Twitter is one of my favorite social networking sites. It’s quick, easy, and fun, and thanks to a mention over at Mashable, I’ve been getting an extra influx of Twitter followers lately. As of this post, I’m following 435 Tweeps (a term used for those on Twitter) and I’m being followed by 629 Tweeps. Yes, that’s correct: I don’t necessarily follow everyone who follows me. That’s because, even though I really can’t keep up with 435 people, I try to select who I follow based on some basic criteria:
– Does the Tweep have a bio that tells me who he/she is? If no bio, no following!
– Does the Tweep have an interest in jewelry and/or crafting of any kind? If yes, then that’s a person I follow back.
– Does the Tweep seem to have any coherent updates? If not, I don’t follow. What’s the point?
– Does the Tweep DM five minutes after I follow trying to sell me something? If yes, then I un-follow the Tweep, and generally, any Tweep that DMs me with any sale info (unless requested by me), I un-follow. That’s just not cool. It’s actually spam IMO.
– Does the Tweep have any shared interests (outside of crafts) such as books or pets? If so, then I follow.
– Does the Tweep seem to prefer preaching about any number of topics, from religion to politics? If so, then I don’t follow.
I get all kinds of great information on Twitter, and it’s a good place to feed my blogs into or just post about new crafting tutorials I publish on-line. And, yes, I admit to providing other information that isn’t necessarily Earth-shattering, such as the fact that I may be tucking my cats in for the night or what I’m having for lunch, but that’s what Twitter is all about, an on-going, big, crazy conversation with hundreds of your web friends and associates.
Tweet on! Oh, and of course, feel free to follow me!
May 25, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Congratulations on your Twittering success! I think you were one of my orginal friends who raved about this site. I have been on it for awhile and I admit my Blog followers have increased slightly. Well, lets say from 9 to 17. (We’re not talking triple digits here)…LOL
I am very relaxed when it comes to Twitter. My only pet peeve is that if I am following them…after 3 or 4 days tops they better be following me or else I unfollow. And, that includes A-listers and popular personalities as well. I don’t think any one person is above another.
I still prefer facebook as my all-time fave social network. I usually list a “Necklace of the Day” and people seem to enjoy commenting on it and what is the most thrilling to me is that Kenneth Fron Jewelry lovers are finding each other through that and discussing amongst themselves. Today, I was thrilled when a necklace I listed sold out in about an hour. We are certianly living in a day and age where we control our own publicity and exposure. Thank God for facebook and Twitter!
May 25, 2009 at 5:34 pm
It’s sort of the opposite for me. Twitter I seemd to “get” pretty quickly, but I’m still warming up to Facebook. I like it better now than when I first started over there, it took awhile, and there are some things I just ignore like people poking me 🙂
But, you are right. Social networks are powerful, so they can be worth some time if you are trying to promote yourself.
May 28, 2009 at 9:49 am
I’m a Twitter newbie and so far what I’m liking the most is all the great information I’m finding. Even though I’m new at this, I found your list of why you follow — or don’t follow — people very much in line with my own.
I’ve been a subscriber to your about.com newsletter for a long time, but not until I started following you on Twitter did I learn about your fondness for kitties. That’s the personal aspect of Twitter that I find terrific.
May 28, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Hi Donna, exactly! You can promo yourself but also get to know people, so that’s why I actually like to know things like my fellow tweeps are eating for breakfast. I’m glad you “got” Twitter so quickly. Some people never do and some take awhile to warm up to it.