"Why Are You Following Me?"

It’s a reasonable question. And if you can’t respond in any kind of meaningful way, then there’s only one reasonable conclusion.

Good answers:

• You’re interesting
• You’re fun
• I value your opinion
• You’re a friend
• I’m learning from you

Bad:

• You followed me first
• You might unfollow me if I don’t
• Somebody else told me to
• Who are you…?

Ugly:

• I don’t know

Set aside some time to browse through the list of people you are following, one at a time. Ask why. If you can’t find a genuine reason why you’re connected to another person, hit the unfollow button. Don’t delay. Just do it.

Make it a habit. Keep your network optimised. Trust me on this: your followers – the ones that actually matter – will thank you for it.

Inside Social Apps starts this Wednesday! Join us on February 8-9 in San Francisco and hear industry leaders share their views on today’s most formidable challenges affecting social and mobile apps and games in 2012. If you haven’t registered yet, $599 early registration prices are still in effect (on-site passes are $799), so register today and save.