In case you didn’t know, WordPress has a feature that enables you to invite other bloggers to follow your blog.
Admin Dashboard>
Users>
Invite New
Since I started blogging in 2012, I have never once ‘agreed’ to follow anyone who has contacted me in this way, and I still get around five a week on average. The people who use this facility are usually innocent of the implication, I am sure. But nontheless, they expect me to follow their blog without so much as a ‘Like’ or comment on even one of my own posts. In many cases, the blogs are brand new, with little or no content, so I have no idea what I might even be following.
I think WordPress should remove this general facility. If I want to follow a blog, I will find it eventually.
I have ignored no less than three of these already today, though part of me feels sorry for those bloggers who think it might be the normal thing to do.
beetleypete 
Thank you for the tipp, Pete! Think i should use for my privatizised blog. Lets look, because sometimes this feature does not give me positive response. Best wishes, Michael
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I don’t respond to those ‘invitations’, Michael. However, I am sure some bloggers do.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Classic Pete. You are a big man, you are supposed to get that but I haven’t even heard of it, forget having one follow request. 😂😜
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I get them all the time, and just ignore them. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete. xx
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I will ignore them. Take Care, Pete 💖✌😊
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I feel the same way, Pete. I’m offended when I get these requests, as I assume it is someone with something to sell, or someone with bad manners. Perhaps they just don’t know better.
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Yes, I agree about manners. So many people seem to have none.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I prefer to find my own blogs to follow chuq
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Me too. I think this facility offered by WP can feel a bit ‘rude’, to be honest.
Best wishes, Pete.
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WP discourages more than it promotes in my opinion chuq
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I didn’t know about this, atleast not until now.
But I will prefer been followed and my post liked because of my creative contents and not because I begged for it.
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Yes, that is always the best way.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I don’t think anyone has ever asked me to follow their blog. I don’t think I’d respond but I’m actually feeling a little hurt that they never asked…
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I get that, James. 🙂
(Thanks for following this blog, by the way. 🙂 )
Best wishes, Pete.
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I don’t use it Pete. But good advice!
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Thanks very much, Lara. I am glad to hear most people didn’t know about it.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I didn’t know about this, but it wouldn’t matter. I prefer it that people visit my blog and decide whether to comment, follow or not, unprompted.
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That’s the way, Kim. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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I think it’s unnecessary. If someone likes and enjoys your blog, he or she would follow. It’s better to have followers that read and interact. Else you would be writing for yourself alone.
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Thanks, Ngozi, you are absolutely right.
Best wishes, Pete.
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The marketing guys are a strong lobby and this is the perfect tool for them. I just dont think that they understand that the true blogging community have little interest in SEO, monetarising blogs or big data collection. We like to like and comment 🙂
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That sums it up perfectly, Eduardo.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I too was unaware of this feature and would not be tempted to use it. If people do follow my blog I always take a look at theirs just as a matter of courtesy
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I do the same. If they have a post, I read it, comment, and leave a thank you for following. But I never look at these ‘invitation’ bloggers.
Thanks, Sarada.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I think they should change it to an invitation to visit the blog. If someone likes it, they can follow it.
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That would be better, I agree.
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Facebook has a common feature for its pages. I used it to call on my family and friends but only after I had added content. I would never use that for a stranger though.
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I am aware that Facebook relies heavily on follow suggestions, but I don’t think blogging is the same thing, so I ignore these ‘invitations’.
Thanks, Shaily.
Best wishes, Pete.
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if someone likes your blog, i’m sure they’ll follow. people don’t need to be asked i think. 🙂
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You are completely correct, Wilma.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Whatever next…what does baffle me though is how someone who writes 2 lines and not interesting either…I just thought ..what? they had nearly 200 likes and comments saying how great…No work involved…and then had the cheek to tell me they had followed me so would I follow them… they did say please…Am I missing something here as to why would I ???? semi-rant over, Pete…I hope you are well and staying safe 🙂 Bye the bye I didn’t know about that feature just wondered… not enough though as to why I was getting follow me requests…I think I am getting cranky in my old age…sigh 🙂
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You and I share a dislike of those ‘Please follow me’ people. They just don’t understand that blogging is not Twitter or Facebook. I help them to learn, by never following them. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Ditto..I don’t either they need to earn followers like you and I and all the other good bloggers I know..:)
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I invite everyone who has a summer vacation home above 18,000 feet (5,486 m) to please follow my blog.
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Good one, David. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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I’ve never accepted an invitation to follow someone’s blog that way. The first time I received one I was totally baffled by it and couldn’t understand how they had found me – I didn’t know about the WordPress feature. I delete them.
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I do that too, Mary. It feels too much like Facebook for my liking.
Best wishes, Pete.
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How interesting? I have never had a request like that? No one must want me to follow them? Might be a blessing in disguise! Word press is still sort of a mystery to me! C
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It is still a mystery to many of us, Cheryl. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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I didn’t know about that ‘feature’ and now will instantly forget it. 😊 I only like and follow people who converse.
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I only discovered it by getting so many ‘invitations’. I never even looked at one, just deleted the email.
Best wishes, Pete.
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If people find and follow my blog that’s great, but I find no need to ask someone to follow.
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I’m old-fashioned, so would consider it rude to do that.
Thanks, Peggy.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I wouldn’t accept a random request like that either. The only way I might use that feature is if a friend or family member wanted to follow my blog and didn’t quite know how to go about it. I assume it would trigger an email to them with clear instruction how to follow.
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That would be the only sensible use that I can see.
Thanks, Susanne.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I noticed too..
Many followers don’t read or comment on my blog.
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They never do, which is why it annoys me that they send these ‘requests’.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Oh, dear Pete, it’s the penance of being popular and writing great blogs. The price of fame.
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If only that was true, Lucinda. I got my first one of these when I had just 30 followers. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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This is a useless feature of WordPress for me too, but I’m sure there’s a reason behind its existence (which escapes me)!
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It allows people who can’t be bothered to read blogs to be able to ask to be followed. That’s it! 🙂
Thanks, Sam.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Didn’t know this existed – I see that some have that at the bottom of their main page – is that what this is? Who can keep up with the design options!
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This has always been around, John. You might never have noticed it.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I have been following you for sometime, but my blogging activity has been reduced over the last year or so, but I am back with new posts again. It’s a shame, because although I have about 1000 followers I am not getting read any more. i am looking into this, but thelast thing I would ever consider is inviting new followers. They will come whne people like what you have to say.
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Thanks, Bill. In bloggng, absence does not make the heart grow fonder. I fear it will take you a long time to recoup your following.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Think about a guest post, Bill. I will happily promote your blog here by featuring you on a guest post. Let me know at this email.
petejohnson50@yahoo.com
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🙂 Pete, I seldom follow those people that invite me to follow their blog. I rather do it the old-fashioned way; which is checking out a blog on my own and following it if I happen to like it.
Do enjoy the rest of your day!
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I think you are exactly right.
Thanks, Renard.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I also do the same! It’s organic!
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I had the same person send me three invites over the weekend. I just find it quite rude and annoying, to be honest.
Best wishes, Pete.
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