Dunbar’s number says that a human being can only keep up with 150 friends at a time.
How many people are you friends with on Facebook? How many people are following you on Twitter? How many people are fans of your Facebook page?
There’s nothing wrong with being popular, except that it can force you to take attention away from your true fans. Your true fans appreciate you; they help you shape your product, your business, your essence. They tell their friends and turn them into true fans. They stick by and buy from you, even if you slip up from time to time.
You know that saying? The ones who mind don’t matter, the ones who matter don’t mind. Those are your true fans.
When you start playing the numbers game, you have to forsake your true fans’ interests and head to the higher, middle ground. In essence, you’re aiming to become king of a very small, very crowded hill; all you’re really trying to do is see more true fans. But now, your true fans have to shout to be heard. And try as you might, you will probably never be able to hear them as clearly as you once did when you were right by their side.
Your true fans will tell their own group of 150 about you, if they think you’re worthy. That’s unlikely if you treat them like a commodity. Show them the trust they deserve, it’ll all work out in the end.
You Don’t Need More Twitter Followers
Seth Godin’s blog today is about Dunbar’s number.
Dunbar’s number says that a human being can only keep up with 150 friends at a time.
How many people are you friends with on Facebook? How many people are following you on Twitter? How many people are fans of your Facebook page?
You know that saying? The ones who mind don’t matter, the ones who matter don’t mind. Those are your true fans.
When you start playing the numbers game, you have to forsake your true fans’ interests and head to the higher, middle ground. In essence, you’re aiming to become king of a very small, very crowded hill; all you’re really trying to do is see more true fans. But now, your true fans have to shout to be heard. And try as you might, you will probably never be able to hear them as clearly as you once did when you were right by their side.
Your true fans will tell their own group of 150 about you, if they think you’re worthy. That’s unlikely if you treat them like a commodity. Show them the trust they deserve, it’ll all work out in the end.