How many followers do you have on Twitter, and how many of those followers do you actually know? Perhaps the big question is how many of them do you actually WANT to know?

Over the past few months, for one reason or another I have found myself face to face with a person who I regularly engage with on Twitter. It can be quite a surprise meeting for the first time – rather like, in the ‘old days’, having a pen-pal in Germany that you meet after five years of writing to each other. Are you actually going to get on?

Surprisingly, it seems to me that very often, you do. I have certainly found this to be the case. I think this comes down to the fact that Twitter is a great platform for instant social hits. Tweets are often witty, and the tweeters that make you smile (or even LOL) are those you will probably connect with ‘in real life’.

Be warned – it can go the other way. I met two people I follow on Twitter at a recent event, and I knew immediately that I was of no actual interest to them. They didn’t make eye contact, and had no curiosity in finding out about the real me. To them, I am simply another number on their Twitter account. Well, shucks.

However, in the majority of cases it’s been a genuine delight to meet the person – it often results in laughter and even, on occasion, has led to business. And amen to that!