How do you choose your twitter followers?

January 8th, 2009

twitter-Kirsten WrightUsing Twitter shouldn’t be a task – and neither should finding new Twitter followers. While looking through my twitter stream, I noticed @swoodruff & @ikepigott’s posts about their rules for use of twitter. I expected the post to be filled with tips and tricks, but instead were their rules for how they choose who to follow or what followers could expect to find. After reading both, I felt I needed to write one of my own – explain  what I think makes a great follower for me.

I am a firm believer in you can’t get what you want if you don’t tell anyone what it is. So, hopefully if I tell everyone the types of followers I look for, I’ll get more followers like that (logical, right?).  Everyone has different types of people that they want to be a part of their stream – but here is the criteria for the type of followers I look for (plus 1 of my current followers that fit the category, and I recommend).

I follow people who…

  • like @MatchesMalone …are local to me (Los Angeles, Orange County, Irvine, Mission Viejo)
  • like @officemate …who have a good sense of humor (especially ones with a bit of sarcasm!)
  • like @Suzbroughton …other marketing/social media/communication/writing people  (who are here to actually communicate, not sell me something).
  • like @ikepigott …people recommended to me by other people I find interesting.
  • like @RachelMotte …fellow Right-wingers (as long as it isn’t just link after link to political stories)
  • like @JDvB …Left-wingers(as long as they know how to talk politics, not argue politics)
  • like @TS_Elliott …people who have replied to me at least once with something beneficial
  • like @paulkinlan …heads of companies I find interesting (companies with tools that benefit me)
  • like @KatieFavazza …people who have a job that I admire or want to know more about (graphic designers, web desginers, journalists)
  • like @mmWine …are Wino’s (because who can’t use a good wine recommendation and the twittertastelive events are fabulous)

And of course… I am always open to finding a new type of person, so even if you don’t think you ‘fit’ one of these categories, if you find what I talk about interesting and want to join the conversation.. follow me @kirstenwright

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Kirsten

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Categories: Motivation from other bloggers, Social Media | View Comments

  • Thank you for this post for many reasons. As of this writing, I am new to twitter (two weeks?) and getting to the "quality rather than quantity" part of my tiny follow growth curve and your thoughts are appreciated.
  • I certainly hope you have delivered a sound thrashing to the prankster who told you to follow me.

    You're on the right track, be organic. But don't worry about shaping your followers, because you can't control that anyway. I posted my criteria (it's a page on my site linked from my Twitter profile) to help set expectations. If you know th ground rules going in, it's harder to get your feelings hurt. (Especially important since some are spreading the culture that anything other than total reciprocity is antisocial.)

    Oh, and you're followed.
  • Kirsten Wright
    Steve,

    Thanks for catching that! geez - you would think I'd never written a post before! lol. Yes, @swoodruff is definitely who I meant :)
  • I like that you gave examples of peeps (checking them out now!) - Oh, btw, I'm @swoodruff (@stevewoodruff doesn't seem to have much to say...:>} )
  • Great list with good follows. Might as well add mine Kirsten ;-)
    http://twitter.com/BertDecker
  • Tweeple who share. Tweeple I can learn something from. Tweeple that interact, engage and contribute. Mostly, other designers and developers - I like hanging with my own ilk!
  • Twitter Followers & how to choose | Wright Creativity: I am getting ready to head to Vegas and am so excited! I .. http://tinyurl.com/7m7oqq
  • (Good follows) RT @kirstenwright: Joined the twitter based blog post trend-mentioned how of my followers :) http://is.gd/eTKA
  • From @kirstenwright (at @#wordcamplv now): How do you choose your twitter followers? http://is.gd/eTKA
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