How to Lose All Your Followers on Social Media
I almost called this “The Wonderful Art of Subtraction on Social Media,” because sometimes the best thing to do is to subtract. That is: unfollow, unfriend, and mute. After all, everyone wants more, more, more followers on social media. Isn’t that the whole point? Not always! Sometimes less is more.
Photo by cliff1066™ 
Same Old, Same Old
Lately I’ve grown tired of seeing the same stuff day after day, month after month. On Twitter, the accounts that spew quotes are the worst. My friends Mitch Mitchell and Terri Nakamura have been tweeting about it. How do those accounts get so many followers when all they do is broadcast quotes all day long?
Fast Path to Losing Followers: Spew quotes all day long.
https://twitter.com/Mitch_M/status/728464131049693187
Unfriending on Facebook
On Facebook, if I don’t remember where the heck we met, or if we haven’t had a conversation for a couple of years, off you go! I’ll bet they don’t remember me, either (even if to me, I’m the queen of the universe!). Wiki has a great list of reasons you might have been unfriended on Facebook and how to get over it.
Fast Path to Losing Followers: Being offensive and way too personal is a good way to be unfriended. Right now, the political rant is also a great way to lose friends.
Photo by abodftyh
Unfollowing on Twitter
On Twitter, if there’s too much salesy stuff, and too many boring tweets, same thing: they get muted or unfollowed. Muted if the volume is too high and unfollowed if the tweets are tasteless. Partly the fault is mine. I may not have taken a good, hard look at the account when I first followed or followed back. But sometimes accounts change, too. Here are some Twitter Best Practices, by the way.
Fast Path to Losing Followers: Drunk tweeting off topic is a fast way to lose followers. Also, sending direct messages asking for money is a fast path to being unfollowed.
Disconnecting on Pinterest
Sometimes people post about too much of one thing, and it gets boring. Or, as in the case of someone I unfollowed this week–too many “sexy ladies dressed as animals.” Yeah, I know. Weird. I kept unfollowing one board after another, until finally–no boards at all! What a great day that was. If you want a primer on Pinterest, you might like this one: Pinterest: Top Ten Tasks and Power Tips.
Fast Path to Losing Followers: Pin only photos of sunglasses. Or stuffed animals. And you’ll lose followers. Try it!
Getting Unlinked on LinkedIn
Like Direct Messages on Twitter, sending salesy messages before getting to know someone is a no-no on LinkedIn, and a great way to lose followers. Today I got an email from someone I’d never had contact with asking me to buy their IT services. See ya! If you want to know how to prune the rose buds on LinkedIn, here you go.
Fast Path to Losing Followers: Send a lot of salesy stuff, before getting to know someone.
Insta-Unfollowed on Instagram
On Instagram, a really great way to be blocked is to leave a comment on someone else’s post saying “follow me.” Don’t you hate that?
Fast Path to Losing Followers: Say you sell followers in a message on someone else’s post.
Who Have You Unfollowed Today?
If you’ve unfriended, unfollowed, or blocked someone today, why? I’d love to hear from you!
Those are all great ways to loose followers. Lately, snarky comments and rude people are annoying me. Why make the extra effort just to be contrary or even mean?
Thank you, Bridget! Yes, I don’t get the point of being mean, either. And too much snark will also get people unfollowed or unfriended.
Carol
Good list of reasons you might get unfollowed. I like to review and prune who I’m following regularly too.
Totally agree about the quotes. They drive me potty too :-)
Thank you, Kittie! I don’t get it about those accounts with the quotes. Are they all robots?
Carol
Well, I haven’t unfollowed anyone today, last week, in fact I’ve unfollowed less than a handful of people in my whole twitter lifespan.
I guess I’m quite careful who I do follow. I only follow people who are professionals in my industry, not dressed as stuffed animals, … and not self-designated ‘ninjas’.
That generally weeds out the undesirables.
Hi Clement,
Wait. You don’t follow people dressed as animals? Hahaha! Thanks for the chuckle this morning.
I suppose I’m less careful on Twitter than on other platforms. Are you as careful everywhere?
Thanks for the comment (and the laugh)!
Carol
Yes.
Before I follow anyone I have one of my minions throughly screen and vet them.
Can’t be too careful these days.
Where does someone find one of these minions? I may need one to help with screening, Clement! :D
Carol
I don’t understand why I get Facebook friend requests from people who I don’t know and who never connect with me. I have noted that these are people who rarely post anything, though.
Well, at least they don’t post anything. That’s a plus, right?
Thanks, Cranky!
If they decide to rant on my thread, that’s a no-no. They have an account, a wall, to with what they like. Contribute, sure, even with dissenting opinions. But if they take over and blow up my feed, I don’t have time or the responsibility for teaching them manners. Off they go. Basically, if their response to a snarky meme is pulling out the nuclear launch codes and writing six inches… No.
I’m with you 100%, David. They have their own wall for ranting! Don’t come over to my house and force me to listen to a rant. Ugh. Thanks for dropping by (and not ranting!),
Carol