I’ve got a lot friends looking for new jobs as a result of lay-offs, job eliminations and just plain lack of income. So, I keep an eye out for opportunities that might fit their skill sets and hey – maybe I can help them land that next big gig. But one thing that I’ve found, particularly in the social media and marketing space is using “number of Twitter followers” or “number of Facebook friends” as a qualifier for an experienced marketer….huh?
A notable example is Forrester Research’s recent cattle call for resumes to replace social media megaman Jeremiah Owyang and his “Social Analyst” position. Requirement “questions” include:
“Am I influential in the social community? Questions like “How many Twitter followers do I have” or “how many comments do I average per blog post” should come to mind.”
To be fair, the post goes on to touch on other points like:
“Could I effectively analyze the future of social technology?” and “Would I know any of the names of those who comment on your blog, link to your blog or follow you on Twitter (to represent quality of influence, not just quantity)?”
But you get my point. And this isn’t the only “number of followers” requirement that I’ve seen. So it begs the question…how does the quantity of followers really effect the quality of the conversation?
I can admit that I am a numbers girl – and as my Twitter followers grow I grin with glee. But, realistically, my Twitter conversations aren’t drastically improving as the number grows. In fact, I’ve found that my conversations degrade with more spam and noise sprinkled in between valuable discussions. And while I know that I am picking a handful of genuine new followers, let’s face it – most of it is spam and crap.
I am pickier about who I befriend on LinkedIn and Facebook, so I can personally say that there is a lot of value in those groups. But Twitter as a “quality gauge”? Not so much.
From a professional perspective, I don’t know why Facebook followers should have any bearing on your social media influence. I think most folks use Facebook as a platform for personal discussions, even if there is some industry news posted here and there. I also think that blog comments are a mixed bag. I don’t get a lot of comments, but I consistently have conversations about what I’ve posted outside of the comments section. And I’ve also seen blogs with a gazillion “atta-boy” comments but no real conversation. So, again, how can you use # of blog comments as a qualifier?
Why not ask “How are you using social media to further your personal goals?” or “How are you improving your community through social media?” I would rather have confidence that someone understands the concept and spirit of social media rather than that they have a million Twitter followers.
Am I off base here?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I totally agree with you. I think the whole thing with the numbers is crazy. The more people you have following you, the more you have to follow back…because of course to be “authentic” you need to follow everyone back! And the more people you’re following, the harder it is to keep up and get any value from the conversations. I remember asking a friend who had a few thousand followers–and was following back equally many–how she keeps up with it all. Her answer? I don’t. Doesn’t that then defeat the purpose?
The most popular blog post I ever wrote was a criticism of Chris Brogan for admitting that he stops following people who unfollow him because they are “dead wood”–e.g. why would he waste his time following someone who’s not following him back. My point was that I follow people I get value from–what else is the point. He read the post and left a few defensive comments–plus tweeted about the post and about 500 people read it in like an hour. Crazy. But it was interesting.
What’s funny is that I used to do “auto-follow” everyone that followed me (you know, because I was “so busy”) and I got so much junk that I immediately stopped and started actually reviewing the people that followed me. And, I’m here to tell you, there is a lot crap out there. I’m shocked when I get someone that I actually want to follow. And for the record, you’re always going to get a lot of flack for criticizing Chris Brogan. Hmmm…I thought that everyone was entitled to an opinion? I guess if you don’t have 50 gazillion followers, yours doesn’t count.
BTW – love your blog. I’m adding it to my required reading.