#FollowFriday Again? Really? (Plus 8 More People I Think You Should Follow And Why)

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No More FollowFriday (please?)

I mean no disrespect to all of the amazing people who have recommended me on this and past Fridays. To the contrary, I am very flattered. I don’t just say that out of false humility. It truly floors me that almost 6,000 people have determined that what I put out on my Twitter updates is worth their time. I don’t look at it flippantly because I myself don’t just follow anyone. I choose people who I believe add value to my Twitter stream and my life, and if over time I change my mind, I unfollow them. In my opinion, to be followed by ANY amount of people is an honor. And a responsibility, I am learning.

So I want to make it clear that I am very grateful – as I’m sure everyone who gets recommended on Twitter’s #FollowFriday lists – to those that deem me worthy.

But have you noticed that more and more people are beginning to shy away from the massive, meaningless lists of reasonless recommendations that flood the Twitter stream at the end of each week? I have. I am starting to see many others recognize the #FF noise for what it is and move into the realm of giving more detailed explanations of people they recommend to others, much like what I have been doing for a few months now. I didn’t start it, but I certainly want to continue encouraging others to do it. Yes, it takes a bit more time than just clicking a few buttons and typing #FF. But if you REALLY want to recommend people to your followers, aren’t they worth the extra time?

Think about it. Would you stand up in the middle of a party every few minutes and shout, “Hey everyone! Be sure to befriend these 10 people! Thanks!” I doubt it. And if you did, how many do you think would actually follow your suggestion?

But what if you called those that were interested over to your corner of the party and said, “You guys really should get to know ’so-and-so’. They are really cool. I enjoy talking with them. I learn things from them about this and that. Go introduce yourself and see what I mean.” Don’t you think that provides more value? Don’t you think everyone would benefit from your recommendations?

So that’s what I’m trying to do and encourage others to do. Instead of adding to the noise, well-meaning as you may be, why not make a point of “introducing” your followers to others and truly explaining why they should get to know each other?

This thing is called “social media”, right? So let’s get social and bring real interaction and relationship into the recommendations we offer. And why wait until Friday to recommend someone? Because of a #hashtag? Share the love any time, any day. You can do this using Mr. Tweet any time you’d like. If you have no idea what Mr. Tweet is, I wrote a post previously explaining how to use it and why called How To Use Mr. Tweet Instead of #FollowFriday. Use it and make your recommendation meaningful, lasting and influential.

With that, here are 8 more people I follow who I think you should too. Check them out and see what I mean. You won’t be sorry!

@jaycbee – Jazz Baker

Jazz is already well-known because she provides a wealth of social media resources & news. Plus she liked my post on Who Makes The Social Media Rules! Be sure to check her BLOG too!

@kg_creative – Kevin Garcia

Kevin is a gifted designer from California who’s also a funny & friendly guy. He works ridiculous hours & makes me feel lazy! Check out his work HERE.

@crazeegeekchick – Dana Coffey

I think her Twitter name probably says it all, but I’ll add that she’s very friendly, humorous & helpful & has a cool site HERE. Great musical taste, too!

@franklogic – Frankie De Soto

Frankie is a cool grad student with some serious design skills. He’s a nice guy who I’ve also connected with on Facebook. You can check his site HERE.

@meganleith – Megan Leith

I just started following Megan this week thanks to a brief conversation. She’s a gifted & friendly web designer in New Zealand. Check out her work HERE!

@ambifauri – Ambi Fauri

Ambi is a cool guy from Jakarta who I have had a few interactions with. He’s a friendly lover of life, diver, photographer and I believe a sincere, passionate spirit.

@rafaellanunes – Rafaella A. Nunes

She calls herself a "graphic designer wannabe" but one look at Rafaella’s work reveals much more. Gifted, funny & friendly, she tweets bilingually. A real gem!

@PhillyAaron – Aaron

I just met Aaron this week – he’s always engaging people in conversation & has a sweet spirit about him. A genuine guy who’s a doctor from – yes, you guessed it – Philadelphia.