Comments on: Twitter Friend Optimization (TFO) for personal branding http://www.socializedpr.com/twitter-friend-optimization-tfo-for-personal-branding/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:27:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: socialized » The latest Twitter follow scam http://www.socializedpr.com/twitter-friend-optimization-tfo-for-personal-branding/#comment-1502 socialized » The latest Twitter follow scam Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:12:49 +0000 http://www.socializedpr.com/?p=394#comment-1502 [...] This is just the latest in a series of games played by people who see you and me as numbers, notches in the social media belt, and not as people worth engaging with, or who have something of value to say and who are looking to be informed by others. I call this Twitter Friend Optimization (TFO). [...] [...] This is just the latest in a series of games played by people who see you and me as numbers, notches in the social media belt, and not as people worth engaging with, or who have something of value to say and who are looking to be informed by others. I call this Twitter Friend Optimization (TFO). [...]

]]> By: Deepa http://www.socializedpr.com/twitter-friend-optimization-tfo-for-personal-branding/#comment-980 Deepa Sat, 15 Nov 2008 14:26:08 +0000 http://www.socializedpr.com/?p=394#comment-980 NIce post. I wish I had the patience (and knowledge of course) to post such a analysis. To add, I also think each one has their own twitter story and twitter journey. So any kind of "ten things list' is very 'bloggish'- it misses the fine nuance that the conversation has moved to the flow. Also another blog hangover is increasing counts (RSS, Subscriptions, PR, etc) While some of these like grader etc are fun, they serve no purpose where words like social and community comes into play. The fine difference between increasing follower count v/s anything else (building relationships, marketing, learning, finding friends, etc) is the heart of the matter. Just a few thoughts! I am happy to follow you and happy to have you in my list too :D NIce post. I wish I had the patience (and knowledge of course) to post such a analysis. To add, I also think each one has their own twitter story and twitter journey.

So any kind of “ten things list’ is very ‘bloggish’- it misses the fine nuance that the conversation has moved to the flow. Also another blog hangover is increasing counts (RSS, Subscriptions, PR, etc) While some of these like grader etc are fun, they serve no purpose where words like social and community comes into play.

The fine difference between increasing follower count v/s anything else (building relationships, marketing, learning, finding friends, etc) is the heart of the matter.

Just a few thoughts! I am happy to follow you and happy to have you in my list too :D

]]> By: Nicole Hamilton http://www.socializedpr.com/twitter-friend-optimization-tfo-for-personal-branding/#comment-967 Nicole Hamilton Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:42:49 +0000 http://www.socializedpr.com/?p=394#comment-967 I think the points you addressed above are interesting, particularly the point you touched on about "meaningless posts." I think your point was valid in that the reason people form/join communities in the first place is because of the simple fact that they are able to reach out to people who share similar interest, discussions, etc. etc. For example we have a client who specializes in diabetic care. Part of our role was to help them develop a creative strategy in which they could implement social media, whether it be direct conversation with consumers or internally--anything they could do to better their understanding of their consumer's needs. We had to start somewhere, so we started by researching what diabetic communities already existed out there in the blogosphere. Millions. The point here is that these individual bloggers started talking about things you and I may view as completely irrelevant, their blood sugar levels, how they prick their fingers, etc. etc. Who cares about blood sugar levels anyway? They do, because they struggle with it every day, which was ultimately the reason these communities formed to begin with. So to tie this little rant all back to Twitter, people out there are Twittering about how they use their new glucose meters, so while I may not follow someone who spends their day Tweeting about a meter, there are thousands of other diabetics who may. While I think Guy Kawasaki’s post was great and gave some great insight into what you can do to increase the number of followers you have, I always wonder how many of those followers, and follow backs, will be of value to me and to others. While I would love to have a ton of followers that open up my network, I think I would rather have fewer followers who share similar interest and who I can engage in conversations with. I think the points you addressed above are interesting, particularly the point you touched on about “meaningless posts.” I think your point was valid in that the reason people form/join communities in the first place is because of the simple fact that they are able to reach out to people who share similar interest, discussions, etc. etc.
For example we have a client who specializes in diabetic care. Part of our role was to help them develop a creative strategy in which they could implement social media, whether it be direct conversation with consumers or internally–anything they could do to better their understanding of their consumer’s needs. We had to start somewhere, so we started by researching what diabetic communities already existed out there in the blogosphere. Millions. The point here is that these individual bloggers started talking about things you and I may view as completely irrelevant, their blood sugar levels, how they prick their fingers, etc. etc. Who cares about blood sugar levels anyway? They do, because they struggle with it every day, which was ultimately the reason these communities formed to begin with. So to tie this little rant all back to Twitter, people out there are Twittering about how they use their new glucose meters, so while I may not follow someone who spends their day Tweeting about a meter, there are thousands of other diabetics who may.
While I think Guy Kawasaki’s post was great and gave some great insight into what you can do to increase the number of followers you have, I always wonder how many of those followers, and follow backs, will be of value to me and to others. While I would love to have a ton of followers that open up my network, I think I would rather have fewer followers who share similar interest and who I can engage in conversations with.

]]> By: thevegasstyleguy http://www.socializedpr.com/twitter-friend-optimization-tfo-for-personal-branding/#comment-965 thevegasstyleguy Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:04:51 +0000 http://www.socializedpr.com/?p=394#comment-965 Cool post! I had no idea there was such an etiquette to Twitter! I got so many followers so quickly that I didn't even know how to say thank you. Now what do I do? Help! Derek Washington Cool post!

I had no idea there was such an etiquette to Twitter!

I got so many followers so quickly that I didn’t even know how to say thank you. Now what do I do?

Help!

Derek Washington

]]> By: Brittany http://www.socializedpr.com/twitter-friend-optimization-tfo-for-personal-branding/#comment-964 Brittany Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:04:51 +0000 http://www.socializedpr.com/?p=394#comment-964 I built my Twitter following by following friends of friends who I found interesting or worked in the same field as I do. That was about 7 months ago. Since then I've only followed people who started following me and weren't idiots or spammers ;) The one thing I love about Twitter is how much my followers vary in terms of age and where they are in their careers, while my facebook friends are all my age for the most part. Twitter opens you up to people based on what they're saying, not what their profile says, and I think that gives a great opportunity for emphasis on ideas and discussion. For me, I don't care about my follower count in the least, so long as the people I'm following are interesting. I built my Twitter following by following friends of friends who I found interesting or worked in the same field as I do. That was about 7 months ago. Since then I’ve only followed people who started following me and weren’t idiots or spammers ;)

The one thing I love about Twitter is how much my followers vary in terms of age and where they are in their careers, while my facebook friends are all my age for the most part. Twitter opens you up to people based on what they’re saying, not what their profile says, and I think that gives a great opportunity for emphasis on ideas and discussion.

For me, I don’t care about my follower count in the least, so long as the people I’m following are interesting.

]]> By: Stephanie Sullivan http://www.socializedpr.com/twitter-friend-optimization-tfo-for-personal-branding/#comment-962 Stephanie Sullivan Wed, 12 Nov 2008 06:31:55 +0000 http://www.socializedpr.com/?p=394#comment-962 I agree with much of what you write... but only for personal branding. Personally, I don't use twitter for branding. In fact, I don't have a link to twitter on my site (I don't want my prospective clients reading my mundane thoughts and activities) or Facebook, etc. So as you say, if you agree that it's all about personal branding, follow Guy's instructions (I dropped both Guy and Scoble fairly quickly since they never said anything too interesting -- it was mostly self-promotion). But for me, it's about connecting with people. As such, I follow people back that either A) I know, B) I know of and would like to know, C) live in an area I just moved to and thus might like to know, D) I don't know at all, but are funny as shit (or useful. Either works), E) follow me, I don't know them, but they @ me some replies that get my attention and cause me to follow them. For me, that's what social networking is about. Socially networking to find people you connect with or find interesting. I'm really not worried about following so many people that I can't follow anyone. And I don't mean to offend anyone. I just want to keep the tool useful to me. :) I agree with much of what you write… but only for personal branding. Personally, I don’t use twitter for branding. In fact, I don’t have a link to twitter on my site (I don’t want my prospective clients reading my mundane thoughts and activities) or Facebook, etc.

So as you say, if you agree that it’s all about personal branding, follow Guy’s instructions (I dropped both Guy and Scoble fairly quickly since they never said anything too interesting — it was mostly self-promotion). But for me, it’s about connecting with people. As such, I follow people back that either A) I know, B) I know of and would like to know, C) live in an area I just moved to and thus might like to know, D) I don’t know at all, but are funny as shit (or useful. Either works), E) follow me, I don’t know them, but they @ me some replies that get my attention and cause me to follow them.

For me, that’s what social networking is about. Socially networking to find people you connect with or find interesting. I’m really not worried about following so many people that I can’t follow anyone. And I don’t mean to offend anyone. I just want to keep the tool useful to me. :)

]]> By: Sue Radd http://www.socializedpr.com/twitter-friend-optimization-tfo-for-personal-branding/#comment-960 Sue Radd Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:33:51 +0000 http://www.socializedpr.com/?p=394#comment-960 Since I tweet about cats, hamhocks, racing pigeons, stains in my carpet, 5W30, denim, plenums (plena?), old movies, laudnum, that thing, my emotional state, binnage, Loehamnn's and Chicago, I *clearly* must be using Twitter WRONG. Thanks. I'll take corrective action immediately. ;-) One more thing: I know I'm in the minority, but Twitter's not about *me*. Do I somehow "owe" the network reciprocal value? Gosh, I dunno...Do I? Does Twitter's TOS require that I consistently tweet things of Immense. Social. Value.? Wow, musta missed that graf! Am I some sort of Twitter parasite since I prefer to absorb, rather than pontificate? Dang, get a match! As usual, great thought-provoking post. Thanks. Since I tweet about cats, hamhocks, racing pigeons, stains in my carpet, 5W30, denim, plenums (plena?), old movies, laudnum, that thing, my emotional state, binnage, Loehamnn’s and Chicago, I *clearly* must be using Twitter WRONG.

Thanks. I’ll take corrective action immediately. ;-)

One more thing: I know I’m in the minority, but Twitter’s not about *me*. Do I somehow “owe” the network reciprocal value? Gosh, I dunno…Do I? Does Twitter’s TOS require that I consistently tweet things of Immense. Social. Value.? Wow, musta missed that graf! Am I some sort of Twitter parasite since I prefer to absorb, rather than pontificate? Dang, get a match!

As usual, great thought-provoking post. Thanks.

]]>