So I Googled my way in finding out what others think about being unfollowed and here’s what I found:
my point is this – Twitter is opt in. As a user you blurt out whatever you think is interesting. As a consumer, you decide who you want to listen to by “following” them. And here’s the fun part, if you don’t like it you can stop listening to them by doing the unthinkable: unfollow them… Online relationships are different (good ones are ones that you integrate and blend in with your offline “IRL” relationships though – but that’s a whole different blog post). So we all need to get used to it… You *can’t* be offended if someone unfollows you. You don’t really know how that person is using Twitter. They might only be looking for good recipes or something. And if you’re not talking about your favorite butterscotch chip maple brownie recipe then dammit, they *should* stop following you… So, remember, it’s not about you. Twitter works because it’s all about who you follow. It’s a self managing system. And to be a good Twittizen you should ease up and not freak out when people unfollow you. In fact, why don’t you go take a look at your network right now and see if you’re getting out of it what you want. You’re time is valuable!
[Being unfollowed] is no real loss to you! So, to put a twist on the words of George Costanza, “It’s not you, it’s them. It’s really, REALLY them!”
accept that you’re going to be followed by the most relevant people with the nearest interests and that this group will always be fairly liquid. Enjoy them while they hang around and don’t sweat it when they move on.
1. Acknowledge the Persons Decision and Ask for Constructive Feedback
2. Assess the Feedback
3. Don’t Take it Personally
4. Release Them Graciously
5. Don’t Buy Into Personal Attack
6. Keep Perspective
These are really great tips and I couldn’t agree more. I personally think that it’s normal and not offensive to unfollow people on Twitter. They have their own reasons why they click the unfollow button. What I’m more interested to know is, what exactly is the reason why people feel offended if they were unfollowed? I just want to understand where they’re coming from. That’s all. I want to know your thoughts, too. Feel free to comment.
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