fbpx 257221174963935

photo credit: twitter support


Several months ago I narrowed down the number of people I followed on Twitter significantly. I unfollowed people who hadn’t had activity in the previous few weeks, the last several months, or people who I didn’t feel were providing good enough content for me to follow. I did a slighter version of what Michael Hyatt calls “Twitter Bankruptcy.” 
That even included some friends that thought they would enjoy Twitter when they first started, but hadn’t logged in again since. Since we’re still on speaking terms I’ll assume they weren’t offended. (Or perhaps I just let the cat out of the bag)

I don’t adhere to the old rule that following someone back when they follow you is the right thing to do. I used to because that’s what someone simply said to do. I disagree. There are actual several reasons I now disagree. Here are four reasons I won’t follow you back on Twitter:

  1. My follow request must be approved first – If you are so afraid that the wrong person is going to follow you that you need to monitor so closely as to approve first, then perhaps Twitter is not for you. Approving pending friend requests on Facebook is one thing, but Twitter is a completely different ballgame.
  2. You have the DM option turned off – I like to send personal messages to each person that follows me, taking the time to thank them for following and to let them know I am excited about connecting with them. Unless you’re Ashton Kutcher, you’re not high-ranking enough that you have to worry about getting your inbox filled up.
  3. Your follower/following ratio is out of balance – If you’re following 980 people and only have 150 followers, I’m not interested. It means you’re trying to sell me something and could care less what I have to say. No thank you. If you are following 85 people and only have 30 followers, that’s a little different. That tells me you are trying to build up your list and that you’re probably new to Twitter.
  4. You send an auto reply – I can’t tell you how tacky and unprofessional this is. It says to your followers, “I don’t have time to really thank you for following but thanks for stopping by anyway.” You may not have time every day to sit down and reply to all of your new followers. I don’t. I designate time every two or three weeks to go through my new followers and message them. Though I may use a standard message, I’m still sending it and they know it’s personal. Here’s a sample of what I send:

“Name, thanks for following. How is your Friday? I look forward to connecting with you. Follow me on FB too: sundijoonfacebook.com.

What am I missing?
What are some other reasons for not following someone on Twitter? Comment below…

Want to never miss a blog post again?
Click here and new posts will be sent directly to your email.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share This

Share this post with your friends!