twitter tips!
Thank you for sharing such valuable information with the online community. I found the information on the much needed Twellow.com very helpful. I will be using that online tool quite often. Now, I can find you on Twellow.com and follow you.
Thank you for getting me up to date on the Twitter phenomena. I've so far been twitterless.
Great stuff...I'm heading over to Twello right now
Thanks,
Tamara
Twellow there Paul! That is probably the best info I've heard in a while. I printed this out out for quick reference. Getting into twitter finally myself. This is perfect so I know which direction to head.
Thanks Paul for all the great info and advice.
Nice summation of Twitter highlights! I've been tweeting away for 2 months and learning new stuff every day.
I am going to twillo right now! Thanks for the tip
Good Post Paul But I just can't find the time to tweet, so I will just keeping soaking up the rain.
@pchaney,
(sniff sniff) But, Can I be an exception to the "only follow those with real names" rule?
Love, @mizzle
Hi Paul
Thank for taking the time to share the information - Outstanding advise - and I will take advantage of your information.
Good Luck and success
Lou Ludwig
Thanks for this great Twitter info. I'm just getting started and need as much help as I can get.
Paul, very good info. I need all the help I can get. It's very Tweet of you to share it! I am now following you ... although I thought I already was...now I am.
Later in the rain~Deb
Just now coming on the Twitter scene. Your post is very helpful and did not know about Twellow. Thanks for the tips.
Thnaks for all those points. I have bookmarked your article o work through what you have said and put it to good use.
Diane from it's cold up here in Toronto
Thank you I will have fun with Twellow. I did not know about it.
Paul, Thank you for all this information! I just signed on today and am not yet sure how to work it--this will definitely help!
I thought I was a neophyte and decided who I would follow from folks I had met on AR....and found out I must be a tiny bit.,avery tiny bit ahead of the curve...not so many twitters there...yet !
Paul - that is a great list of Twitter "dos" and "donts" . I have learned so much about Twitter from reading your posts and a few others on Active Rain.
Hi Paul, I'm fairly new to Twitter and I'm so excited to find out about Twellow. I wanted to start following more people and getting some visibility, but I was never 100% sure how to find the people I wanted to interact with... this is great!
I'm surprised at how many of these rules I follow automatically. All except the number on the username. @justinu84 is my name for several accounts even here on AR.
Hi Paul, Twello. Who knew? Thank's for the great info. It's really helpful to know who to follow.
Hi Paul! Thanks fro these great tips..I'm still learning how to more effectively use Twitter..I knew I followed you for good reason;)
Thanks for the link about hashtags. This is something that I never understood before.
Paul... Great tips for those of us who are still trying to figure out twitter
Twellow? What WILL they think of next?
Great read, info and suggestions. You earned a bookmark....my gosh, I hope we don't have a bookmark capacity or I am going to be in BIG trouble!
.
Paul - Your advice is great, but I have to disagree (slightly) with #12 and #13. I know several active people who don't have avatars (why, I don't know, its not hard to upload and its fun to change photos from time to time) and I follow several "broadcast" people (@ksatnews - my local news in San Antonio) that I have actually gone back and forth with. In the case of @ksatnews, it has been a great follow for when I have a question about something going on in my area and want to know if a) they're covering the story and b) what time I might catch the news I need. Of course its not all news either...I've had a few conversations about general things with them as well. Of course, I think they're a news outlet that seems to "get it."
Hi Paul - I didn't know about Twello and will check it out. Without really thinking about who I follow and why, I realized I pretty much use the rules you wrote in your post. I haven't really explored too much locally, so I'll start doing that and see what I find.
Thanks for these tips, and for the tip on Twello!
Ann
@acummings
awesome post with great information about Twitter. Thank you! I always enjoy finding more info out about this application.
Blessings~
Hi Paul - Another person bookmarking you here. I have read lots of blogs on social networking, but I am not sure I have seen any that speak to in which order to join what and how much effort to put into each. The answer would be easy if social networking was all we had going on, but trying to have a balance sure is challenging! Thanks again for the great post!!
OMG! You guys sure know how to make a fellow feel good. Thanks for the all the comments, bookmarks and reblogs. I'm glad the post was helpful to you.
I do want to respond to a few in particular:
@Kristin Johnston - You can change your username (handle). If you can't use your full name, some variation of it is good imo.
@Chris Olsen - While there is certainly no formula for generating leads, I know Realtors who are. Use Twellow and Twitter search to find ppl in your local area and start following. Start conversations. Look for anyone who might have a real estate question and answer it. Twitter is just another channel, but one that can produce results.
@Stephanie Edwards-Musa - I do believe that being very deliberate in who you choose to follow is a good thing. And, yes, I'm seeing different behaviors and attitudes represented. I believe Twitter is most productive for those who genuinely care about others and take a Dale Carnegie approach to Twittering.
@Dave Seagrove - Thanks for the great advice Dave. Your comment was a post unto itself. Also, the communities of interest idea. Just call that #16!
@Melissa Moore - The @ symbol before someone's name tells Twitter that you're addressing that particular person in the public timeline. Twitter hyperlinks the name/handle to that person. It's a way to indicate your message is to a given individual, not to the twitterverse in general.
Often, people will jump in on the converation, much like they might at a networking event or cocktail party. It's part of what makes Twitter fun.
@Jason Crouch - I did experience follow limits. Not sure if Twitter eliminated that as I haven't experienced it lately. I sure bugged them enough. Squeaky wheel!
@Kelly Rusk - Like to know more about how you're using Twitter at Smart Hippo.
@Matt Heaton - Too funny. I think we should hold a "drunk twitter" event. Maybe that's what a "tweetup" is. Heh.
@Mizzle - You, my dear, are the exception to the rule. @Mizzle is a brand now. No way you should change it!
@Matt Stigliano - Still gotta stick to my guns on that; too many accounts with default Twitter avatar are pure spam; it's kind of like bloggers who use the Kubrick Wordpress theme.
Again, thanks everyone, for commenting. You really made my day!
Thanks for some great advice for those of us who are new.
Hi Paul - I decided to go with a brand, @LVRealEstate, versus my name, and I think that has helped other real estate agents and investors find me. I'm pretty liberal in following back, especially in this market. I never know where the next buyer or seller may come from.
Excellent article on using Twitter Paul.
If I lived in a Metro. area I would be using Twitter. But, even though 5 percent of Realtors are Twittering I still can't see the benefit of that constant connection.
I am not wiping it off the slate entirely but I am putting it on the backburner.
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Paul, I don't know how I missed this post. I usually see the new posts on those I've subscribed to. I wasn't sure about following everyone who followed me. THis helped some. THanks.
Paul: I agree with your tips about who to follow and who not to follow. Here are a couple more: I don't follow people who haven't bothered to create a profile and I don't follow men who are only following women (that's a little to creepy for me). Thanks for the tips.
I have been trying to get more into Twitter and this do's/don'ts list is a great starting place for me. I have been pretty selective in who I am following because I have been taking it slow. Sounds like I am on the right path.
You packed lots of good information in here. Especially for those new to Twitter. I am reblogging for Baton Rouge Realtors in my technology blog.