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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Definitely a good question. I tend to read and follow blogs that I enjoy reading. As I am typing this is do feel bad as there are some that are following me and the least I can do is return the cutesy. But guess I just believe rather be honest it’s serves no purpose in me just following you I need to actually take that time and effort and read your posts. So I shall still to my initial statement I follow blogs I enjoy reading. Enjoyed this post for sure lol…🌼
An honest approach is a good way to go.
Absolutely 😊🌼
Yes esp if they post what interests me
Hey Ashley, good content question.
You and l have discussed this subject before and probably last month as well. I used to follow back ‘thinking that was the norm, that was the community behaviour that was expected of me as a blogger, l now know differently…
This year has been a real journey and a half for me and l have experimented, watched and observed and trialled different approaches to blogging, bloggers and writing and writers too.
Even from tomorrow the 15th there are the final changes for the Guy being implemented and whilst they don’t directly address this question, they really do.
I no longer follow back bloggers in fact l am really critical on all new followings to me. I think if someone follows me then they should interact in some way and don’t simply expect me to interact with them first. Each new follower l check out and no different to you, l will see if their content is something l want to read and more importantly would be happy to read on a weekly basis. I follow very few people these days, l only follow content l want to read and people l like.
You and l have followed each other since January 2018, you were my second follower, Mercury twin or rather Victor was my first, but the reality is and from memory you both followed me the same day. I read from your blog because l like how you write and what you write about but more importantly, l like you.
For me that is the only way l will have things these days, l invest time in getting to know people then their blogs. I read weekly from 19 people who l consider my friends and once a month from 16 other people, loose friendship. 35 blogs a month is all l need. So new followers to me have to engage with me in some way before l will enage with them.
Because life is just way too short to waste time reading content we don’t need to read and follow blogs we don’t need to follow and more so if they don’t even bother to interact.
New blogs have ten days to interact with me, if they don’t, they’re gone.
I feel like there’s more of the follow/follow back game going on now than when we started blogging, although it’s hard to directly compare. I was always selective about following back, but I’ve gotten much more so. I would rather focus on bloggers I really get to know and become friends with.
Precisely my attitude these days also. As l like to say less is more.
For sure.
Well I will follow back according to my niche and might as well follow others whom I find their content interesting
That makes sense.
What a wonderful question! I am not a like chaser. This is a good thing, I think. I do enjoy reading posts of those who have followed me. I enjoy reading the comments, as well, as have learned and enjoyed much there and then I go look at the commentors page and follow some of them. Then I get to looking at THEIR commentors and enjoy them so get to following some of them. Rinse. Repeat. There are so many different types of folks and blogs to enjoy and ponder. Wonderful question…
The conversations in the comments are such a great part of blogging.
I’m the same—I only follow topics and blogs that I am interested in. Digital overwhelm is real, and I also get overwhelmed by a cluttered feed.
Digital overwhelm is definitely real.
I don’t follow or like anyone whose content doesn’t interest me. I don’t want someone to follow me unless they legitimately like my content, and I don’t think the quid-pro-quo-style “networking” is really useful.
On the other hand, I am always excited if someone follows and I discover that I *do* like their content. Then I’m happy to follow back.
Same here.
No I do not do the follow for follow. I live in authentic being! Do not do the mental games nor do I care about how many followers I have. I write poetry and share what I deem to be my gift to the world. However, a lot of people don’t care as long as they can boast a certain amount. Me, I have blocked followers who are only doing it in hopes of me following back.
That is why I value those who leave comments, because there is engagement that can be rich!
I had to stop myself, because I getting busier and hitting the like button. Then I said, it is not fair, so I slowed down to read it. So, I do not follow, because I want to be true about those I actually follow!
Sounds like a very good approach!
I follow by reading that interest me
Ashley, you said it perfectly in one of your replies — so many bloggers, so little time. but I do my best to check in, comment, like, etc. The obvious scammers are amusing to me — maybe they’re like robocallers, where it’s merely a numbers game for them? because seems like everyone can spot them a mile away…
Yeah, they’re definitely not subtle!
I only follow bloggers who I have some level of interest in reading. I’ll follow so I can be notified. If it’s a blog I’m unsure about, I’ll write them down and come a few times.
I love that you addressed this because sometimes I feel bad about not following others who follow me. This helped me feel better about being selective and not feeling like I’m being rude by not following someone.
That’s a good idea to make note of a blog you’re not sure about. I might just have to borrow that idea.
Borrow away!
I appreciate your thoughts on this. Like you, I don’t automatically follow back, and usually I follow education-related bloggers or readers since that is what I blog about.
That makes sense.
Very interesting topic to discuss 🙂.
I do visit the blogs of those who follow me and then decide whether to follow or not. I do not look for any specific topic or Niche. I read a few posts from them and if I like what they have to share, I follow them 🙂
I do not do like for like without reading. But most of the time I try to read the post from those who like mine and return likes.
A lot of topics interest me, and I too read all blogs in the WordPress reader.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi good afternoon follow back topic is interesting and I like the way you present you told you only follow those blog those you found interesting which are genuine 😄
I observe this follow trick some popular people follow me then automatic unfollow me I don’t ask anyone follow I personally not follow single one hehe .
On serious not follow to ourself rules this will more different.
Keep post love to read your blog 😊
Thanks for sharing!
I can relate to this! It’s so overwhelming following so many blogs you’re not interested in. And oftentimes it makes you miss the posts you genuinely would’ve read otherwise.
That’s a good point.