What Is #FollowFriday?

#followfriday is a weekly event that takes place on Twitter where users recommend other users to their followers whose Tweets they enjoy. The point is that one hopes that by suggesting these fine folks, other people will follow them, too.

The way it normally works is in one or more Tweets you’ll write something like:

Here are some cool people you should follow:
@userone @usertwo @userthree @userfour
@userfive #followfriday

The #followfriday part is known as a hashtag, and other Twitterers can collectively view all contributions to a single hashtag either at Hashtags.org or via Twitter search.

Let’s get one thing straight from the start: I like the idea of #followfriday. In principle, it’s a good way to introduce people whose Tweets you enjoy to other people who might enjoy them, too.

I just have a couple of minor problems with it. One, I wonder if any of your followers actually end up following these people. And two, I’m not sure I’ll ever understand the point of asking people to follow users who are already massively popular.

Lots of people take part in #followfriday, and there’s a good chance that lots of people get followed, too. But as far as I can tell there are no statistics available that reveal the ratio of recommendations to actual conversions. Nor am I sure if it really matters. But I wonder if an awful lot of effort goes into making these suggestions, despite perhaps a poor hit rate.

Or possibly just making the recommendation is enough? I mean, I enjoy it when I see my name getting put out there. Who doesn’t?

But what slightly confuses me is why people recommend following the names on Twitter. I mean the real names, the people that everybody is either following already or have heard of them but have no interest.

One site that allows you to track the winners in each #followfriday is TopFollowFriday.com. At the time of writing this article, @mashable is in the number one spot. That’s not really a surprise. The @mashable account is one of the most highly-respected and popular users on Twitter and always does well in these kinds of things.

And if that’s a fact – which it is – why recommend them to your followers, given that probably 90% of them will either be following @mashable already, or have made the decision not to (for reasons of their own)?

As said, I think #followfriday is a nice idea. People like to feel wanted and loved. But I think where the meme could come into its own is if folk really concentrated on recommending the little people. These are the ones that need to get your followers’ attention. For all the good stuff Pete Cashmore gives to Twitter, @mashable is doing pretty well all by itself, thank you very much. I don’t think it needs your help.

So, here’s a thought: everybody needs to do their bit for #followfriday, but unless they’re really deserving of your endorsement, don’t recommend celebrities. Don’t recommend the guys in Twitter’s top 100. Don’t recommend the Twitterati.

Recommend everybody else, instead. But only if they’ve actually earned it.

Tip: When making #followfriday recommendations, don’t start your tweet with @username. Otherwise, Twitter thinks it’s a reply, and only that person (or another user who is following you both) will see it. Start the tweet with #followfriday or some text (i.e., ‘I recommend @userone @usertwo @userthree #followfriday’).

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