Ok ok…..Twitterocalypse is quite a bit overkill when describing what happened on May 10th, 2010 but I’m obnoxious and sarcastic 98.386% of the time. Basically, on that day, for a very brief period, the number of followers/following were both set to 0 for a brief time. A heavy metal band had inadvertently found a command line weakness and it began being exploited once the info got out. So twitter put the kabash on the follower data temporarily while the fixed it. Personally I didn’t give much of a crap about my numbers being at 0 but watching the waves of reactions, from everyone ranging from soccer moms to influencial marketers to small businesses, to music teachers, everyone was showing their true colors as far as what their reasons are or intent was, for using Twitter. It struck a chord with people on so many levels. Right away I saw tons of people complaining that they were so bummed that now no one was following them. Others were worried that they’d lose touch with people or not be able to find them again. Some folks openly said “I feel so lonely now” and they weren’t being facetious….which is a little telling about certain sects of humanity. Just by watching all the discussion you really got a great sense of how infused Twitter use is becoming in our culture. There are still many who don’t tweet but I guarantee you that if they understood Twitter, they would join the dark side ASAP.
The Two Schools of Thought
So I’m not gonna talk about the old discussion about quantity vs. quality of followers here. That horse has already been beaten into the center of the earth and we all know the truth there by now. In this post, I’m more talking about the line between etiquette and value on Twitter, one vs. the other, OR are they one in the same OR does it depend and is it to varying degrees? Depends on who you ask but I’ll break it down. Now, I’m talking about personal here, not business. Although the fact that everyone is now their own brand kinda lends itself to a blurry mass of grey area.
Option 1: Follow Those Based On Their Value to You
Option 2: Follow Everyone That Follows You
To me, the difference between these two is obvious. It’s the difference between hosting a bbq at your house and telling your close friends/family to come on by (Option 1), and (Option 2) posting flyers all over town about the bbq you are having at your house, to see who shows up, regardless if you know them or not, having no idea if they might bring any value to you.
Who/What *Really* Defines Twitter Etiquette?
Who the hell decided, with a stone tablet and chisel, up on top of the highest mountain, with a long flowing white beard and white robes while the sun beameth down upon them, that following someone back if they follow you, was the official etiquette on Twitter? What is this etiquette based on? If my content offers you no value, why would I expect you to follow me? If you did follow me and I offer you no value, then it’s hollow and lame and almost insulting. If your content is of no real value to me, do you really feel the need to have me follow you? If so, why would that bother you if I didn’t reciprocate. Is this etiquette requirement just a revelation of how fragile everyone’s egos actually are? If you find someone’s content valuable so you opt in, does it bother you that they don’t feel the same about your content? If so, why do you care? The more you attach your emotions to this Twitter craze, the less useful and efficient you make it. My opinion of course.
The Bigger Question: How Do You Define The True Value of a Follow/Follower?
The true value of social media is and will always be (at least for awhile longer) one of the most highly discussed topics. Taking that convo to a Twitter-only discussion, I think it’s important to really think about why you follow someone and what makes you or anyone else ‘followable‘. To me, followable means that your content is truly and legitimately valuable to someone other than yourself. By content I don’t mean just business-related. It could be anything – your hobbies, interests, sense of humor…standard stuff that brings people together. For those of you that follow 50,000+ people: If you were to look at the list of people that you follow, does every single person bring real value to your Twitter experience? If your answer is ‘no’, I recommend you think about that, especially if you carry that philosophy into your social media business practices (which is ludicrous if anyone does).
Onward.
Twitterocalypse 2010: Etiquette vs. Value
The Two Schools of Thought
So I’m not gonna talk about the old discussion about quantity vs. quality of followers here. That horse has already been beaten into the center of the earth and we all know the truth there by now. In this post, I’m more talking about the line between etiquette and value on Twitter, one vs. the other, OR are they one in the same OR does it depend and is it to varying degrees? Depends on who you ask but I’ll break it down. Now, I’m talking about personal here, not business. Although the fact that everyone is now their own brand kinda lends itself to a blurry mass of grey area.
Option 1: Follow Those Based On Their Value to You
Option 2: Follow Everyone That Follows You
To me, the difference between these two is obvious. It’s the difference between hosting a bbq at your house and telling your close friends/family to come on by (Option 1), and (Option 2) posting flyers all over town about the bbq you are having at your house, to see who shows up, regardless if you know them or not, having no idea if they might bring any value to you.
Who/What *Really* Defines Twitter Etiquette?
Who the hell decided, with a stone tablet and chisel, up on top of the highest mountain, with a long flowing white beard and white robes while the sun beameth down upon them, that following someone back if they follow you, was the official etiquette on Twitter? What is this etiquette based on? If my content offers you no value, why would I expect you to follow me? If you did follow me and I offer you no value, then it’s hollow and lame and almost insulting. If your content is of no real value to me, do you really feel the need to have me follow you? If so, why would that bother you if I didn’t reciprocate. Is this etiquette requirement just a revelation of how fragile everyone’s egos actually are? If you find someone’s content valuable so you opt in, does it bother you that they don’t feel the same about your content? If so, why do you care? The more you attach your emotions to this Twitter craze, the less useful and efficient you make it. My opinion of course.
The Bigger Question: How Do You Define The True Value of a Follow/Follower?
The true value of social media is and will always be (at least for awhile longer) one of the most highly discussed topics. Taking that convo to a Twitter-only discussion, I think it’s important to really think about why you follow someone and what makes you or anyone else ‘followable‘. To me, followable means that your content is truly and legitimately valuable to someone other than yourself. By content I don’t mean just business-related. It could be anything – your hobbies, interests, sense of humor…standard stuff that brings people together. For those of you that follow 50,000+ people: If you were to look at the list of people that you follow, does every single person bring real value to your Twitter experience? If your answer is ‘no’, I recommend you think about that, especially if you carry that philosophy into your social media business practices (which is ludicrous if anyone does).
Onward.