Which Is More Important on Twitter: Who You Follow or Being Followed?

December 8, 2008

Picture 7 Like almost every blogger out there, I am on Twitter. As of the time I write this post, I have 1,342 followers and I’m following 885.

I gain new followers every day. Just being out there, writing a lot, being involved in social media, I’ve reached a certain momentum such that I seem to gain new followers without doing much of anything. Admittedly, that’s nice.

My natural inclination, and it seems the majority of other Twitter users are in this boat, is to take that “followers” number really seriously. We all want a lot of people to follow us on Twitter. Even if you don’t want to admit it, it is a bit of an online status symbol. A bit of digital “street cred”.

But, which is more important, really? Is it more important to have a crapload of followers than to follow the right people?

I’ve had people see that I follow almost 900 people and they ask, “Why"?”. They observe, and correctly so, that I couldn’t possibly read the tweets of 900 people. And they’re right. I do NOT read every tweet that comes across my plate. There are other Twitter users who follow a lot more people than I do and, trust me, they’re not reading everything either.

STREAM PHOTO 2 When you follow a person, that means you can tap into their thought stream. Random thoughts, new links they find, or their new blog posts – you’ll have those things entering your tweet stream. So, I have almost 900 people who comprise a steady stream of collective thought.

The beauty of a site like Twitter is the near-instantaneous nature of it. You can learn of new things quickly. News events break VERY fast on Twitter. It is like having 900 pairs of eyeballs out there acting like a little conduit of information which is sent TO YOU – via Twitter.

Do you see the value of that? I sure do!

Following the right people puts them into your thought stream. You can see what they see (if they tweet it, of course). That’s a LOT of information at your fingertips. And like any river or stream, you just dip your toe in it when you see fit. I’m not watching every tweet that comes across my screen. But, I monitor it in my peripheral vision (so to speak) so I can keep tabs on what’s happening out there.

The value of your tweet stream is determined by WHO you follow. So, take whatever you’re interested in, find the people in your niche, and follow them. You can use a site like Twellow to find people. You can even use Twitter search to enter search terms you’re interested in, observe the people who talk about those things, and follow them.

We all like to be followed on Twitter, but let’s not get too hung up on it. Obviously being followed is a good thing. But, I think there is perhaps more value to be had in simply following the right people.

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  • The answer of course is neither. The most important things on Twitter are: 1) What you say. 2) How you behave yourself. 3) How well you listen.

    For me, I would say who is following me is more important, because I tend to broadcast and then respond. My Twitter consumption is almost as much through the search interface as the standard interface on keywords and the like.
  • Interesting post, David. At first I was like "Holy cow! You follow 885??!", but after reading the whole post I see your point.

    And my opinion as far as followers is that I honestly don't care. I don't think I've ever even looked at any of them. I just enjoy keeping a little "blog" per se of the junk going on in my life.

    Thanks for the link to Twellow. I've been looking for a site like that because I'd like to follow some game industry people. Right now all I follow is Major Nelson, but now I can find some others. Yay!
  • I think that both are important,but I agree with you Dave.I don't broadcast as much as you do,but when I do I like to find things and people that have something to say like you,like the other friends I have.
  • Yes, David,

    I agree, following choices are, a thought stream, I spend more time on choosing who to follow and my own content, to insure added value, and fun.

    Thanks for the inspire and peace. jim
  • I have been active on Twitter for a tad over two weeks.
    My take seems unique, but then I am an artist founding a new theory of Post Conceptual Art. Seeing things the way everyone else does is not normal for me.
    I love to follow. I will follow just about anyone to discover if they are interesting. People can surprise me with their insight, humor and good will. surprise you. I follow everyone who follows me. I follow many of the influencers. I try to find people from around the world to follow to get a real picture of current affairs.
    Obviously I also seek out other artists and people in fields that I find especially interesting. I am still learning how to do this.
    While I understand the status component of having more followers and look forward to having many followers as I do intend to change the world by changing the way we see the world, I think following is more important. Having more news and information enables me to make better decisions. I have followed links and discovered many web tools, information, and more.
    While there are many marketers on Twitter and people using it for business, for me the purpose is to communicate and build relationships. Business comes from relationships and it is most fun and rewarding to work and play with one's friends.
    I follow you on Twitter, which is how I got here. Followed a link.

    Judy Rey Wasserman
    on Twitter: judyrey
  • Interesting. I hadn't looked at it that way. Thanks for the insight; it makes me reconsider my position on Twitter.
  • Neither Twitter is all about how well you can project yourself..
  • I currently apply what I call the "Captain Planet" strategy to Twitter:

    http://www.jesseliebman.com/2008/12/15/captain-...

    It's been extremely beneficial for me. I will definitely check out Twellow though to find additional people to follow.
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