Comments on: Quality Over Quantity (and Using Followers as a Qualifier) http://wstr221.gearhost.us.com/luc1313/bethjbates.com/wwwroot/index.php/2009/09/08/quality-over-quantity-and-using-followers-as-a-qualifier/ Plain English Social Media Tips, Web Tools and Marketing Strategies Thu, 17 Mar 2011 16:41:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Beth J. Bates http://wstr221.gearhost.us.com/luc1313/bethjbates.com/wwwroot/index.php/2009/09/08/quality-over-quantity-and-using-followers-as-a-qualifier/comment-page-1/#comment-913 Beth J. Bates Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:31:05 +0000 http://www.bethjbates.com/?p=826#comment-913 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. ;) <anxiously awaiting the influx of nasty replies> BTW - love your blog. I'm adding it to my required reading. 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.

]]> By: Maggie McGary http://wstr221.gearhost.us.com/luc1313/bethjbates.com/wwwroot/index.php/2009/09/08/quality-over-quantity-and-using-followers-as-a-qualifier/comment-page-1/#comment-912 Maggie McGary Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:48:52 +0000 http://www.bethjbates.com/?p=826#comment-912 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. 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.

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