How to Cope With Unfollows on Twitter
Don't take it personally., Consider the reasons why people tend to unfollow., Concentrate on the quality of the experience rather than on aiming for the huge numbers., Check your new follows., Enjoy Twitter.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Don't take it personally.
This is rule number one, no matter what.
Twitter is a social networking site, not a family get-together or a competition.
People come and go as easily as visitors to a fun fair.
It's not personal, it does happen, and will continue to happen.
Be realistic and relaxed about it. -
Step 2: Consider the reasons why people tend to unfollow.
It can help your understanding about the site's ebb and flow mentality by understanding the wide range of possible reasons for unfollows.
Some of the reasons include:
Disinterest in the topics and information that you're tweeting.
Feeling overwhelmed by too many tweets from you, or in general (known as over-tweeting).
Lack of a genuine follow from them in the first place; they hooked you and then they disappear, hoping you won't notice.
You might have offended someone unintentionally, such as by tweeting a saying from someone that follower detests, or by tweeting to another follower that the un-follower doesn't like; it can be as petty as that, so all the more reason not to take it personally They discover that they don't fancy your perspective, your politics, your religion, your ideas about the world; welcome to difference and the inability of some people to cope with that.
It's still them and not you! It's just a bad fit.
You might be using too much of another language
- although your proficiency in Spanish and Russian might thrill you and draw in some new followers, it can equally confuse and lose other followers.
But don't let that constrain what makes tweeting fun for you! You took a long break from updating.
Well, really, whose fault is that when other followers' interest in you wanes?! Some people actively remove inactive tweeters.
Some people find that over time, the initial thrill of thousands of followers wears off and they do a cull to keep only those followers they feel most attached to.
If that doesn't include you, it's not to be worried about.
It is just how each follower's focus on the site evolves.
After all, we can really only follow a "tribe" of around 150 people before it gets too hard to keep up.
Some people follow to get theme tweets (for example, about current news, the environment, a political event, etc.), whilst others are perfectly happy with an ever-changing eclectic mix.
You can't please both types of followers and if you start being eclectic after being theme-driven or vice versa, or you suddenly switch themes, expect to lose some followers who got used to you being one way rather than the other.
Although this can be the kiss of death on a blog, on Twitter it will usually mean merely some reshuffling of your followers but you should be ready for that.
Overdoing a personal @ conversation that leaves out other followers and goes on and on.
On the one hand, it's nice to see that you're interacting directly but on the other hand, this carries the risk of making others feel left out and bored with your exchange.
Use direct messages for lengthy personal interaction and get their email address! People change.
They grow up, they get jaded, they have exams, they change opinions, they change jobs, they get fed up with tweeting, etc.
And that can be enough to cause them to unfollow you.
In this case, it's just not personal! , Many Twitter users are trying to raise interest in their "get rich quick" schemes through affiliate marketing schemes, or via their own sites that carry pay-per-click ads which they hope you'll pounce on.
A lot of them are really deluded about the ad revenue they think they'll draw in and overdo the tweeting.
That's part and parcel of business outreach but if it displeases you, then don't follow these types of tweets in the first place.
It is far better to have a core bunch of followers whose material you really appreciate and who, in turn, really appreciate your tweets.
Related to this is being honest about your own unfollowing: most of us unfollow on occasion or even regularly, so we must accept that others will do likewise.
On the whole, there are few Twitter users able to keep up with the thousands of followers.
If they are, it leaves you wondering how, unless they're being paid to do it. , On the whole, for those going out, there will be equal numbers coming in.
Do this check over a period of days rather than minutes or hours, otherwise you'll risk feeling deflated if you're setting stock in balancing followers and unfollows.
Try logging off for a bit and come back to find that people have found you in your absence.
Treasure that and let it balance out the unfollows. , It is what it is and nothing more.
It is not your local social function, it is not a party, and it is not a performance assessment despite the barrage of nonsense about having huge numbers of followers.
It's a place to come and go and to share information.
Enjoy it and leave the worry about people ceasing to converse with you at real life functions.
In which case, it's time to brush up on your face-to-face social skills! -
Step 3: Concentrate on the quality of the experience rather than on aiming for the huge numbers.
-
Step 4: Check your new follows.
-
Step 5: Enjoy Twitter.
Detailed Guide
This is rule number one, no matter what.
Twitter is a social networking site, not a family get-together or a competition.
People come and go as easily as visitors to a fun fair.
It's not personal, it does happen, and will continue to happen.
Be realistic and relaxed about it.
It can help your understanding about the site's ebb and flow mentality by understanding the wide range of possible reasons for unfollows.
Some of the reasons include:
Disinterest in the topics and information that you're tweeting.
Feeling overwhelmed by too many tweets from you, or in general (known as over-tweeting).
Lack of a genuine follow from them in the first place; they hooked you and then they disappear, hoping you won't notice.
You might have offended someone unintentionally, such as by tweeting a saying from someone that follower detests, or by tweeting to another follower that the un-follower doesn't like; it can be as petty as that, so all the more reason not to take it personally They discover that they don't fancy your perspective, your politics, your religion, your ideas about the world; welcome to difference and the inability of some people to cope with that.
It's still them and not you! It's just a bad fit.
You might be using too much of another language
- although your proficiency in Spanish and Russian might thrill you and draw in some new followers, it can equally confuse and lose other followers.
But don't let that constrain what makes tweeting fun for you! You took a long break from updating.
Well, really, whose fault is that when other followers' interest in you wanes?! Some people actively remove inactive tweeters.
Some people find that over time, the initial thrill of thousands of followers wears off and they do a cull to keep only those followers they feel most attached to.
If that doesn't include you, it's not to be worried about.
It is just how each follower's focus on the site evolves.
After all, we can really only follow a "tribe" of around 150 people before it gets too hard to keep up.
Some people follow to get theme tweets (for example, about current news, the environment, a political event, etc.), whilst others are perfectly happy with an ever-changing eclectic mix.
You can't please both types of followers and if you start being eclectic after being theme-driven or vice versa, or you suddenly switch themes, expect to lose some followers who got used to you being one way rather than the other.
Although this can be the kiss of death on a blog, on Twitter it will usually mean merely some reshuffling of your followers but you should be ready for that.
Overdoing a personal @ conversation that leaves out other followers and goes on and on.
On the one hand, it's nice to see that you're interacting directly but on the other hand, this carries the risk of making others feel left out and bored with your exchange.
Use direct messages for lengthy personal interaction and get their email address! People change.
They grow up, they get jaded, they have exams, they change opinions, they change jobs, they get fed up with tweeting, etc.
And that can be enough to cause them to unfollow you.
In this case, it's just not personal! , Many Twitter users are trying to raise interest in their "get rich quick" schemes through affiliate marketing schemes, or via their own sites that carry pay-per-click ads which they hope you'll pounce on.
A lot of them are really deluded about the ad revenue they think they'll draw in and overdo the tweeting.
That's part and parcel of business outreach but if it displeases you, then don't follow these types of tweets in the first place.
It is far better to have a core bunch of followers whose material you really appreciate and who, in turn, really appreciate your tweets.
Related to this is being honest about your own unfollowing: most of us unfollow on occasion or even regularly, so we must accept that others will do likewise.
On the whole, there are few Twitter users able to keep up with the thousands of followers.
If they are, it leaves you wondering how, unless they're being paid to do it. , On the whole, for those going out, there will be equal numbers coming in.
Do this check over a period of days rather than minutes or hours, otherwise you'll risk feeling deflated if you're setting stock in balancing followers and unfollows.
Try logging off for a bit and come back to find that people have found you in your absence.
Treasure that and let it balance out the unfollows. , It is what it is and nothing more.
It is not your local social function, it is not a party, and it is not a performance assessment despite the barrage of nonsense about having huge numbers of followers.
It's a place to come and go and to share information.
Enjoy it and leave the worry about people ceasing to converse with you at real life functions.
In which case, it's time to brush up on your face-to-face social skills!
About the Author
Lisa Miller
Brings years of experience writing about cooking and related subjects.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: