#FollowFriday on Twitter Is Like Flowers at a Funeral

Okay, I admit that the title is a little morbid and maybe a bit extreme, but if you’ll bear with me I think you will see my point.

Have you ever been to a funeral and noticed that the gathering is comprised of a lot of people who haven’t seen each other in a long time (maybe since the last funeral)? When the service starts there is usually a time where friends of the deceased are allowed to share their thoughts about this person they were close to. Some will share precious memories and stories. Others will tell the mourners how great this person was when they were alive. And at almost every funeral I’ve been to, someone will say, “Why do we wait until someone dies to send them flowers or to say nice things about them?”

#FollowFriday on Twitter is the one day a week when people use the now common hashtag to recommend people they follow to others. Many simply list 8-10 people at a time who they want to recommend, accompanied by the hashtag. Others take the time to recommend a person at a time with a brief explanation of why. Still others, like myself, have taken to recommending people to follow in blog posts that allow for a more lengthy recommendation than the 140 character limitation of Twitter.

I’ve been using my blog each Friday to recommend some of my favorites to follow. I haven’t done it for the past few weeks due to illness, but today I am back healthy and I’ve been thinking about the limitation of only recommending people on Fridays. Obviously, there are reasons to do it on this day: it’s become a Twitter tradition, others are looking for the recommendations, and so on. But if you know me at all you know that I do not like to subscribe to the status quo. In fact, just about any time I begin to notice that I am heading in that direction, I promptly look for ways to disrupt the normalcy and challenge popular thought.

So I started thinking, “Why do we wait until Friday to say nice things about people?”

Why limit ourselves to one day a week to tell others how cool we think this person is or how nice that one is or how friendly or helpful or funny or intriguing our Twitter friends are? Because of a clever hashtag?

In a way it’s like waiting until someone dies to stand up in front of a crowd and say what an amazing person they were. Or sending flowers to a funeral.

Okay, the people you’re recommending are not dead. I admit that’s a bit of a stretch. But how about telling others how great they are on any day of the week? I’ve seen some people use the hashtag #FollowAnytime. Or just recommending others without using a hashtag at all (who says you have to?)

Here’s a suggestion I offer as a better way to sing someone’s praises other than only once a week. Next time someone you follow on Twitter impresses you, or tweets something that makes your day, or makes you LOL, or anything else that adds value to your life and/or your Twitter experience, recommend them right away! Tell others how great they are and why they should follow this person. Retweet the gem that lifted your spirits and then shout from the rooftops (via Twitter, your blog, or whatever media you choose) how much you appreciate this person. Tell your followers to follow them and why they’ll be missing out if they don’t. Become a momentary evangelist for your friend at the precise time they remind you why you enjoy them as you do. Let the excitement and enthusiasm of the moment explode from within you and resonate in your recommendation!

And how about taking this mindset a step further? Do it in other areas of your life, not just in social media. Tell your co-workers and colleagues how much you appreciate them. Hug your children and tell them why they are so amazing. Give your spouse love and appreciation in a new and different way than what has become the routine. Tell people you know about other people in your life and why you value them.

Why wait until Friday? Why wait until the funeral to send flowers?

Some things are just too good to not share right away.