Monday, May 25, 2009

Who are these people following me on Twitter?




Microblogging service Twitter is about more than self-expression; it’s about self-promotion.
Since I signed up for Twitter on April 22, I’ve attracted 18 followers. I realize that’s no big deal because other Twitterers have many thousands of followers. But I’m doing little to attract followers.
I’m not into that social media game of trying to attract as many “friends” on Facebook or wherever to pump up my ego. On Twitter, I follow just 13 Twitterers, including six colleagues or friends. The rest are mostly media accounts, such as IBD’s Investors.com, EW’s PopWatch, The Onion and Netflix.
Other than colleagues and friends, the rest of my Twitter followers are people who somehow discovered my Twitter account. If I was interested in growing my followers, I would reciprocate and follow them as well. But I’m not, so I won’t.
The more Twitterers you follow the harder Twitter is to use. It becomes less relevant the more voices you follow on it. How can someone follow hundreds or thousands of people on Twitter? It just becomes noisy and confusing.
So, who are these people following me on Twitter?
Mostly they’re just people trying to promote a product or Web service.
First, there’s sexy Shannon, a pretty blonde with large breasts overflowing from a pushup bra and tight white shirt. Looking like one of those True.com girls, Shannon is shown sitting provocatively at her computer.
Is this Shannon interested in me? No, it turns out. She’s just a model plugging some IQ testing service. (By the way, Shannon’s account was suspended recently, probably for commercial misuse of Twitter.)
Other followers are promoting their businesses. One has a personal coaching and motivation business. A second has a marketing business, which uses Twitter to increase PR and awareness. A third has a business consulting service. A fourth is selling stock-picking advice.
Yet another, Solipsistic Nation, is promoting a weekly radio show and podcast featuring all genres of electronic music.
Another follower, the lovely Jaime, is promoting a movie called “Hired Gun” on Netflix. The action movie, which stars Michael Madsen, looks like a direct-to-video release.
I’ve also got a gangsta rapper named Dynamic who’s flacking his latest single, “Throw Dem Grands,” as a follower of mine. I have news for you, Dynamic, I’m not your target demographic.
Then there’s Mike Cleveland, pastor of Ohio Valley Church in West Salem, Ohio. For some reason, this self-proclaimed “lover of the gospel” who sends out “gospel tweets” wants to follow me. Be my guest, pastor.
Pretty eclectic group, I’d say.

Photos, from top down:
Shannon
Dynamic
Ohio Valley Church

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