When you spend as long online as I do on social media, you tend to notice the patterns and pitfalls people fall into when trying to get the word out about their products and services, especially when it comes to crowdfunding campaigns and Amazon listings.
Most people seem to know the difference between spam and useful content when they see it, yet there seems to be a weird disconnect between people and what they actually post online themselves! As a result there are places online that are literal no-go areas for finding anything as they’re chockfull of junk!
But what IS spam? Okay …
This is spam:
– Writing & posting the same words, links and images over and over and over on your profiles, pages and in groups
– Asking others to do things for you, despite you never doing stuff for them
– Popping up in DMs, PMs and emails asking for £££ or referrals when you’ve had no contact before
– Giving no added value to your posts
This NOT spam:
– Writing and sharing your blog posts and articles
– Cross posting your articles online to different groups and sites
– Writing and sharing your spotlights, guest posts, giveaways and competitions
– Sharing others’ blog posts and articles, spotlights, guest posts, giveaways and comps
– Making and sharing infographics and cartoons
– Sharing others’ infographics and cartoons
– Facilitating discussion online on your profiles, pages & in your groups
– Creating and sharing video content
– Discussing various talking points online about your industry in others’ sites
– Sharing your good news and praise
– Retweeting and sharing others’ good news and praise
– Recommending others’ books, movies and shows
– Helping other people in your industry
You get the picture!
So, if you want people to take you seriously and actually take notice of what you’re posting? You need to do the following:
- Create a reputation and/or platform for your subject (yes, this takes time)
- Find your potential audience online
- Engage with them FIRST; don’t just ‘sell, sell, sell’
Otherwise, you’re literally shouting into the wind. For more on this, check out:
How To Do Social Media … And How NOT To!
How To Build Your Own Online Platform
How To Use Social Media To Market Your Novel
Top 5 Social Media Mistake Writers Make
5 Ways Writers Kill Their Credibility Online