To Follow or not to Follow, that is the Question
Not everybody might like or agree with my monthly post, well, so be it as one cannot make everybody happy. I express my personal opinion which is based on my observations over more than 6 months with Wealthy Affiliate.
I started somewhere half of January and soon noted that people were following me. In the first month, I had 70, most of them, smiling faces in my network. Some of these people whom I did not know had sent me little messages like “ welcome, wishing you much success here at WA” or something similar. Most of them had just clicked on the button, Follow.To tell you the truth I did not know what to do and neither did I have the time as I was trying to grasp the meaning of the first course with 10 lessons. All this was new country for me and as I do not like machines neither understand most technical stuff related to website making, the internet plus everything else, I felt completely overwhelmed by it all.
Here at Wealthy Affiliate, I have gone through my personal evolution and my behavior did change over time. I asked my mentor if I had to do something with all these followers. He told me it would be good to follow back and that I did. I wrote these people a little message like, so sorry for being late, and that was it or so I thought. Suddenly my inbox was full of things. I tried to sort it out between new follows, answers back to my followers and the numerous posts that appeared each day. Again I was overwhelmed with the amount and it took time to adapt to it.Meanwhile trying to make the first website and start writing for it.
After some time I was the one who started to follow new members. I would write them a little message but most of the time I would not hear back from them and neither get a like. One is left wondering if they have read it. Immediately I had to think back to my beginning times where my behavior was neither very nice.
Slowly but surely those little smiling faces on my network which was growing started to become human. Behind those faces were real people. I started to really read the profiles and if possible follow up on the posts they were writing. I would comment on quite a few with something hopefully halfway intelligent, funny or similar at least showing I had really read the post. If not leaving a comment I would at least give a like but under the condition, I had found something in the text I did like.
There were a couple of website struggles, I went .com on both of them. The part of answering a question was a bit difficult for me as most of the time I would not be able to help this person as I would myself not have a clue. The first time I read a question put by a member and knew the answer was quite something. Hey, I know it! Must have learned something along the way. Even if there were masses of other people also knowing the answer it made me still feel good.
Time was passing, I was getting a bigger network, I was also getting more and more messages, the whole thing kept me busy but it was nice to discover a bit more about the different personalities of the people I had contact with. Participating with their ups and downs, their successes and the like was nice and made this socializing part of Wealthy Affiliate more human. Sometimes I was disappointed as some people would barely give you a like on your comment but in general, it was nice to build up a group of friends also sharing some personal details. During these months I would come across posts where a certain milestone was mentioned, like, “ reached 1000 followers “ or even much more. Slowly but surely it started to dawn on me that a lot of followers or people I had followed were nowhere to be seen, no posts, comments, or likes anywhere and I started wondering.
Whenever a new person followed me I would follow back, write a message and if possible visit their website. Not everybody leaves their website on their profile page for everybody to see. In case I could not find it I would comment on it. Going to these websites I would leave a comment hoping I would get a comment back. That only happened in very few cases. I have at least left a comment on some 30 websites without ever hearing anything back. I stopped doing that and started to give comments to earn a comment back, that functions nicely but I would have liked it to function also with this other system, but it did not.
I think it must have been around the end of May that I seriously started to check my network. That was a real eyeopener I must say. Clicking on a smiling face I had not seen anywhere for months I would find this person had not been active for at least 1 month, not even giving a like to somebody who had followed them, leaving comments without a reply, not writing posts or asking questions. This person had never read any of my posts either. I started to unfollow and my network started slimming down. I still have to check on many people so I might end up with perhaps only 150 to 200 followers but at least I know they are real people and not just smiling faces.
By the 26th of June, I had decided that if somebody follows me and that is all they do I will put this person in a label WA Followers. If then I see this person commenting on my post, perhaps give a like on a comment I make somewhere, then I will follow back and say Hi. At the moment I have collected some 130 new followers. From this big group, there were very few, like 8 people who did more than just press the button follow. When I see some interest, of course, I follow back, I will try to answer questions, I will read their posts and if I see a nice comment they made on somebody’s post I will like or comment on that. The word Follow does not mean to be passive, the contrary, the word to Follow means action and participation in the Wealthy Affiliate life of the person you have chosen to follow.
For me to follow you, action is asked for and I then happily spend my time on you and try to help you along the way.
Greetings from the south of Spain.
Taetske
Recent Comments
125
Well written Taetske,
I experienced the same, but i have decided for now to spend my time on my business, this means learning the courses and use it to build my websites. The whole system here with the followers is a nice extra to be social active, if you have the time because your business will not grow from it, nor has that much benefit. Now if you can sell everyone an orange then it is useful ;-)
I made a list of WA'rs I will follow and respond to. Like you. Once a month is good. :) So I am here once in a while.... :)
Have a great evening.
Good evening Stefan,
Nice, you found my post and read it. I think this 1 post is enough for me, one needs time for the 2 websites I have. One has to have priorities and with time you will find out what they are. I hope you are keeping well, all the best.
Greetings from the south of Spain, Taetske
Hi Taetske,
I agree with you on followers/"non-followers", if a person doesn't respond, it's like talking to a tree, a one way conversation. I also find someone who wants me to make a comment on their website/blog and they say they will reciprocate but never do. I tend to "follow" those you can truly have a connection with.
Have a great week!
Bill
Good evening Bill and Sue,
Nice to see you and thank you for reading my post.Those one-way conversations are boring on the long run. Best wishes to both of you.
Greetings from the south of Spain, Taetske
Loved the post Taetske, and some very valid points.
I think what you find with many newcomers who start here at WA do so with good intentions, but then they see just how much work is involved, and that things aren't moving along quick enough, and therefore end up calling it a day. In fact, I would be very interested to know just how many actual active members there really are.
Another point I would like to make and an annoying one at that is when you ask someone a question and I'm talking about some in the high rankings and you don't so much as get a reply.
That really p####s me off, it really does.
I would rather someone replied with a reasoning, whatever it may be other than being totally ignored.
Good evening Mick,
Thank you for reading my post. I am sorry to hear you have felt ignored with questions you had, I did not know you yet but now I do.
I did point out that with technical things I am not a big help yet as I am ever so slowly learning those type of things.
Tomorrow I will "study" your profile, promise.
Greetings from the south of Spain, Taetske
Hello,
I like your post. It reflects how I feel about following. I think it is impossible to comment on everyone's blog posts on my follow list, however, if someone posts something interesting I will offer a comment, or like it if I don't have anything new to add to the conversatiojn.
I've been here a few months, and have less than 300 followers. That's enough for now because I need to focus on my sites and on the training. If someone follows me, I follow them back because I feel it's courteous. But if they do something I don't like I have no problem unfollowing them.
This forum is similar to social media, except it's for business. It is important to respond to people, even with a like when they comment on my posts or profile. Not responding shows a lack of interest in building a network. Which I believe hurts network marketers in the long run.
Spain is on my "places to visit list" :-)
Wendy
I like this post...it's a good reminder for us to have a reason why we choose to follow someone. I always read their profile before following back and decide then if it makes sense. AND often, will follow someone if I agree with their comments and way of thinking about certain topics raised here.
Best of wishes and greetings from New England.
Karen
Good evening Wendy,
Thank you for commenting on my post.
If you should come to the south do let me know, WA people are welcome.
Greetings from the south of Spain, Taetske
I think I've followed less than 100 members during the last five years!
I've only ever followed members who have done something that actually makes me interested in following them. I keep all my email alerts on, so I know when they've blogged, created training, etc. as I will be interested in hearing about what they're up to and what they've done. This isn't possible if someone indiscriminately follows and followbacks everyone.
If I follow someone else I've also no expectation of a followback from them.
I've known of members who are following hundreds of thousands of other members in the hopes of followbacks, sometimes simply to give themselves bragging rights about the number of followers they have. In truth, they don't have followers, they have followbacks.
I just don't think of WA as a paid version of Facebook or Twitter.
Good evening Richard,
Thank you for reading my post.
I have not started with Facebook or Twitter yet and I will probably not join them either in the future as I consider myself, still, belonging to the handwritten letter generation.
Greetings from the south of Spain, Taetske
Well, this made sense to me. I was about to say, the more the better, since you learn something from everyone. If I had my druthers I would meet everyone on the planet, were there even time! I find people interesting and they do always know something you don't know.
Lynne
Hi Taetske! Great post! Thank you for sharing about your WA journey. I have been struggling to keep up in WA due to recent changes in my work schedule, but expect to get back on track this week. That may be the case with other members too. I value all the great people in WA, especially those who are diligently working to reach their goals and who pause to share with others what they've learned. Thank you!! :)
Good evening Colleen,
That will happen to all of us sooner or later, real life with all its obligations might get in the way. I hope all is well with you and that you are happy and healthy.
Greetings from the south of Spain, Taetske
You're right! It's hard to avoid curve balls that come at us in real life. All is well with me and I am healthy and happy!
Hi Taetske,
It never occurred to me NOT to follow someone back or unfollow someone. It just seems rude not to acknowledge someone. But, I totally get your point. You give a lot of yourself and you want to be engaged with active people. I can see where being selective makes better use of our time. Appreciate your thoughts on this because it is such an important aspect of our time in WA.
Have a great week.
Debbie
Good evening Debbie,
Thank you for passing by. I see you all the time so of course, it would not occur to me to Unfollow you, for that you are much too nice.
Greetings from the south of Spain, Taetske
Thank you...of course I feel the same towards you but I get that we don't have to follow everyone!
Gusta mucho :)
I understand you so well. I had the same problem. But then I decided that I need all the time I can have to build up my sites, and much more actually. So I decided to be inactive in that sense the I write little. But I newer miss post from special groups of folks which for me are very useful.
There is a lot of people here which talk only about how they garden are today and it´s fine. But I simply don´t have time for it so I have I normally don´t read posts from it. Some people would find it rude and I´m sad about that because I´m not trying to be rude. I simply try to use my time as well as possible.
Then I ignore too people which are here a lot to look to be very helpful and doing this and that but aren´t. We call it sometimes the window people in Iceland.
But of course, I have to group with people I like their posts and read it because of that. Because I need to relax and have fun too.
It is not my intention to be rude in any way, this is just how I use the community in WA, which is a community I like a lot!
Good evening Johan,
Nice to see you. I clearly remember the nice visit I had to Iceland some time ago, that was thanks to your nice website.Hopefully, I will one day make that trip in real.
I hope all is well with you and your website.
Greetings from the south of Spain, Taetske
Thank you. If you do, call me and I can show you around.
I was today visit your great site about the National Parks in Spain, a country I have visited many times. Great site you have there about mother earth.
Thank you for the compliment, Johan. I am normally always here so next time you plan to visit the south let me know so we can meet.
All the best, Taetske
Hi, Taetske. This is the first of your posts I have seen. I also followed everyone that was new and also ones that I saw on other people's sites. I have a band of followers but like you I do not see much in the way of answers back. I like your system and as I have time I will be checking to see who is active and who is not. I like seeing what people are doing and their ideas but I only have so much time and my websites have to come first.
So you go women and I like your method.
May God keep you wrapped in Peace.
shary
Good evening Shary,
Thank you for your nice comment.
Greetings from the south of Spain, Taetske
You are welcome, Taetske. South of Spain, that sounds wonderful and I am sure it will sound more wonderful in a month or so since we are going into winter now. s ☺
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Hi Taetske,
Writing a monthly post is just fine! There are no rules and it's a great idea to touch base.
This is an awsome post and makes me wonder also, the intentions other's have. I wasn't one for 'collecting' members and didn't have many until most recent, suddenly I had a lot from new members. They tell me how they see my comments and how I care and want to follow someone like this. Someone who at least comments, period! I can't believe I have over 1000 but..others who have been here for 6 months like myself have over 5000! No thanks.
I think it's so rude when a comment is ignored, or you see them leaving non relevant ones just to leave a comment for their own gain. Those I unfollow, and I have unfollowed Ambassadors before, several actually.
I always appreciate the support from the few who are always there everytime to comment .
I will always appreciate you Taetske, your are wonderful :)
Patsy Dear, thank you for the flower. Good to see you again, hope all is going well with you and your website. This checking on the followers in your network takes a lot of time so I still have many left whom I do not know. Following me are some 597 but the total I follow is something like 300 and some. I was thinking my post might not last very long but see it is still alive after some hours so I suppose all is well. I am looking forward to the winter collections to appear in the shops as I plan to make a tour for you again. You know it was fun and I think Michael also liked it. Poor thing he is working on getting his Spanish drivers license, that after 40 years driving. Tomorrow we are going to visit the butterfly park on the coast. I visited the one in Fort Lauderdale/Florida in 1999, absolutely lovely
All the best, Taetske
Why would you think your post would not last long? because of the subject? There is nothing wrong with this topic.
If you see any Faux/imitation fur handbags, that would be awesome to take pictures, I can't find decent ones. I have 2 that are fur trimmed around the top, and one pink purse. But the background can't be hanging clothing maybe place it by a wall if that's ok. If you find any. I appreciate you thinking of me when they come out.
The butterfly park on the coast sounds awesome! it would be great if you can take some pictures to share with us :)
Good Morning Patsy,
I was thinking it might be taken away as I talk about Unfollow and Slimming my network, not so positive right?
I am planning a post for Mother Nature on the butterflies so I cannot talk about them on WA.
Greetings from the south of Spain, Taetske