Dichotomy Consulting

Being that Twitter is part of that amorphous amalgam that we know as social media, it should be abundantly clear that Twitter is inherently–for lack of a better word–interactive. It is supposed to be a venue for a dialogue between users of all stripes: corporate and indie, amateur and professional, old guard and avant-garde.

However, some people just don’t get it. Let’s round up the usual suspects (current numbers as of this posting):

News Organizations

CNN: 1,258,000 followers; follows 6

CBS: 192,000 followers; follows 80

Government Officials

Senator John McCain: 522,000 followers; follows 42

Senator Claire McCaskill: 22,000 followers; follows 1

Celebrities

Ashton Kutcher: 1,494,000 followers; follows 132

John Mayer: 872,000 followers; follows 30

This is, of course, a small sample. Yet it is representative of some of the hubris that is alive and well online. The celebrities are one thing; they are inherently self-involved and those that slavishly follow their movements will dream of reciprocation but won’t expect to get it. The newsies and the politicians are another matter altogether. Why in the world should I follow you if you won’t reciprocate?

Why should I follow CNN when the news will probably get to me faster through other–more organic–means on Twitter. The millions of Twitter users outnumber journalists in the service of mass-media outlets. The odds that a lay eyewitness will tweet a big story before any journalist even gets wind of it are increasing every day. Stories like the crash of Turkish Airlines flight 1951, the recent Mumbai terror attacks, and the US Airways Hudson River crash all broke on Twitter.

So, if you won’t follow me, what real benefit is there to following you?

The politicos? As far as most of them are concerned–and there are a few notable exceptions–Twitter is a bullhorn or a bully pulpit from whence they can shower their subjects with their wisdom and eloquence.

So, if you won’t follow me, then why should I follow you, let alone vote for you?

Twitter is a conversation. We put things out there and hopefully connect with people. Or maybe we connect with organizations or brands. The point is that there is as much (if not more) value in the listening as there is in the speaking. (Or, as the case may be, bloviating.)

If you want to be followed, you need to be willing to follow. Fortunately for you, on Twitter you can do both.