Today, I thought we could talk about what you do when another blogger follows you. Do you follow back automatically, or are you more selective?
I’ve never been one to automatically follow back. A lot of sites that follow me are clearly spammy or not something that interests me at all, but aside from that, I usually go take a peek and see if their content looks like what I’d be interested in reading regularly.
I only follow blogs that I’m genuinely interested in reading. I do all my blog reading in the Reader, and I get pretty easily overwhelmed, so I don’t like to have my feed cluttered with a lot of blogs I’m not reading very often.
Since mental health is my niche, I’ll follow back pretty much any mental health bloggers, although sometimes a new blog will follow me and I won’t notice it in the sea of spammy new follows. With non-mental health blogs, I’ll sometimes wait a bit before making a decision on following back. If people are genuinely engaging with my blog and I’m interested in what they have to say, then I’ll often like to read their blog even if it falls outside of my usual reading preferences. I’m sometimes a little slow on the uptake with this, though; it takes a while for brain cells to connect in my head.
Then there’s the question of like-for-like. Do you ever like bloggers’ posts that don’t interest you in the slightest simply because they’ve liked yours?
I’m big on genuineness when it comes to blogging. I like community and mutual engagement; that’s what makes blogging a wonderful thing. But the artificialness of the follow-for-follow and like-for-like game isn’t my thing, and I don’t do it. It does seem to be a popular strategy, though.
So, now it’s over to you. Do you follow back? Or automatically like back? Why or why not?
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I check their blog. If it appears it’s a human writing their own thoughts, I follow back most of the times.
That must add up to a lot of blogs!
it does 😞 idk i just feel kinda obliged when i shouldn’t.. can’t get rid of this feeling.
Ah.
Oh lord what a loaded topic! I don’t follow for follow, generally I follow back a follower if they’ve visited several times and comment or if they respond to my comments. If you comment one time only and then I follow/comment on yours and you never visit me again, I see that it was only self-promotion. I genuinely like engaging and making friends so I hate the like for like game. I follow some people that aren’t exactly in my preferred genre if I just like them personally.
I do the same.
And yes, it’s annoying with when people comment once to fish for return engagement and then disappear.
No. But also yes.
If a blogger commeta on me and they’re new I’ll check them out. If I like, I follow back. This happens less than 50% of the time.
I do respond to their comment every time.
But like most people, reading blogs can get overwhelming. I will follow for a while but may do a purge after a while, change direction for a time…
There are consistent blogs which stay with me. I may not read every post but I want them there in my line of vision. (Like yours)
So yes. And no. 🙃
I do occasional purges too, but also have my core people (like you) that I’m not going anywhere. Unless WP boots me off without me realizing it, of course…
This booting off is a problem…
Yup.
Ashley, I always check on the blogs of new follows. I at one time followed back too many and I had to edit the blogs I follow.
I follow back when the blogger seems to have something worth reading, could be any sort of interest.
That sounds like a good approach.
I think there’s an arc of becoming mature when it comes to blogging – or at least for me. When I was new, I tended to follow everyone that followed me. But then I turned off notification of likes and follows so I don’t necessarily know. I definitely tend towards following people who are good writers and are interesting even if it’s not a content area that I normally seek out.
I agree about the arc of maturing as a blogger. I was always at least somewhat selective, but I’ve gotten much more so over time.
I follow back almost everyone as a thank you except blogs with absolutely nothing in common: are they bots?
I think some are probably bots and some are just trying to build their own follower numbers.
I didn’t even know WP could facilitate bots like Instagram. I’ll definitely be more vigilant!
Bots, bots everywhere…
Hahaha!!!! I love that 😂
I absolutely follow back but only after I have checked out their site and see that it could be something I would be interested in. It doesn’t take much to grab my attention. However, if the blog is written in another language, then I simply cannot follow, as I wouldn’t have a clue what the writer was writing about unfortunately.
I always find it a bit puzzling when I come across foreign language blogs that get a bunch of likes from English language bloggers.
Yes true! Unless they speak multiple languages.
Good post Ashley!
I usually take a look at their content and follow back. Sometimes I will follow back and sometimes not. On older blogs I had when I was newer, I used to follow every one back whether I was interested or not, but then I thought, that is kinda not being genuine to them in a sense because you are not gonna read any of their stuff so why follow them.
There are many that like my posts that are not followers or who regularly visit but are not followers. And that’s OK. And to be honest, nobody has to be a follower to like and read your stuff.
The thing is if a person is interested in you and what you blog about, generally speaking, then they will follow someone. And even if you remove them, they will notice your absence as it were.
I think it takes time and exchanges over a period of time to really build up trust with someone.
If you do not get that, and you only get likes then you really still are not getting to know that person, or connecting in any way, but you are more like a fan.
Sometimes because of time reasons I cannot read everything, as there are other demands on my time nowadays, but generally if I’m following and I exchange, then that is a good sign with me. Because you have to “want” to exchange. Ya know? And you are good Ashley at making people want to exchange and connect. 🙂
Exchanges with lovely people like you are a big part of why I blog. 💕
Aww bless you 🥰 I feel the same…
Sometimes that little bit of connection and attunement I’d needed within the humdrum of life… 💞💞🙃
You are a special kinda person within the blogosphere out there… and I really mean it when I say, there are not many I will exchange with. ❤❤
Thank you, lovely. I really appreciate that. 💕
😊💞
*are
I follow blogs that I am interested in. I would not want someone to follow me out of obligation.
If someone follows me or comments or likes a post I usually check out their blog posts.
Sometimes I struggle to write comments as I get a bit anxious and over think what I want to write and how the other person may interpret that.
I sometimes struggle to write comments too, although for different reasons. For me, it’s more that I have a hard time formulating my thoughts into a coherent comment. I find replies easier because they’re more focused.
You have a point about replies being easier and more focused.
I also find it harder as I work shifts and have no real routine. I’m trying to get better at being more interactive.
I used to do shift work, and that lack of routine definitely made keeping up with the blog more challenging.
I too get anxious and overthink about leaving a comment that is a little long. But people say short comments( like ‘nice picture, great post) are not considered a genuine one!.
I think the problem with “great post” is that there are too many spammy sites that leave comments like that. When I see that kind of comment, I usually look at the URL associated with the person who left the comment to see if it sounds like an actual person or a spammy site.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts 😊
I like short comments too as it let’s you know someone read your post and wanted to connect with you.
Good to know you like short comments too 😊
For sure.
I don’t follow them back as a general rule. I check them out and only follow them back if I’m interested in them (which I rarely am).
I also end up following back very few of the people that follow me. I think the majority of them are following for no other reason than to fish for a follow back.
Honestly, I got tired of all that follow for follow and like for like with social media. It seems that my drive to get likes and follows impacted my mental health especially since many on social media rarely paid me any mind. I rarely check social media anymore and I could care less if someone liked my post or followed my page.
Recently, I turned to blogging because I just enjoy writing on various topics. Most recently, I write about fond memories of my childhood during the holidays. I write for myself and if anyone likes or follows me that’s nice! If not I could care less. If someone follows me sometimes I may follow back. Usually I like to read their content first before I decide. I honestly don’t like very lengthy blogs. Short and sweet is what I prefer and I keep my blogs short as well.
That sounds like a very good approach. Getting caught up in the numbers game can make for such a negative experience.
We don’t automatically like or follow people. That sounds very transactional, which is not our vibe.
We are easily triggered and are highly selective about what we consume. We also don’t appreciate lots of narrative content: this happened and then this happened and then this happened. We are looking to learn or be inspired. We follow only a few people. We read a lot of their stuff but you’re the only one we follow who has a regular posting schedule.
I think selectivity is a very good thing. I’ve gotten highly selective when it comes to social media, and it’s made for a much better experience.
Do you follow back? Or automatically like back? Why or why not?
I don’t, not automatically. I’m honored (usually) to have someone regard my blog as interesting enough to follow, but have been really too busy to follow back. Same with the like back. If I don’t know a blogger and they “like” a post of mine, that’s lovely and all, but I don’t necessarily run over to their blog and like something. Like you, I tend to find out what the blogger is about, what they blog about, and their interests. If there’s a pet involved the likelihood I will follow them “back” is higher.
Recently (I think it was you, forgive me if I’m mistaken), you shared something about statistics and how to look at the follower list. I had 954 followers (astonishing), and after culling all the obvious fakes and business followers (whom I’ve never heard one word from usually), I was left with slightly under 450. That means that 504 “bloggers” were using my blog to up their stats (I think that was the reason you gave for someone mass following a lot of people). One dimwit actually used the same profile pic for three different blogs, none of which proved to be real. I never heard from the woman. Into the bin all three went.
It’s one’s personal choice about all that stuff, the following and the liking. Best way to get followers in my opinion? Write something interesting and then interact with other bloggers.
I think all those junky followers are just hoping that at least some people will follow back automatically.
Ooooh, I admit I have been very lax about this. I used too. But recently, my time is so short, I am a little scared of adding more bloggers and having even more posts appear in my Readers.
So many blogs, so little time!
So very true!
I’ve never been one to automatically follow back either. I don’t have all the time in the world and I try to use it wisely (try should be bold 🙂 ).
Time is definitely a limiting factor.