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I’m a great fan of social media marketing, but as with any type of marketing it should be done with authenticity, transparency and integrity. If you don’t understand the unwritten rules, then you would probably be best not to use any social media tactics at all. Because social media is “people powered,” if you aren’t a good citizen, or add anything of value, you will be exposed in social networks, or you’ll be ignored. Which kind of defeats the purpose doesn’t it?
Unwritten rules: they (people, the users) don’t want you to do self promotion, add biased information, or ask friends for vote. The users will respond by saying “stop spamming your link on all the front page stories” and call you out on it. From SEO, Meet SMM
Just like a direct selling or a networking marking business, social media really is all about building relationships. This is why they are often called social networking sites. So it’s important to make friends, start with people who post things that interest you and then make friends with anyone who is interested in the content you’ve submitted. Participate in the community, join in discussions, leave nice or relevant comments, vote for submissions or review them. In other words, you guessed it - build relationships. You can learn more about The Basics For Using Social Bookmarking And Social Media here.
Today’s consumer is wiser, they are tired of being marketed to, they don’t want to sold, what they do want is information. I know, because I feel this way too sometimes and I’m sure I’m not alone. When they want to know about the iPhone for example, rather than going to google, they will go to their favorite social bookmarking sites for information. It’s the new word of mouth advertising, and as always people trust their friends or people they have a relationship with opinion, over those of a marketer.
Social media is not a quick fix or a magical solution, rather it’s a long term strategy that takes time and effort. I expect social media is here to stay, so if you want to succeed learn the unwritten rules and do it responsibly, with authenticity and integrity. Forget the spam tactics, because eventually they will come back and bite you on the behind. Tell me what you think, am I right or wrong?
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13 responses so far ↓
1
Charles Heflin (Check me out!)
// Feb 29, 2008 at 10:04 am
Well said… Now if we could get this message to all the spammers out there
2
Kelly @ Small Business Guru (Check me out!)
// Feb 29, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Hear, hear.
With everyone gaming the system it ruins it for everyone. And yeah - that takes away the fun & power of it.
3
Melody (Check me out!)
// Feb 29, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Thank you Charles and Kelly! It’s nice to see you agree with my thoughts, and to know I’m not alone.
4
Erin C. (Check me out!)
// Mar 2, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Hello, Melody! I wish I had realized this when I started working online last year. I didn’t think I would *need* to add anything of value and was a mild spammer because of it.
For example: Someone on a forum says “You know, I could really use better health insurance…” and I’d reply, “Gee, isn’t that a coincidence? I happen to be a representative for Acme XYZ Insurance - click here for more info.”
It’s a hard lesson to learn, but a very good thing to realize early on. Now I use the passive system of giving good information and having my website in my sig line. If people think what I have to say is interesting, they might just visit.
All in all - thanks for sharing! I hope it helps people avoid the spammer trap.
5
Diana Walker (Check me out!)
// Mar 2, 2008 at 9:00 pm
True, True!
Great topic, Melody — I feel really strongly about this - and I love connecting with like-minded people
I’ve noticed that it is very easy to quickly spot people who are not authentic and are just trying to “use the system” to their advantage - and they are being left out in the cold.
I agree with your points.
Diana
6
Treece (Check me out!)
// Mar 3, 2008 at 4:39 am
People often forget that whether you are online or off, building relationships is the key to a successful business. So many start online businesses thinking they can build a website and people will come. They need to get to know and trust you and social networking sites are great tools to do just that. I don’t even pay attention any more to those that just pop in and post link after link of what they’ve done that day without ever bothering to return the favor and show reciprocal interest in others around them.
7
Tamara Wilson (Check me out!)
// Mar 5, 2008 at 9:05 am
Thanks for these thoughts and points, they are things I have yet to think about. I found this very informative and have to agree with it. Thank you for sharing such useful information, for a beginner Marketer
8
Jim Tobin at Ignite Social Media (Check me out!)
// Mar 5, 2008 at 11:05 am
Good post with good basic advice. With everything, you have to determine what value you add to the conversation.
For one former client of mine, they offered a medical test that wasn’t well known and would’ve genuinely helped a small portion of the population with a particular medical condition. In that case, going into forums and telling the people that the test exists is not spam. It actually does add value to the conversation.
But that is the exception, not the rule. In most cases, with my clients, we have to do exactly what you’re saying, and work with them to rethink all the knowledge they have internally and how to share that so people gravitate to them naturally, not because they were marketed to…
~Jim
9
Melody (Check me out!)
// Mar 5, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Thanks to everyone for your comments, it’s appreciated very much! I know from experience that it’s easy to make mistakes when you are new to something.
10
Marie (Check me out!)
// Mar 6, 2008 at 8:32 am
Great post Melody and I totally agree with you - I love that social media is people powered - we all have to be GOOD citizens.
11
LaTara Ham-Ying (Check me out!)
// Mar 6, 2008 at 1:42 pm
I am all about relating, so Social Networking is right up my alley. I just don’t feel right doing it any other way.
12
Lee Ann (Check me out!)
// Mar 8, 2008 at 6:26 am
I agree with you 100%. People buy from people that they like, know and trust. So, before you ask for the money, show that you care. Give freely - most people are so afraid to give, because they think that by giving - people will just take. It’s true that some will take and walk away, but most will become someone who returns your kindness.
Thanks for the insightful post.
13 How to Use Social Media Marketing to Promote Yourself as a Brand (part 3) // Aug 27, 2008 at 9:06 am
[...] Get a Reputation – You can’t start a reputation, you have to earn it. You can seed your content and send it to the people who you’ve impressed (or would like to), but because of the fickle nature of social media, you won’t be able to assure the fact that people will hire / book / pay you until you have the clout it takes to let them know you are playing with the best of them. Here is an article from Attraction Renegade that explores some methods of building your reputation with social networking. As something to avoid, be careful about shilling your own content. No one likes a spammer. For more on that and other “unwritten rules” of social media marketing, check out this article on MelodyThacker.com. [...]
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