SOCIAL: 3 Reasons Why Your Friend Requests Are Getting Rejected
Photo used under Creative Commons from kaysha.
It has happened to all of us at least once. Some get it more often than others. You added that person last week and your friend request is still pending. Or worse, that “add friend” button is back on their page. You’ve been declined. WAIT. Before you try to add them again or write them off as a bitch/asshole, maybe there’s a reason why. Try a few simple things to increase your odds of gaining a new online friend.
1) Your profile picture is not you.
Solution: Make sure your profile picture is an easy-to-recognize picture of your actual self.You want to make it easy for people to recognize you. You are not a cartoon character or a close-up picture of some pretty flower, and having a photo of something other than yourself makes it hard for people to take figure out who the heck you are.
2) You didn’t leave a message with your request.
Solution: Write a message in the box before you request. Or send private message right after, if you forgot to.Even if they recognize you from your photo, they still might not remember enough to feel comfortable adding you. Remind them how you met, or what your connection is, in your message. They may meet tons of people all the time, so don’t be offended if they forgot. Just remind them.
3) You are creepy.
Solution: Don’t be creepy. Be genuine.This one is a bit more complicated. The simplified version is, if you haven’t met this person in real life, or are not somehow connected to them through school, work, or mutual friends, you probably shouldn’t be adding them anyway. Blindly fishing for “friends,” or hitting on people in the guise of becoming friends, online is lame.
The bottom-line is, Facebook profiles are filled with peoples’ private info, photos, and conversations. If you’re requesting someone for access to that, you must offer the same. And it’s not a good start when they see your face is a strange anime character. Prepare to be denied. Good luck.
