Does following a lot of people result in a lot of them following back and, if so

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   hawaiianodysseusposted 12 years ago

   Does following a lot of people result in a lot of them following back and, if so, more Hub views?
   
   I'm observing a movement afloat and am wondering if it's an effective "social media device" to use.

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   Ellana317posted 12 years ago

   Hummm... I'm not so sure.  I have actually gained more followers by commenting on questions and posting them but who knows... This might work as well.  If that's the case I need to start following more people than what I actually am.

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      hawaiianodysseusposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      @Ellana317 Actually, Ellana, according to the information eloquently shared by Relache, one might be better off not engaging in excessive following just for the sake of getting contrived traffic. Sounds like you're doing great! Thanks for sharing!

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   Ddraigcochposted 12 years ago

   Whilst a lot of people do follow you back if they are active, the benefit is in true socializing. Move around the site and read hubs, leave a comment and mark them as you find them, interesting, funny, useful.....only if you do of course. You will find that people will then be more likely to visit your hubs and comment. Yes, this natural social connecting is vital to views and growth.

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      hawaiianodysseusposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      @Ddraigcoch Everyone who responded to this question did a real stand-up job! It's your answer that I love the most. It reinforces the premise that organic is better than synthetic. Thank you for sharing.

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      Ddraigcochposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you Hawaiianodysseus. Just stating what I have learned from others that have much more experience than I and also what I have seen over 18 months.
      Being part of the community is much more fulfilling.

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   sandoniaposted 12 years ago

   It can be effective on some platforms. On HubPages, people seem to follow and follow-back as part of the community. Some of them are more interactive than others. On Twitter, it seems much fewer people follow-back and even fewer actually pay attention unless a comment is directed at them. Traffic wise, I have noted a majority of my present traffic comes from fellow hubbers, but I suspect that will change as I continue to write.

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      hawaiianodysseusposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      @sandonia
      You make great points! I certainly identified with your comments regarding Twitter. BTW, that's a really cool profile picture! Cleverly done! Aloha!

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   relacheposted 12 years ago

   If you follow a lot of people in a short amount of time, it will result in your overall Author Score dropping really rapidly.  The system was actually designed to do that just to thwart people following just for the sake of trying to get followers.
   
   I have a LOT of followers and based on the stats comparing internal traffic (from HubPages) to external traffic (from search engines) my followers have almost no effect on my views, as so little of my traffic is from internal sources (only about 5%).
   
   If you are going to create Hubs that are going to cater specifically to other users, you might want more followers, but if you really want traffic and earnings, it's more worthwhile to focus on external traffic.

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      hawaiianodysseusposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      @relache
      You know, I've come across your work and your other activity on HP, and I have been impressed. Your answer has substance to it, and it certainly makes sense to me. Thank you very much!

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   Ghost32posted 12 years ago

   I don't have a clue, mostly (no doubt) because I don't care.   When it comes to following other writers, I do--but somewhat selectively, only those whose work really makes me want to know more.  Fortunately, there are plenty of those.
   
   As for who follows me, I appreciate my fans (a LOT), but if my "follower" count was zero, it wouldn't matter...with one exception:  Some truly awesome writers and readers have provided a whole lot of inspiration over the years.

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      hawaiianodysseusposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      @Ghost32
      Great answer! I like the fact that you're a plain-speaking man. With the flag behind you, I'm guessing that you're a veteran...and if you are, thank you very much for serving our country! Best wishes for continued success on HubPages!

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   mjkearnposted 12 years ago

   Hi hawaii,
   
   I think you should only follow those hubbers whose work you are truly interested in. That said I see a lot of X "is now following" Y and can only assume it is for mutual following instead of a real interest in each others work.
   
   I follow those that I have an interest in and try to always leave fan mail to say why. I believe over time this will lead to genuine followers for both.
   
   Is this the sensible strategy?
   
   I think not but it's the honest one and that is how I live my life and I'm very happy that way.
   
   I'm new here and as far as I can tell, to get sensible traffic, hub views, you need to be in the good graces of "Sir Google"'.
   
   I have phoned, texted and mailed this Guru but he won't talk to me.
   
   I don't think he or she, oops nearly forgot the "or she", pardon, forgive me and phew! is at all interested in cars and bikes.
   
   My one true follower, Ben, the Black Labrador, can't seem to get enough of me and I think this is great traffic but I suspect and understand that I'm not sure, but I don't think he can read!
   
   MJ.

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      hawaiianodysseusposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      @mjkearn Ha ha! Very clever answer. I like your honest, sensible, and pragmatic approach, and that is the road I wish to travel on. Thank you so much for going the extra mile to respond with both quality and quantity. Aloha and mahalo!

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   mary615posted 12 years ago

   
   
   Some Hubbers just "jump on and jump off" make a short comment like "Great", go to the profile of the author and ask for a follow.  That way they get a lot of followers!   I just did a Hub on the subject of followers:
   
   http://mary615.hubpages.com/hub/What-Ma … low-Hubber

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   tmbridgelandposted 12 years ago

   When someone follows me I will click through and see if their writing looks like something I want to read. If so, I follow back. I also check to see if they have just followed a lot of people in a very short time. If so, I don't bother following back, since they probably have never read anything I wrote.
   
   If someone comments on my Hub I will often follow them. Also, if someone has a really good Hub and I like it enough to comment, I will often follow them. I prefer real comments to just follows.

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      hawaiianodysseusposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      @tmbridgeland
      I'm passionate about writing, as I know you and so many others here on HP are. Because I'm late to the dance, so to speak, regarding SEO and social media, I feel a pressure to "catch up." I'm therefore very grateful for your A+ advice.

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