What’s Follow Friday, and how can you use it to gain followers?
Follow Friday
Follow Friday Explained
Each Friday, Twitter users utilize the hashtag #ff to recognize other Twitter users, called tweeters, that they follow in an online event known as Follow Friday. Anytime you see a friend or entity you know share a Twitter user’s screen name (for example, @imguide), followed by #ff, this is their way of sharing with the world that they not only approve of their tweet content but hope you will follow them on Twitter.
The trend started back in 2009 as a way for early Twitter users to find and recommend Tweeters to follow, and while the popularity of the trend has ebbed and flowed, it remains a popular method to acknowledge and recommend Tweeters to your own followers.
How to Engage in #ff
Participating in #ff requires no registration. Bring yourself, a few minutes of your time, and sign up for a free Twitter account if you are not already on the network.
Here’s how to get started with your first Follow Friday:
- Pick Some Friends or Followees. If you read anything notable, humorous, or something that you like, they are a good candidate for some #ff love. Copy their Twitter screen names down.
- Start Your #ff Tweet. Next, start composing a new Tweet by typing in those screen names. Don’t forget to add the @ at symbol before each screen name, and to separate them with a comma. For example, @imguide, @aboutdotcom, @abouttoys, etc.
- Add Your #ff Hashtag. Finally, before getting to the 280-character limit, make sure to add the #ff hashtag to the end of the tweet. Just type it in at the end. Those in the know will understand.
So, getting started is easy, and participating in #ff is a great way to recognize people whom you admire and recommend on Twitter. But as with all social media networks, there are some etiquette guidelines that you may want to consider following.
Etiquette Guidelines for Follow Friday
- Give some thought to who you want to recommend, and why. If you are recommending one person, provide some information about what that person does and why you are recommending him or her.
- It’s ok to recommend multiple people in a #ff Tweet, but you do you may want to select a group of people that you follow that have something in common. By doing so, you’ll be able to say something about the group that will help your followers understand why you are recommending them. For instance, if you wanted to encourage your followers to follow some of your favorite new music acts, you could tweet something like: “I love the new music coming out from @TheSuffers @DeapVally @JulietteLewis @wolfmother these days!! #ff”
- Resist the urge to include everyone you follow in #ff. It happens once a week, so you can always recommend another group next week!
- Enjoy this fun little comic from The Oatmeal to get the low-down on how #ff is SUPPOSED to work! 😉
That’s it! Now you have all of the information you need to participate in #ff. Have fun!
