While I "like" both, a follower is a "real person".  People matter more.   

Good question.  Never thought of it.  I would say I just prefer being here with good people.

You know,  that's a "chicken or the egg" question. Features get you followers, even though followers may represent more relationships. I'd say this; Featured as a new blogger to build followers, Followers as a seasoned blogger to build deeper referral relationships with folks you've now created rapport with.

A follower, and even better a lead!

I'm with Michael Jacobs ..real people matter more!

Barbara,

I am in agreement with Michael Jacobs .  Real people are such a pleasure!  A

I'll vote for followers

Well Barbara Todaro ... that's an easy question -- I love People ... and so being followed by someone means they like me and want to know more about me.  And that's what I'm on Active Rain for ... networking and getting to know more people who "in turn" get to know me.  Together ... we help each other's business, life and knowledge.

Barbara Todaro Gaining a follower because you know these people find what you are writing about is interesting enough to follow you.

follower

Both serve a purpose, one gets me more exposure to more people who can follow me... once they read my Featured Post... at the end the connections mean more because without connections we have nothing... Endre

Barbara Todaro - for me, making another friend or follower is important.

Getting a call on one of my blogs

Off the top of my head, I don't write to be featured, but what I think people would like to know about Carmel-by-the-Sea. And I know that these blogs are being read by a wide variety of people out there. Being featured? Maybe if I went back to writing oodles of blogs every month, percentages would say that I might get a feature here and there. but I just don't have the time! As to getting a new follower? One sure way is to comment on THEIR blogs, especially if they are newbies and YOU follow THEM first.

Man does not live by feature or follower alone but by blogging by heart

Being Featured is nice, but it only scores 100 point. A new Follower gives me 50 points, plus all of the future points from that follower.

I guess, as far as points are concerned, gaining a new Follower would be a good choice, although the points received from comments on a Feature may even the score.    Therefore I call it a draw, but the Feature is more prestigious.

This community for me is all about the people ... so I have to say a follower is more important. 

What Thomas J. Nelson, Realtor .  I am complimented by both.

I'll be a contrarian -- Features matter more.  More Features will bring more Followers.

I like both and I think being featured attracts more potential followers. But to answer your question it would be another follower.

My vote is followers - Being featured is so over-rated, and so rare for me lately!

getting a call and a valid leads.  The rest are transparent.

Frankly, I never think about being featured. I'd rather have another follower in the total scheme of things.

Yes. LOL

getting featured - I like to write and I try to write posts that have value to the Active Rain community as a whole -when I get a feature, I feel like there is validation of my effort to produce a good piece of writing. (Of course, this is separate from the pieces that we write for SEO)   I feel like the new members of Active rain are very generous in their decisions on who to follow but it is harder to get a feature.  (Having said that, when I am followed by someone whom I have been following for a while - I am THRILLED!) 

A feature lasts a few hours. A follower is much more meaningful and the start of getting to know someone better.

I enjoy both.  Getting a new follower is pretty special.

Follower for sure! It's all about building long term relationships and enjoy the journey!

Probably gaining another follower.

This is an easy one... followers!

I have not been feature in years, so making new followers

 I like collecting followers .....

Either.

Barbara, I have never put them on a comparable basis.  Both tend to humble me.  That someone finds what I have to say interesting enough to follow I still find as a huge compliment.  The same with a featured post.  Make it a great weekend Barbara.  

Probably featured even though I've never thought about it.

It would depend on the quality of the follower.

Right now, features=more new followers. A feature can offset a few weeks of less activity as far as generating followers goes. But I can understand why those with a larger network here would prefer followers.

I'll go for the people too!  It does help to get noticed when your post is featured though.  Great question!

if it's a choice between only those two I'd say follower.  Likely means I'll follow them back and have a potential new referral partner.  Of course sometimes a feature nets some new followers as well.  But long term between the two I'd go with follower.

Either is fine with me.

Both make me smile.

But features are much more elusive.

I like being featured the best . . . and the upside is, I usually get followers off a feature   

Being featured.

I guess followers.  They are with you ongoing.

I guess both can help a tad w/ SEO, too.

Let me see if I get this right. Followers are those on AR with whom you can not contact except on an individual basis. Of what value then is 5,000 followers if you can not send a 'shout out' to them.

A feature on the other hand is recognition the writer was able to find subject matter of broad appeal, although it may be of little value in the real estate world. However, the FEATURE process, has no standard for which one can derive any real value. Just trumped up value assigned by AR.

What is important to me is comments.

However, that was not an option offered.

Featured or Follower?
I would choose follower because I know they followed me for reasons other than pandering, reciprocity or begging. A follower created by begging a newbie to click "FOLLOW ME' is a perversion of the intent.

Well, I have read a few folks on here recently that feel being Featured is their ultimate goal.  For me, as much as I would love that honor, gaining another Follower is more important Barbara Todaro. 

Being featured makes me feel like my efforts here are being noticed, but when I get a follower, especially new people and seasoned rainers , I feel like I have won an Olympic Medal!!!! 

I am too new to understand what the benefit one way or another is!

Good questions Barbara. I like being featured.

A follower would mean a lot more to me personally.  Being featured is cool though.

I actually never thought if it, I'd go with getting a new follower who I can connect to. 

To me, features are important for the exposure they provide both to other members and the public.

Followers are important for the interaction they create and encourage.

Compared to most members, I don't have many followers and just a couple features. While I would love more of both, it's the phone calls, emails and inquiries from potential clients that my blogs generate that mean the most to me.

If I'm only allowed one per day?  A feature.  It's worth twice the points and is far more elusive.

Being featured which will lead to more followers

I would trafe them both for a referral...Oh! That was not an option?

Being featured - that in itself might gain you several followers plus a great deal more exposure.