I get dozens of follows everyday and generally don’t follow back. Why? Because I only follow people who I’m interested in what they have to say. That isn’t always easy to tell when you first look at their profile.

Here are five things that will get the email notification sent straight to the trash.

As an aside, if I know you personally none of this applied

1. You have no avatar picture

Welcome to social media, now get a picture. Every kind of social media, from forums to Facebook to Twitter, allows a picture. Get with the program.

I’m still undecided about weather the picture needs to be of you. That is my preference, but I can understand how a photographer might use a image they shot, or a fan might use a fan related image. But realize it’s a point of evaluation as well. I also find it a little strange when people use images of their kids, or their boyfriend.

Another thing, I’ve unfollowed people because I found their avatar disturbing or gross or obnoxious.

2. You have less than 10 tweets

This is a sign of a spammer. I realize someone may be brand new to twitter, but my lack of ego wonders why you would pick me to follow first. The only exceptions I’ve made for this have been people I actually know.

3. You are obviously a marketer and I don’t know you

If you have the wizbang background and bio that says you help people make millions on the internet, I figure you are following me via the use of some automated tool. One of the big reasons I think this is I get a flood of follows if I use the term “Internet Marketing” in a tweet.

I’m not opposed to following marketers, but I want to know them. I follow my own IM mentors, @jasonvo and @jeremyfrandsen. I follow my favorite big names, like @masscontrolkern, @jeffwalker, @perrybelcher. And I follow fellow members of Internet Business Mastery Academy.

4. All your tweets are links to something for sale.

If every tweet you make is an affilate link, or a link to some product of yours, or – the worst – links over and over to one product, forget it. You are a spammer.

5. All your tweets have a bad attitude (In a bad way)

I remember meeting a MUA at a store once and we talked about working together. She gave me the link to her myspace so I could see images of her work since she didn’t have a website. I went there and it seemed every piece of text on the page was cutting someone down or bitching and complaining about something. Guess what? I wasn’t going to work with such a negative person no matter how good she was.

I’ve see the same kind of thing in twitter streams, where every tweet is bitching or moaning about something. I’m not going to follow you to listen to that.

In conclusion I want to repeat why I follow people, Because I’m interested in what they have to say. So don’t be a wall flower and say nothing. Don’t be obnoxious. Don’t be boring. Be fun and interesting.

P.S. And for me Photographers & Models get special treatment because they are my interests.