Recently, there has been new commentary on the unmanageability of massive social networks, particularly on Twitter and Facebook. In October, we addressed how Twitter was the most easy social media application to build massive stranger networks.
However, many use Twitter like an IM tool to keep track of their closer friends and others they find interesting. They complain that following more than a certain number – 20, 50, 100, 500? – they can’t readily digest the conversation threads. Well, duh.
Silicon Valley Insider’s Henry Blodget’s Facebook account is clogged with friend requests. He’s given up on using Facebook to keep up with his closer circle of friends due to the massive noise emanating from friends he doesn’t know. He also knows that he doesn’t want to insult fans and well-wishers by “unfriending” everybody he doesn’t know. So he’s made the decision to “friend” everybody and relegate Facebook to being a big fan repository. His request to Facebook:
Please develop a new feature called “Personal Friends” or “Work Friends” or “Extra Special Friends” or “BFFs” or “Friends You Want To Hear Meaningless Trivia About All Day Long.” Please give me the ability to put friends in these groups without telling them I have done so (and, more importantly, without telling the friends I haven’t put in the groups that I haven’t. I REALLY don’t want to offend anyone).
Please develop this feature soon, so I can be friends with everyone who wants to be my friend and yet can also follow my actual friends without pissing all my other friends off. If you do that, by the way, I’ll finally also be able to just unplug LinkedIn.
Alan Wolk states the obvious has an excellent article pointing out how the new wave of MLM and SEO spammers and even a litany of social media experts that have invaded Twitter airwaves is making it exasperating to read through the Twitter public timeline. Sure, massive networks will have trash due to the low barriers to building these networks. My advice? Ignore them, block the trash.
MY SOLUTION TO ALL THIS
First, nobody’s complaining about developing a massive following on Twitter, Facebook or Friendfeed, or they would be “blocking” any followers they don’t know. Ergo, it’s good to have followers. Simple fact: you can get your message out (provided it’s not couched in spammy language) more broadly and virally with a larger network.
Second, I don’t think it matters whether you follow 200, 1,000, or 10,000 people. It’s still difficult to follow those who are closest to you, so don’t even try to doing this on Twitter public timeline. Use Twitter tools to follow your intimate network.
Ergo, since it doesn’t matter how many you follow after a certain number, why not follow or friend them all? That was Henry Blodget’s conclusion. Henry’s suggestion about grouping friends on Facebook can already be done on Twitter using Group Settings on Tweetdeck. I find it easy to follow my closest 100 (and like Henry I won’t say who they are) there. It’s such a simple solution.
Third, if you subscribe to the second corollary that it doesn’t matter how many you follow if you’re not tracking them on the public timeline, why put off your followers/fans? They could be following you because they adore you. A simple “follow” click keeps them loyal, how does that hurt you?
Sure, we’re adults… we all know that unfriending is not personal, but it is clearly not positive for relationship building. Some folks like Perry Belcher think it’s snobbery not to follow your fans back. (Funny video link).
The Real Estate Example
Many real estate professionals use Twitter and Facebook to develop a community following. Frankly, any stranger (yes, strangers are prospects too!) who follows/friends a real estate agent may be interested in their commentary and contemplating a home purchase. Would any agent in real life tell a prospect: “I know you’re watching me and potentially looking to hire me as your agent, but frankly I don’t know you and don’t think you are interesting, so I will unfriend you. Come back to me when you tell me you are a real prospect and I can make money from you”.
Since a real estate agent can’t tell who is a prospect on Twitter, why unfriend them? Just friend them, and ignore them until they come out of the woodwork with intention. It’s not only real estate, anybody selling services should be aware of the negative connotations of unfriending a client. Henry Blodget finally figured that one out.
Related article: The Politics of Unfollowing
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
That Alan Wolk has a flair for stating the obvious, doesn’t he?
I think you’re missing the point though Pat.
There are two audiences for social media. *Your* audience is the smaller one: people, such as realtors, who want to use social media to self-promote. They’re the ones who care about things like number of followers.
The larger audience wants to use it to socialize. They have no interest in building up “influence.” They just want to talk to their friends.
But the self-promoters need the socializers. Because who else will listen?
But I’m a bit baffled as to why a real estate agent who used Twitter to drum up business would even think about blocking potential followers.
And there’s a simpler solution for them than Tweet Deck: two accounts – a personal and professional one. Apps like Twhirl handle this quite easily and it keeps what would seem to be two very different audience far apart.
But that’s pretty obvious too.
Pardons Alan, no derogatory intent meant with the wording “stating the obvious”. I meant that it’s obvious Twitter is overrun with spammers. I think your article is excellent (and admire your blog) and I agree with all the points. I would never cite anyone’s work here just to badmouth.
In fact, I’m re-editing slightly so this comes across cleaner.
What you say in your comment is consistent with what I think. There are two types, those using Twitter to develop a large network and those who use it in a more intimate fashion. True. And I don’t see where I’ve missed this point.
Your idea of using two Twitter accounts works too.
Hi Pat
I just posted “Not Enough Twitter” http://activerain.com/blogsview/900275/Not-enough-Twitter
After reconsidering “Too Much Twitter” http://activerain.com/blogsview/896070/Too-Much-Twitter
I think that separate accounts and tools will help people get what they wish from twitter. Unless what they really want is just to have thousands of followers…
No worries then Pat- one of the problems with written communications is the potential for misunderstanding. Now that you explain, I totally see your point and it’s all good.
What’s fascinating to me about the influx of realtors on Twitter is that it’s the first industry outside the greater tech world to adopt Twitter with any real mass. (There are a number of finance guys on, but they tend to be finance guys who focus on tech)
Glad we got this sorted out.
Alan
I really enjoyed reading your blog post and those you linked to, but I have to say I disagree with your conclusion. I don’t see the point in following everyone who follows me. It’s not a matter of politeness; it’s a matter of practicality. What does it even mean to “follow” 5,000 people? It means nothing. I don’t like to do meaningless things. I like to do meaningful things. I like to be authentic.
Thanks Daniel, I know a lot of people would disagree with the conclusion to follow everybody. For me, it’s practical. With about 60 new followers per day on Twitter, I use an auto-follow instead of going through the time filtering through the followers and accepting one by one. Then, I “group” all the Tweeps I want to follow in groups on http://tweetdeck.com.
That way, I only spend 20 minutes per day to respond to @ and DMs on Twitter… it’s efficient use of networking time.