Those of you who blog, tweet on Twitter and connect on FB, Linkedin , Xing, ………… you have probably seen all of these crimes.
So here we go….
matt-hamm-media-bandwagon
1. Not engaging before driving off.
Why do you think anyone would follow you if you don’t contribute? Top of the pile in this crime are those who say they are passionate about social media and put three hearts of exclamation after it, and yet follow 20 people, are followed by 3, and protect their updates.
Now, unless you are Bill Gates or Barak Obama and have top secret stuff to protect, don’t do this.
If you want people to follow you, why would they if they can’t see what you have to say?
2. Don’t go to the party if you don’t want to mix.
Yes this is for you … the guy with the cocktail in his hand checking out the crowd and rating them all beneath him. You have no idea where your most dedicated followers and enablers will come from.
Does this mean you must follow everyone who follows you? No, but would you go to a cocktail party and snub 99% of the people there who greeted you? If so, you’re much better off picking the fluff out of your navel.
3. Asking bloggers for guest posts and then not posting them.
Now this may be one of the tricks to get more people to read your blog or tweets, but where I come from it’s fraud. If you want someone to write for you based on their content which you like, then at least pay them in traffic.
4. When someone interviews you, or features your product in a post and then tells you when its up, LINK to it!
You’re getting free press, that doesn’t happen easily. In my experience, and I’ve interviewed quite a number of startups and established people, the higher the influence, the more likely to link. It doesn’t make sense if youre Mr. nearly-nobody and someone writes on your company, to not link to them, especially when they have three times the traffic you do…DOH!……
5. Playing policeman on Twitter, FB or anywhere else.
Now if someone’s link is broken, sure be nice and send them a DM. But, these boring people leap out at you to correct your spelling on an abbreviated tweet written at a precarious angle on an iphone with a tiny keyboard, while holding your handbag and running for a train. I have two words to say to them, and they are both short!
6. If someone expresses an opinion that may differ from yours, that’s their right.
It’s called democracy , freedom of speech, or whatever other name you want to give it. It’s a conversation, not a legal document. Attack them and you will probably get blocked, and not benefit from the network of the person you where following. Get over yourself!
7. If you are building your social media empire see the post here, then don’t copy other peoples content and shadow them in every follow. RT them and always give credit where credit is due. There’s lots of it to go round.
8. Don’t send auto DM’s nothing gets peoples’ goat more than being spammed.
Twitter is not passive, why would I ever want to open the DM of another affiliate spammer who never reads my tweets? Bots will be outed.
9. Twitter, Facebook, blogging, writing content, it’s a community, a very big community 200 million plus, so give and take.
Find your niche and then give something. People are writing amazing things for free always respect that and give back.
10. So you want comment but you don’t give comment?
This is the easiest way to contribute even if you’re a boring git whose never written anything original in a lifetime. Bloggers ,tweeters give out vital information, they entertain you for free. You print out their content to go and buy that new smart phone or camera, you go to that site to see your pic which they took and uploaded for free and you can’t even write a comment.
Do you steal books from your library, read magazines for free or slip them in your bag when no one’s watching?
Bloggers entertain you, the least you can do is leave a comment.
Small businesses are catching on to Twitter
Now, bloggers go and leave comments everywhere on other blogs, it’s the best way to build a presence. I comment on at least five blogs a day.
So there you are, have you committed any of these crimes? Are you ready for rehab?
Go forth and multiply the love and information.
Donna Jackson
Social Communications Specialist.
Wisequeen
