Facebook can be overwhelming with the amount of content available. With over 2 billion monthly active users, there are endless possibilities for things to follow. However, not everything on Facebook is worth your time. Being selective about who and what you follow can lead to a more positive experience. Here are some tips on what types of accounts are worth following on Facebook.
Friends and Family
One of the main reasons many people use Facebook is to stay connected with their friends and family. Following the accounts of people you have real-life connections with allows you to keep up with what’s going on in their lives through their posts, pictures, and updates. It’s a great way to feel close even when you’re far apart. Just be sure to only follow friends and family who frequently use their Facebook accounts. There’s no point in following someone who rarely posts.
Interesting Companies and Organizations
Many businesses, brands, nonprofits, and other organizations have active Facebook presences. Following the ones you personally care about or find intriguing can provide value. You may learn more about their products and causes, discover deals and promotions, or gain industry knowledge. Just be wary of simply following a company because you like their products. Evaluate if their Facebook content is actually interesting and worth seeing in your feed.
Inspirational Public Figures
Facebook can be a great place to find motivational and inspirational quotes, thoughts, and stories as long as you follow the right public figures. Authors, speakers, coaches, faith leaders, and some celebrities share encouraging content that uplifts. Be selective in who you choose to follow for inspiration. Focus on accounts that post positive rather than controversial content.
Humor Accounts
For a dose of laughter, consider following a few humor accounts like meme creators, comedians, satire sites, and entertainers. Choose ones that share clean humor and make sure to balance following funny accounts with other more serious or informative accounts.
News and Information Sources
To stay up-to-date on current events, follow trustworthy news outlets on Facebook. Opt for established publishers known for accurate, balanced reporting. Be wary of hyper-partisan sources or fake news sites. Avoid accounts that frequently share sensationalist, misleading, or conspiracy-theory content.
Educational Accounts
Expand your knowledge by following science, history, art, and other educational accounts. Accounts like NASA, National Geographic, and museums can provide fascinating facts and insights. Just be sure they post consistently. Accounts that haven’t posted in months aren’t worth a follow.
Local Businesses and Community Groups
Follow businesses and organizations in your local community to stay informed about local happenings. This could include your favorite restaurants, gyms, shops, theaters, schools, churches, parks, or community groups like chambers of commerce or neighborhood associations. But only follow ones that actively maintain their Facebook accounts.
Niche Interest Groups
One of the great things about Facebook is you can find groups for nearly any hobby or interest. Search for accounts related to your niche interests whether that’s gardening, gaming, sports teams, VR, art, music, health, cars, travel, photography, or any other hobby. Following related accounts is an easy way to discover new things you’re passionate about.
A Mix of Account Types
Following a diverse mix of account types helps lead to an interesting, well-rounded feed. Don’t just follow all humor accounts or all news outlets. Choose a thoughtful balance of friends, companies, public figures, educational providers, community resources, and interest groups. Evaluate accounts frequently and unfollow ones that no longer provide value.
Accounts That Spark Joy
Curate your Facebook feed to include accounts that bring you joy, inspire you, teach you, make you laugh, or inform you. Be selective in who you follow. There are millions of Facebook accounts, but only a small subset will be worth your time. Avoid accounts that promote negativity, misinformation, or frequently make you feel frustrated, upset, or overwhelmed. Follow accounts that make you excited to check Facebook each day.
How Many Accounts Should You Follow?
While there is no magic number for how many accounts to follow, aim for quality over quantity. A few dozen active, engaging accounts are better than hundreds of stale, abandoned accounts. With too many follows, your feed becomes noisy. If you’re selective, you’ll see a higher percentage of posts you actually care about. Remember, you can always unfollow accounts that no longer interest you.
Should You Follow Friends of Friends?
Just because someone is a friend of your friend does not mean you need to follow them. Base your following choices on your interests, not your network. That said, if you discover accounts you enjoy from friend recommendations, go ahead and follow them. But do not follow strangers simply because you share a mutual friend.
Should You Follow Back People Who Follow You?
There is no obligation to follow back people who follow you, even if it’s someone you know. Only follow accounts that you genuinely want to see content from. If someone follows you just hoping for a follow back, but they do not post content you care about, there’s no reason to follow them.
How Often Should You Evaluate Who You Follow?
Aim to evaluate your follows every few months. Accounts that once provided value may become inactive. Interests can change over time too. Every now and then, scroll through your follows. Unfollow accounts that no longer interest you or that haven’t posted in a long time. You can also unlike pages that clutter your feed with unwanted updates.
Should You Follow Influencers?
Following influencers on Facebook can be enjoyable if you select ones that create content you genuinely like. However, many influencers primarily use Instagram and TikTok. Evaluate if the influencer actively engages with their Facebook audience before following them. If they rarely post Facebook content, you won’t gain much from following them.
Should You Follow Co-Workers and Bosses?
Use caution when following colleagues on social media. Consider if your boss and co-workers actively use Facebook before connecting with them. Following each other can be a positive way to enhance working relationships. But keep in mind that your social media activity may be visible to them. Avoid oversharing personal opinions or private information.
Should You Follow Celebrities?
Following your favorite celebrities can seem fun, but it may not provide much value. Many celebrities have teams managing their social media accounts. The personal interactions fans crave are unlikely. Still, a few celebrities do actively engage with their followers. Before following, check if they frequently post interesting content. If their page is stale, focus your follows elsewhere.
Should You Follow People You Disagree With?
Following people with different ideologies can expose you to new perspectives. However, Facebook debates often turn toxic fast. If you do follow those you disagree with, consider muting their posts rather than engaging in hostile arguments. Weigh if their occasional insightful posts are worth seeing negativity in your feed.
How Many Follow Suggestions Should You Accept?
The “People You May Know” and “Pages You May Like” suggestions use algorithms to recommend follows based on your profile, likes, network, location, and more. However, most suggested follows are irrelevant. Only accept suggestions if you’re genuinely interested in their content. Do not follow back accounts simply out of guilt. It will clutter your feed.
Should You Follow Brands You Don’t Like?
Brands you dislike may occasionally offer deals and promotions to win you back as a customer. But their posts are likely to be frustrating rather than valuable. Prioritize following brands you actually like. Mute ads from brands you avoid. Staying informed about sales and new products isn’t worth seeing irritating content.
Should You Follow Groups and Events?
Facebook groups and event pages can be great ways to connect over specific interests and happenings. If you actively participate in a Facebook group, go ahead and follow it to see the latest discussions. Events you plan on attending also may be worth a follow. But only follow the groups and events you genuinely engage with.
Should You Follow Comments You’re Tagged In?
The Facebook setting “Also get notifications when other people comment after you” automatically follows any post you comment on. This clutters your feed with irrelevant notifications. Turn this setting off. Only follow posts if you have ongoing interest in the full conversation. Avoid letting random tag notifications determine your follows.
Should You Follow Trending Topics and Hashtags?
Facebook occasionally promotes widely discussed trending topics and hashtags like #ThrowbackThursday. However, these rarely originate on Facebook. Trending topics gain more traction on Twitter and TikTok. Facebook isn’t the best platform to follow trends. Focus your follows on connections you have genuine interest in.
Should You Follow Competitor Pages?
If you own a business, following competitor pages can provide useful intel. Study their content strategies, promotions, and audience engagement. This competitive analysis helps refine your own social media presence. Just maintain a professional mindset when interacting with competitor pages. Do not comment or troll.
Conclusion
Being thoughtful about who and what you follow on Facebook can lead to a more positive, engaging experience. Avoid wasting follows on accounts that do not interest you or rarely post. Curate your feed with active accounts that post content related to your hobbies, passions, values, and preferences. Keep an open mind to discovering new accounts, but learn to unfollow ones that no longer bring you joy or value. With wise following habits, Facebook can connect, entertain, and inspire you each day.
What are your favorite types of accounts to follow? Share your wisdom in the comments to help others cultivate an amazing Facebook feed too!
| Type of Account | Who to Follow | Who to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Friends and Family | Those you have close relationships with who actively use Facebook | Distant relatives or friends who rarely post |
| Businesses and Organizations | Ones you really like and that post engaging content | Companies just because you use their products |
| Public Figures | Uplifting, positive role models | Controversial figures who spark debates |
| Humor Accounts | Clean humor and memes | Negativity and vulgarity |
| News Outlets | Reliable, fact-based journalists | Hyper-partisan sources or fake news |
| Educational Accounts | Science, history, art, and more | Stale accounts with no new posts |
| Local Accounts | Community resources you use | Businesses not active on Facebook |
| Interest Groups | Your hobbies and passions | Topics you don’t care about |