I mentioned on Tuesday in response to Twitter’s new changes that it could be impossible for anyone to see your suggestions on #followfriday if you started your Tweets with an “@”. Based on your responses, my assumption was part right, and part wrong. #followfriday is not going away (as long as Twitter users don’t want it to). You’re just going to have to do it a little differently, and perhaps that’s a good thing.
My point of Tuesday’s post about the changes was to point out Twitter’s attitude and seeming desire to make us use Twitter the way they (the founders and employees of Twitter) use it, rather than the way we like, and how that could affect the very democratically created tradition of #followfriday from week to week. I was amazed at your response! I believe this blog had a new record, currently standing at 101 comments on a single post, all of you sharing your opinions, sharing advice on how it could work, and what you thought of Twitter’s new decision. Twitter has since clarified the Kerfuffle (say that 5 times fast, and why won’t Safari count that as a real word?) in finally a manner that they should have done in the first place. While I would still like some more promise on how they’re going to warn developers of such changes in the future (since we were affected by this as well), I think they’re at least starting to approach this in the right manner.
So, let’s talk #followfriday. It can still work. It just needs to be done differently to work. Lately, while I appreciate all your suggestions and recommendations, I’m noticing a trend which I think these new changes by Twitter actually put an end to. That’s the trend of listing just a whole bunch of Twitter screen names, followed by the hashtag, “#followfriday”, and nothing else. You’ve just recommended me to all your friends, along with about 10 others, and no reason why they should follow you. Do you think anyone pays attention to that? And if they do, will they remember the people you have just recommended? It turns out that with the new Twitter changes those can’t work anyway, because they begin with an “@” sign.
Let’s start a new tradition. I suggest selecting no more than 2 individuals every Friday. They should technically be individuals on more than one service – that can be Twitter and FriendFeed, or Twitter and Facebook, or maybe even Twitter and LinkedIn or whatever other 2 services you want to think of. You should come up with a 140 character version of your tweet, 140 characters for each individual explaining why your followers should follow each of those individuals in as much detail as possible and then post it to a microblogging service (like Twitter) somewhere. Then, on a service that allows more than 140 characters, maybe even your blog, share much more about that individual. Explain what they do, how they got there, what makes them interesting, and better yet, include a picture!
I noticed this last week as my friend, Mari Smith, shared her #followfriday entry on Facebook. She included the name of the individual, a very detailed description of why she was suggesting we become friends with the individual, and she even included a picture! Mari then continued to endorse this individual in the comments.
I think this is a trend we should all continue. Again, your Tweets can’t start with “@” – sure some can in certain instances, but let’s just not confuse ourselves here. Either start your Tweet with #followfriday and a description with the screen name of the individual, or just start your description and include their screen name some where that makes sense. What’s important is that there is detail about the individual. It’s time we start some real dialog here. Let’s build real relationships and do it in style. Make your #followfridays count by doing fewer, but with more substance. Perhaps you could even start in the comments of this post!
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I wholeheartedly agree with this post: #followfriday only works if you tell me WHY I should follow the person. If you post just a random list of names with a hashtag you get the complete opposite effect: I'll unfollow YOU.
Amen Jessy! What a wonderful post, so loving and clear. You would have been a great teacher. Not sure though that most twitterers will take your good advice. It's too difficult to write a resume for follow friday. When they can just list a bunch of people that they don't know, well you understand. You're right in that most people who want to connect interpersonally would like your suggestion but most people on twitter only care about the numbers of followers, don't you think.
Look what Rasheen just wrote: http://friendfeed.com/rahsheen/46c0d607/before-…
Haha Erik, ditto and amen! Now I think I'll follow you but on friendfeed. Then I'll see your tweets there anyway.
Myrna, I think that's definitely a good way to separate those that care and
those that don't. Hopefully people can spread this message
though. You may have reach, but engagement is built one follower at a time.
🙂 I agree. Now come and visit me at http://friendfeed.com/myrnaslist and http://friendfeed.com/classy-chocolate -see I'm a one person at a time. You know last Friday I didn't turn my computer on because I was so disgusted with the #ff thing. I had a nice rest for 24 hrs and then I found the other ff and I don't mean followfriday or firefox.
I'm a sucker for chocolate! Subscribed.
Totally agree. I was actually upset about #followfridays when they wrote about the new replies.. Great post, thank you.
#followfriday is used by the majority of twitterers incorrectly. Neal Wiser recently interviewed Micah Baldwin about the history and how it's been corrupted since. Your suggestion, Jesse, is along the lines of something I'd practiced for 8-10 weeks. It's about time more people add reasons for suggesting tweeps to follow. You can read Neal's article at http://www.twitip.com/follow-friday-too-much-of…
[…] Here’s How to Make #followfriday Work With the New Twitter Changes | Stay N’ Alive. […]
Vulcan mind-meld? I blogged just this morning about the need to explainwhy your friends should #followfriday someone: (disclaimer: self-promotional, but relevant, link) 'If you like' #followfriday
Hey Ari, good to see we're all on the same page on this!
there seems to be some confusion – but according to twitter's blog, (unless you hit the @REPLY button), your @ posts are visible to all your Followers – you can type or paste @stinginthetail and others will see it.
As for follow friday, 5 is the accepted number of people to recommend. Your idea misses the point of #ff – I don't need to prove i'm not a bot to the people who follow me, who see my follow fridays, so i don't need to post WHY other than 'makes me laugh' 'read their blogs'. I certainly don't need to post back up pictures and an essay on facebook, lol.
“5 is the accepted number of people to recommend” – based on what authority?
I don't recall Micah, who started this, saying to recommend 5 people. Mine
was simply a suggestion – I am more likely to follow your recommendations if
you give me a reason why I should follow them. Just mentioning 5 or more
names to follow means nothing to me.
Regarding the “@”, I'm aware of that, but that's confusing, and it also
assumes the client you're using is using the in-reply-to-id, which not all
clients do. It's much easier to just recommend people not start their posts
with “@” when they want everyone to see it.
Just makes sense to me,,I have already been doing this, as I feel if I wish to rec. someone I want Folks to know WHY I believe that person would be worth following
Just makes sense to me,,I have already been doing this, as I feel if I wish to rec. someone I want Folks to know WHY I believe that person would be worth following
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[…] 5 06 2009 I’m taking an idea I heard over on Jesse Stay’s blog here. I’m going to (at least try) to post a blog about people I think you should follow on […]
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