How to Get Me to Un-Follow or Un-Friend You on Social Networks

Ready to lose your friends and connections on social networks?  Let me share some tips that may help you.

Here’s how you can get me to un-friend or un-follow you.
1. Re-tweet something I’ve said, or share one of my status updates, and add a link to the end that looks like I’m endorsing your service.

This is annoying.  If I like your services/products, I’ll recommend you/them.  I do that a lot.  Don’t spam with my username attached or post your spam on my page.  I’ll report and block you.

2. Send me a message telling me how I can get 1,000 followers/friends or 1,000 re-tweets of my messages.

It’s not about the numbers.  It’s about the connections.  If you send me these types of messages we obviously approach business and marketing in very different ways.

3. Post the same thing over… and over… and over again.

To get a wider notice for your blog, teleseminar, or service, you may choose to share it more than once.  I’m cool with that.  But please, take the time to at least reword it slightly and don’t set your auto-poster to send out the same exact message 5 times a day for weeks on end.

4. Post an inappropriate picture on your profile or use harsh profanity.

I’m conservative and I realize not everyone is, so I’ll overlook some comments.  But if you’re using social networks for business please use a professional picture and keep things rated PG or better.  Unless that’s part of your business image.  Then we’re not a good fit and it’s okay for me to disconnect.

5. Send me an @ message, direct message, or post something to my Facebook page that shows you have no idea who I am or what I do.

I have no problem with people promoting themselves on social networks, as long as they’re also connecting with people and not posting promotions 100% of the time.  But take the time to target your message if you’re going to single out a specific person to promote to.  Don’t send me a message trying to sell me something I offer.  Depending on my level of caffeination and mood I find this either extremely annoying or mildly funny.  Either way I won’t be buying from you.

6. Ignore me when I try to get to know you.

If someone takes the time to send an @ message or posts to my Facebook profile, I do my best to reply.  I realize it’s not always practical for people who’ve got 100,000 followers, but in general, it’s nice to hit reply and connect if someone reaches out to you.

7. Be one of those people who are always angry/threatening/mean/making mass judgments about others.

Everyone has bad days but if yours lasts for weeks and it’s all you share I’ll disconnect because there’s enough negativity in life.  I’m looking for positive and inspirational people to connect with.

So, there you have it.  The seven quickest ways you’ll lose me (and possibly others) as a follower/friend.

Obvious point #1: Reverse these ideas if you want to grow your networks.  Then they become: don’t spam, don’t spam, don’t spam, be family friendly, don’t spam, engage with people, and be nice.  Perhaps I could have summed up this post with fewer words.  But some people don’t’ seem to get the concept of spam and realize that they’re driving away connections with impolite habits.

Obvious point #2: If being yourself means you break my 4th suggestion, then it’s probably best I don’t follow you and that’s totally fine.  You know your market and by being yourself you’ll attract the people you want to attract.  On the flip side, I choose to stick a toe (but not jump) into some of the stickier topics like politics (my profiles share that I’m a Libertarian) and I realize that this may cause some people not to follow/friend me – but we wouldn’t be a good fit to work together anyway if they make that choice based on my political leaning.  So it’s a conscious decision on my part that by sharing my political leaning I end up not engaging with people who I’d annoy.  My point is, just be sure that if you choose to post profanity or other possibly offensive things, be aware of what you’re doing and don’t do it without thinking about it.

So, what’s your pet peeve on social networks?  What gets you to disconnect from someone?