How to Follow Respectfully on Twitter

Some - okay, a lot - of people go onto Twitter blindly following everyone. They write tweets that say "ONLY 100 AWAY FROM 5000 FOLLOWERS! PLEASE HELP!" This is counter-productive. The thing about saying something to a lot of people is, it only matters if that lot of people actually care what you have to say. Do they trust you? Are you a greasy car salesman, but selling people on following you? Are these people interested in what you're interested in? Have you garnered an audience that has nothing to do with you, with what you're about.

Networking is awesome. Twitter is awesome for networking. You can get a lot out of it, all of these things I listed in this article: 4 reasons to join Twitter.

The thing about networking, whether in life or online, is that people can smell an agenda. So, be genuine! That is the number one, most important tip I can offer you in your Twitter use. Approach Twitter thinking "What can I offer? What can I learn?" rather than "What can I get?"

Here are three important things to do when following a new person on Twitter.

1. Look at their profile. Check to make sure they're into the same things as you. If your goal is to learn about SEO, then following a horse fanatic who tweets only about horses isn't going to help you. Unless you're into horses, too. And that's what's fun about twitter, too. You can mingle your business interests and your personal interests. But, if you're not into horses, then there's no point following them.
2. Check out their website, if there's a link. Showing that extra initiative is likely to impress them in your next step. Plus, you might learn something cool, or find something awesome that you didn't expect. An internet gem, if you will.
3. Now, message or @ the user. Let them know you're following them and tell them why you're interested in connecting. Maybe compliment them on something specific that you liked on their site or in their profile, to show that you aren't randomly following people to up your numbers.

After this, it's just a waiting game. They might reply, they might not. It's no sweat off your back either way, because there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of users who are looking to network with the same objectives in mind. Try to respond when others genuinely communicate with you. It builds trust when it isn't always about me-me-me.

Have fun building those twitter relationships and happy tweeting!