Christopher S. Penn – Marketing AI Keynote Speaker

Twitter following practices

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Christopher S Penn

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I thought I’d detail some of the processes and thinking behind how I manage and maintain nearly 10,000 followers on Twitter. Before we dig into tech stuff, I have two stated goals for Twitter:

1. Focus on people who want actual conversations.

2. Eliminate people who want to advertise. I don’t care. I didn’t care when you cold called, sent junk mail, spam, Facebook group invites, and I still don’t care about your products or services on Twitter, either.

You’ll need 3 tools to maintain Twitter at maximum speed: Nambu, a tabbed web browser, and Friend or Follow. Nambu’s a Mac app, FriendOrFollow.com is a web site, and use a web browser of your choice, but it has to support tabs, and it has to support fast keyboard switching – no clicking the mouse to switch tabs. I use Camino on the Mac.

Step 1: Find people who want actual conversation. I use Twitter search, find everyone who @cspenn’s me, and follow them back.

Twitter maintenance

I could use Nambu for this, but I like to use a browser because it shows me which profiles I’ve already visited in this session, saving some time.

Step 2. Fire up Nambu. Check DMs. Immediately nuke any auto-DM that’s a crap ad. One right click and they’re gone.

Twitter Maintenance

Step 3. Go back to the browser, load up FriendOrFollow.com. Look at people who I follow who are not following me back.

Twitter Maintenance

Nuke anything without a profile pic first.

Step 4. Check the remaining profiles to ensure that FriendOrFollow.com didn’t actually flag anyone by accident, then unfollow.

Twitter Maintenance

As you can probably tell, this process is relatively manual, so I don’t do it frequently. It’s also insanely important to be able to switch tabs in your browser using the keyboard – it’s MUCH faster and will let you follow or unfollow with great speed compared to using the mouse. Save the mouse for clicking on the follow/unfollow button.

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Comments

34 responses to “Twitter following practices”

  1. Adam Avatar
    Adam

    Why don't you use Twitapps.com, which emails you when someone uses @chrispenn ..I'll check out FriendorFollow as well.

    Reply
  2. Adam Avatar
    Adam

    Why don't you use Twitapps.com, which emails you when someone uses @chrispenn ..I'll check out FriendorFollow as well.

    Reply
  3. Adam Avatar
    Adam

    Why don't you use Twitapps.com, which emails you when someone uses @chrispenn ..I'll check out FriendorFollow as well.

    Reply
  4. Steve Loopipe Avatar
    Steve Loopipe

    One thing to consider: A lack of profile pic isn't necessarily a good candidate for instanuke. I've got several people who I follow who don't have profile pics, because they're sight-impaired. So unless they have someone add a pic for them, they won't have a pic, and legitimately so. Yeah, it may be a small percentage of people without pics, but something to keep in mind in any case.

    Reply
  5. Steve Loopipe Avatar
    Steve Loopipe

    One thing to consider: A lack of profile pic isn't necessarily a good candidate for instanuke. I've got several people who I follow who don't have profile pics, because they're sight-impaired. So unless they have someone add a pic for them, they won't have a pic, and legitimately so. Yeah, it may be a small percentage of people without pics, but something to keep in mind in any case.

    Reply
  6. Steve Loopipe Avatar
    Steve Loopipe

    One thing to consider: A lack of profile pic isn't necessarily a good candidate for instanuke. I've got several people who I follow who don't have profile pics, because they're sight-impaired. So unless they have someone add a pic for them, they won't have a pic, and legitimately so. Yeah, it may be a small percentage of people without pics, but something to keep in mind in any case.

    Reply
  7. Stuartfoster Avatar
    Stuartfoster

    I'm still sorting through the unfollowing that occasionally happens when Twitter decides to die from time to time. I do use Friend or Follow quite a bit…but it's annoyingly time consuming. Especially when you see people that you know were following you…no longer doing so.

    Reply
  8. Stuartfoster Avatar
    Stuartfoster

    I'm still sorting through the unfollowing that occasionally happens when Twitter decides to die from time to time. I do use Friend or Follow quite a bit…but it's annoyingly time consuming. Especially when you see people that you know were following you…no longer doing so.

    Reply
  9. Stuartfoster Avatar
    Stuartfoster

    I'm still sorting through the unfollowing that occasionally happens when Twitter decides to die from time to time. I do use Friend or Follow quite a bit…but it's annoyingly time consuming. Especially when you see people that you know were following you…no longer doing so.

    Reply
  10. Stuartfoster Avatar
    Stuartfoster

    I'm still sorting through the unfollowing that occasionally happens when Twitter decides to die from time to time. I do use Friend or Follow quite a bit…but it's annoyingly time consuming. Especially when you see people that you know were following you…no longer doing so.

    Reply
  11. Adam Avatar
    Adam

    Why don’t you use Twitapps.com, which emails you when someone uses @chrispenn ..I’ll check out FriendorFollow as well.

    Reply
  12. Aaron Hughling Avatar
    Aaron Hughling

    Thanks Chris, appreciate the helpful tips. With all the options out there I tend to get overwhelmed and wait for someone like yourself to recommend something. I'll try this method out, also trying out the Skitch/Evernote apps you suggested on a podcast recently.

    Appreciate it all!

    Reply
  13. Aaron Hughling Avatar
    Aaron Hughling

    Thanks Chris, appreciate the helpful tips. With all the options out there I tend to get overwhelmed and wait for someone like yourself to recommend something. I'll try this method out, also trying out the Skitch/Evernote apps you suggested on a podcast recently.

    Appreciate it all!

    Reply
  14. Aaron Hughling Avatar
    Aaron Hughling

    Thanks Chris, appreciate the helpful tips. With all the options out there I tend to get overwhelmed and wait for someone like yourself to recommend something. I'll try this method out, also trying out the Skitch/Evernote apps you suggested on a podcast recently.

    Appreciate it all!

    Reply
  15. Adam Avatar
    Adam

    Why don't you use Twitapps.com, which emails you when someone uses @chrispenn ..I'll check out FriendorFollow as well.

    Reply
  16. Steve Loopipe Avatar
    Steve Loopipe

    One thing to consider: A lack of profile pic isn't necessarily a good candidate for instanuke. I've got several people who I follow who don't have profile pics, because they're sight-impaired. So unless they have someone add a pic for them, they won't have a pic, and legitimately so. Yeah, it may be a small percentage of people without pics, but something to keep in mind in any case.

    Reply
  17. Stuart Foster Avatar
    Stuart Foster

    I'm still sorting through the unfollowing that occasionally happens when Twitter decides to die from time to time. I do use Friend or Follow quite a bit…but it's annoyingly time consuming. Especially when you see people that you know were following you…no longer doing so.

    Reply
  18. Aaron Hughling Avatar
    Aaron Hughling

    Thanks Chris, appreciate the helpful tips. With all the options out there I tend to get overwhelmed and wait for someone like yourself to recommend something. I'll try this method out, also trying out the Skitch/Evernote apps you suggested on a podcast recently.

    Appreciate it all!

    Reply
  19. Catherine Avatar
    Catherine

    Very helpful especially 4 a neebie on twitter

    Reply
  20. Catherine Avatar
    Catherine

    Very helpful especially 4 a neebie on twitter

    Reply
  21. Catherine Avatar
    Catherine

    Very helpful especially 4 a neebie on twitter

    Reply
  22. Catherine Avatar
    Catherine

    Very helpful especially 4 a neebie on twitter

    Reply
  23. swbuehler Avatar
    swbuehler

    I like to use Tweepler.com to sort through users who have recently started following my updates; offers me a quick view of their last few tweets and lets me decide which to follow and which to ignore.

    Reply
  24. swbuehler Avatar
    swbuehler

    I like to use Tweepler.com to sort through users who have recently started following my updates; offers me a quick view of their last few tweets and lets me decide which to follow and which to ignore.

    Reply
  25. swbuehler Avatar
    swbuehler

    I like to use Tweepler.com to sort through users who have recently started following my updates; offers me a quick view of their last few tweets and lets me decide which to follow and which to ignore.

    Reply
  26. swbuehler Avatar
    swbuehler

    I like to use Tweepler.com to sort through users who have recently started following my updates; offers me a quick view of their last few tweets and lets me decide which to follow and which to ignore.

    Reply
  27. Mark Gibson Avatar
    Mark Gibson

    Great advice Christopher. The auto replies are disengenuous and dont feel right. I see a lot of stuff come past and just pick the stuff thats relevant, but dont have a lot of time. At the end of the day I look at my favorites…this means Im probably following many people who are of no relevance and have no common interest.

    There is a whole lot of automated/multilevel follower-building going-on. Im interested in in your take on tools like Hummingbird as I came across is yesterday in one of those get to 10,000 followers overnight posts.

    Appreciate the insight.
    all the best,

    Mark

    Reply
  28. Mark Gibson Avatar
    Mark Gibson

    Great advice Christopher. The auto replies are disengenuous and dont feel right. I see a lot of stuff come past and just pick the stuff thats relevant, but dont have a lot of time. At the end of the day I look at my favorites…this means Im probably following many people who are of no relevance and have no common interest.

    There is a whole lot of automated/multilevel follower-building going-on. Im interested in in your take on tools like Hummingbird as I came across is yesterday in one of those get to 10,000 followers overnight posts.

    Appreciate the insight.
    all the best,

    Mark

    Reply
  29. Mark Gibson Avatar
    Mark Gibson

    Great advice Christopher. The auto replies are disengenuous and dont feel right. I see a lot of stuff come past and just pick the stuff thats relevant, but dont have a lot of time. At the end of the day I look at my favorites…this means Im probably following many people who are of no relevance and have no common interest.

    There is a whole lot of automated/multilevel follower-building going-on. Im interested in in your take on tools like Hummingbird as I came across is yesterday in one of those get to 10,000 followers overnight posts.

    Appreciate the insight.
    all the best,

    Mark

    Reply
  30. swbuehler Avatar
    swbuehler

    I like to use Tweepler.com to sort through users who have recently started following my updates; offers me a quick view of their last few tweets and lets me decide which to follow and which to ignore.

    Reply
  31. Mark Gibson Avatar
    Mark Gibson

    Great advice Christopher. The auto replies are disengenuous and dont feel right. I see a lot of stuff come past and just pick the stuff thats relevant, but dont have a lot of time. At the end of the day I look at my favorites…this means Im probably following many people who are of no relevance and have no common interest.

    There is a whole lot of automated/multilevel follower-building going-on. Im interested in in your take on tools like Hummingbird as I came across is yesterday in one of those get to 10,000 followers overnight posts.

    Appreciate the insight.
    all the best,

    Mark

    Reply
  32. blancastella Avatar
    blancastella

    Thanks. This was helpful. Going to try now.

    Reply
  33. blancastella Avatar
    blancastella

    Thanks. This was helpful. Going to try now.

    Reply
  34. blancastella Avatar
    blancastella

    Thanks. This was helpful. Going to try now.

    Reply

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