Think about this for a moment.  We all want to get our message into as many hands as possible, if we’re using social networking as a business tool.  But how valuable is that broadcast if nobody is actually looking at it?

My thought pattern follows along the same one that I was using when I was defending Gary McCaffrey and his TweeterGetter application.  Many people complained that it was “evil” because you were building this huge list of people without having to follow them back.  I argued that simply following people who follow you (reciprocal following) is actually a bigger problem than simply following people who don’t follow you.

Let me quickly explain why this is so.

Many who were complaining about TweeterGetter complained that their list is about “quality” not “quantity.”  Now that is not necessarily a bad argument, but it isn’t supported by being a reciprocal follower either.  I submit to you that your list of followers is of higher “quality” if it is actually filled with a bunch of people that you AREN’T following.  The reason is that if someone follows you, and they remain a follower even if you don’t follow them back — THEN, and only then, can you be sure that you actually have a dedidcated audience that actually WANTS to hear from you.

Think about it… how many of the people that you’re currently following do you actually pay attention to unless they @reply you?  For me, if I’m honest — the answer is NOT MANY!  I don’t ignore people or go out of my way to avoid reading their tweets, but I don’t go looking for them either.  Lets cut to the chase, I don’t have time.  And neither do you!  So wouldn’t it be foolish to assume that everyone who is following you is actually looking forward to and reading your tweets?

For me, I log into Twitter, and I scan the first page of Twitter, and if I see anything that interests me, I reply to it.  But if it’s not on that first page when I log in, I’m never going to see it.  The reason is simple, and it’s one that internet marketers should be aware of…

You want to get your site listed on the first page of Google, why?  Because you want to be seen!  Well, Twitter is no different.  If an update isn’t on your “updates’ home” page, you’re probably not going to go searching for what your tweeple said.  And guess what, they probably won’t be looking for yours either!

Are YOU reading Twitter updates on pages' 4 and 5? No? Well, your follower aren't either.

The reason reciprocal following doesn’t work is the same reason that safelists are GENERALLY not effective.  They aren’t full of people hoping to receive YOUR emails; they are full of people wanting you to read THEIR emails.  So everyone signs up with an email address that they don’t even check (come on, admit it — if you’ve used safelists, you’ve done it too!), so as not to be bothered with a bunch of “spam.”  It amazes me how people think that while they may be avoiding other people’s messages, that these same people aren’t doing the same thing to them.  Of course they are people.  Wise up!

So while I’m not telling nor suggesting that anyone abandon Twitter from their marketing campaigns, what I am suggesting is that we do a better job of keeping Twitter’s actual marketing “power” in perspective.  Sure, having 45,000 followers means that you have the POTENTIAL of having your message read by 44,000 more people than they guy with only 1,000 tweeple on his list — but if your list is comprised of 45,000 people that you’re also “following” [and ignoring, which you probably are (unless you're spending 48 hours a day on Twitter)] without actually FOLLOWING, then it’s conceivable that his 1,000 followers might actually be paying attention to him.  And as I’m sure you already know, having “eyes” on your product doesn’t mean much if they don’t care about your message to begin with.

I bet you think it’s a better use of time AND money to get 50 TARGETED visitors to your web site using a highly optimized Google Adwords campaign than it is to purchase one of those “100,000 ‘HITS’ Guaranteed!” traffic packages, right?  Thought so!So my point is this… Twitter may be (and IS) a great tool, but try not to get caught up into believing all of the hype right now that makes it sound as though building a big Twitter following is just as good as building a huge optin list.  The fact is, from a marketing standpoint, it’s not!  I believe that Twitter, like television commercials,  is a valuable tool, but I also know that half of all households mute those commercials anyway.  The bottom line is that exposure has two figures one needs to keep in mind.  First, how many people will your message reach; and secondly (and even more importantly), how many of those people will care?

Just something to think about…

6,851 Followers in Less than 2 Days

What has TweeterGetter done for me specifically?  It’s hard to say.  What I do know is that When I signed up with TweeterGetter yesterday I stood at 102 followers.  As of this writing I am at 165.  Now, that’s a pretty huge jump considering my lack of Twitter exposure when I only had 102 followers before we began, and I don’t want to credit all of that to TweeterGetter either.  It’s hard to say how many of 63 followers I’ve picked up in the last day were a by product of TweeterGetter and how many were a result of the article I wrote concerning the service… or even how many were simply “natural” follows due to my having been very active [providing SOLID content and STELLAR (in my own and correct opinion) humor] on Twitter in the last 24 hours.

In the end I don’t really care that much.  One thing is certain, even if I didn’t pick up a single follower via TweeterGetter, which I know I have — I still would have nothing negative to say about it or Gary.  The reason is simple.  In spite of all of this “pyramid scheme” and “ponzi” talk, this application is negatively affecting NOBODY.  Even if I do not “benefit” from it, I wasn’t harmed by it either.  The fact is no money has changed hands (so far); nobody is being forced to do anything; and everyone who has signed up has been presented the OPPORTUNITY to opt-out of following Gary before they ReTweet his message.  I won’t even mention that in no way can TweeterGetter force you to remain one of his followers after you sign up.  If you wanted to simply sign up and then unfollow him IMMEDIATELY, there’s nothing stopping you from doing so.

So, what then is the big deal?

Well, the big deal is Gary himself!  This thing is ingenious!  It’s powefully simple in concept and execution and that is what is making him both an overnight success and controversy.  I would love to get an interview with this guy and pick his brain.  I must admit, this little idea has planted a seed or two into my own mind.  Of course, I may never launch them as I’d hate to be remembered [sarcasm] for bringing “pornography and prostitution” to the masses as Gary has done.[/sarcasm]

So, in less than 48 hours Gary has managed to acquire some 7,000 followers for himself and many others of us have leeched off of that success to grab a bonus 10, 20, 100, 200, or 500 for ourselves.  No babies nor animals were harmed in the making of TweeterGetter, and I have made contacts with several people I probably never would have otherwise.  Not only have I made contact with them, but I have shared laughs with them and am looking forward to long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with each and every one of them.

And you know what happens if a few bad apples turn out to be spammers who aren’t bringing anything positive to my tweeting experience?  Simple, I’ll elect to unfollow them!  Just as I know they will do if I don’t bring some value their way too.  So, with all of that being said, the whole concept of this being nothing more than a numbers game is ludicrous.  If it turns out to be nothing more than a numbers game you can rest assured that just as quickly as Gary reaches 10,000 followers (and I predict that takes place some time tomorrow or Saturday at the latest), he will find his follower count back down around 2,000 or less because people will quickly abandon ship.

So I say, we give things some time and we find out what Gary’s long-term plans are and about how he plans on enriching the lives of others by tweeting.  Maybe it will turn out that he really is interested in nothing more than making his follower count hit astronomical heights, and if that’s so — rest assured I will unfollow him quickly.  But maybe he will turn out to be one of best and most engaging tweeple under the twitosphere.  And if that happens, I’ll be glad that I “erred” on this side of the line rather than the side that chose to hang him first and ask questions never.

Oh, I almost forgot this is MY blog and I can spam it if I want to!  *giggles* So, please allow me the liberty of pasting my token “spammy” TweeterGetter link here so that you may follow me.  Thanks!

http://tweetergetter.com/jacebarnett

In any event, many marketers are upset and say that Gary McCaffrey is “prostituting” Twitter.  I think it’s mainly jealousy speaking, as they can’t stand to see people taking “shortcuts.”

Those who don’t think it’s a shortcut claim that it just doesn’t work, because “ReTweeting Gary’s message only benefits him.”  They argue that your followers are already following you, thus you don’t gain any new followers and only Gary benefits.  This argument is easily proven false by acknowledging that yes, my followers are already following me, but THEIR followers aren’t!  When they sign up for TweeterGetter under me, all of their followers who see the value in TweeterGetter don’t just follow Gary, they follow me too!

Now for those same marketers crying, “Where’s the relationship in that?”  I ask you, is this not the same thing as the EXTENDED Networks found on LinkedIn?  Do those disgust you too?

What about this whole thing just being a ploy to get Gary more followers?  Well, if anyone signs up and doesn’t want to  follow Gary, they don’t have to — they can simply untick that box.  What this means is that not only is Gary not charging for his application, but he isn’t even making it a requirement to follow him to use it.  Which I don’t think would be unfair if he did.

I argued in the She-Sales Seminar thread that crying foul over someone getting a bunch of followers is stupid, because unless I provide quality content to my follower I won’t be keeping them anyway.  The fact is, if you follow me on Twitter and all I do is spam you, you’re not sticking around anyway.  The only way you remain a follower of mine is IF I provide value to your Tweeting experience.  Thus that “relationship building” they are complaining is missing is actually VERY MUCH PRESENT.  And if it isn’t present, then you lose your followers anyway — thus leaving their whole reason for waving the red flag null in void!

Face it folks, this is nonsense!  TweeterGetter is a great idea, and Gary’s only sin is that when he introduced it to the Twitter Nation he did so without Filsaime, Reese, Kern, Ambrose, or Belcher on his birth certificate.  Any attempts to masquerade this “boycott” as anything more than jealousy and slander is simply ridiculous.

Please Gary, take solace in the fact that not everyone is against you.

Good night!