When Should You Unfollow and Unfriend?
Be smart and strategic about unfollowing and unfriending.
Aliza Sherman
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When Should You Unfollow and Unfriend?
Let’s talk about the flip side of social networking–the act of “un-networking” or in social media terms, unfollowing and unfriending. Now why in the world would you want to do that?
5 Good Reasons Why You Should Follow and Friend
When it comes to social networking, there are a slew of ways you can connect to others–and not just individuals but companies and organizations as well. You can follow them on sites like Twitter, friend them on networks like MySpace, fan them on Facebook, join them on Ning, subscribe to their feeds, and become a contact on LinkedIn. Depending on which social networks or social media tools you’re using, these connections come with a variety of benefits; but they also come with burdens.
So why should you follow, friend, or otherwise connect with someone via social networks? Here are 5 good reasons to follow, friend, or fan someone.
You know them or do business with them. Using social networks to strengthen ties with people whom you already know is a great reason to connect. You can keep in closer touch with family or friends who are far away or interact more regularly with people with whom you do business.
You want to know them or want to do business with them. If you don’t know someone very well, social networks can help you get to know someone and allow you to share things about yourself that will help others get to know you better.
They produce useful content. I love to follow people who read a lot of articles and blog posts pertaining to my industry. Instead of subscribing to hundreds of RSS feeds, I often follow people on Twitter who are like human filters because their tweet content is useful to me. Keep in mind that usefulness is in the eye of the follower.
You can learn from them. I look to connect with people who are leaders in their fields, and I love being able to glean nuggets of information from them via their Twitter feed or status updates. Many people use status updates or tweets to share information generously with their networks. Tap into their social media streams to get ideas for blogging or to get feedback on your product. Those who interact with their networks are even more compelling because they understand the value of not just connecting but engaging.
They inspire you. We all can use a dose of inspiration and motivation each day. Some people send out inspirational messages through their Twitter stream or status updates as a way of galvanizing their networks for good. I don’t think anyone can ever have too much inspiration.
5 Reasons Why You Should Unfollow and Unfriend
Now, there are many reasons to cut the social networking ties with someone, but here are some of my reasons to unfollow or unfriend.
They spam. Spammers come in all shapes and sizes and often use all sorts of automated tools and scripts to perpetuate their spam. None of us have enough bandwidth–figuratively or literally–to put up with spamming in our communication channels.
They’re offensive. When I say offensive, I don’t mean that their opinions differ from yours. In fact, I wholeheartedly embrace connections with people who possess opinions far different from my own. I put them in the “I can learn from them” category. I’m talking about people who are out there to raise hackles and stir up trouble. Who needs that kind of negativity?
They only broadcast. Social networking is about reciprocity; it’s about conversations; it’s about connecting in more meaningful ways. If someone employs the advertising broadcast model of communication to social media, they are one step away from being offensive. You can tune them out by unfollowing or unfriending them.
They’re too self-centered. There is nothing wrong with self-promotion, but it should be part of a mix of messages. There should be balance in the kind of information others put out there in the social mediasphere. The best social networkers are generous but still know how to plug their own works without beating you over the head with the promotional messages.
They fail to add value. I can’t define value for you–that’s something you have to determine for yourself. I can tell you that the my most valuable social networking contacts use social networking tools in a variety of ways but still have a strong focus and a clear voice. I know that C.C. Chapman, for example, will give great advice about infusing your work with passion. I know that Chris Brogan will zero in on some solid tips on using social media well. I connect and follow people who know why they’re using social networks and are consistent.
Not every social network makes it easy to disconnect from a contact, but if you really need to unfriend or unfollow, be persistent; contact tech support; ask others how to do it; and then cut those ties now to clear up the clutter in your social media channels.
And here’s a quick and dirty tip: to pare down the number of people you are following on Twitter without adversely affecting the number of people who follow you, use a tool such as FriendorFollow.com to see a list of the people you’re following who are not following you back. I use Friend or Follow to decide if the people who don’t follow me back are truly contributing value to my Twitterstream. If they aren’t following me back, that’s no big deal, but if they aren’t really providing value to me, I unfollow them. My Twitterstream is so much easier to read the more I weed.
Bottom Line: Connecting with every Tom, Dick, and Mary on social networks won’t serve you well. Think quality, not quantity, and pare down your connections to meaningful and valuable ones. Your social networking contacts should be working for you, not against you.
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Resources
Twitter – Visit Twitter
Facebook – Visit Facebook
LinkedIn – Visit LinkedIn
Friend or Follow – Visit Website Friend or Follow
MySpace – Visit Website MySpace
Ning – Visit Website Ning