10 worst crimes in social media and blogging
Saturday, February 21, 2009 at 6:27AM 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....
[/caption]
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
10 twitter rules, blogger wisequeen, blogging communities, crime in social media, facebook wisequeen, fair trade blogging, marketing and communications, social media crimes, social media empire, the rules of blogging, twiiter, wisequeen twitter in advice, business, facebook clubs, relationships, social media tools
Reader Comments (14)
Great points about properly using social media! I especially like the point about community.
@2:
I'm in favor of being restrictive, even very restrictive when it comes to following people back, for two reasons:
1) Information overload: How can you follow more than, say, 200 regular, interesting tweeters and keep up the conversation with them?
2) Reputation: At least half of the new followers qualify as spammers. You simply don't want them to be on a public list of people you're interested in.
@5,6:
You describe a special situation here where it would be indeed completely unappropriate to be finicky. But freedom of speech also means that it's OK to state it clearly when a tweet hurts your feelings or makes you feel bad about what's said to or about another person. In my opinion, there's a thin line between contributing to a discussion and attacking at times. And then there's always the sender and the receiver...
Otherwise, excellent post.
Thanks for your insights, Donna!
Thank you for your comment Miranda, and Daniel whilst you may prefer to be very selective, I think you've confused being selective with my point on being a twitter snob. I was clearly referring to people who don't follow any or just a few, if you only want to follow 200 then so be it, but don't make judgements about those who use twitter to reach a wider audience.
On your second point I'm lost as to what point you are making:
5,6, There's no special situation, Tweets which are always for public consumption, are merely one person's opinion, that's my only point.
Thanks for participating.
Donna Jackson
here's some tweets about the post
venusdurbino @wisequeen Relief! Only guilty of one - autoDM through SocialToo for new followers.
@jamesbressie LOL, love no 5, RT
winetravel RT @wisequeen: twitter is now the number one media site for business. Avoid these twitter crimes RT » link to wisequeen.com - excellent advice
I'm not judging at all, just offering another point of view. What's your benefit of folllowing all the spammers that start following you?
What I meant to say regarding points 5 and 6 is that there must be room for reacting - even harshly - to what other people write. Yes it's their opinion, but you can still disagree and let them know.
If that's what you meant to say anyway, all the better.
LOVE this post...will make sure I don't break the rules :-)
thanks Nina,When im introducing people to twitter, which I do quite often, I think I'm going to introduce them to this post first, so many just don't get it
Great tips to keep your friends on twitter. I tend to sometimes just retweet great posts, I will start making sure I comment on them also.
Wonderful post, WiseQueen. Wonderful. Wrongheaded, misguided, wrong on each count, but wonderful, nonetheless.
1. Not engaging before driving off.
I believe more should drive off. Or be driven off... a cliff preferably.
2. Don’t go to the party if you don’t want to mix.
Dear Queen, these people don't go to the party. That's why they are home, alone, drinking bad wine and twatering about their latest software upgrade.
3. Asking bloggers for guest posts and then not posting them.
When this happens, 90% of the time they were horribly horribly disappointed with your vapid prose and are too polite to say.
4. When someone interviews you, or features your product in a post and then tells you when its up, LINK to it!
Reciprocation reeks of desperation.
5. Playing policeman on Twitter, FB or anywhere else.
I am too much of a gentleman to point out the irony of a post entitled "10 Worst Crimes..." and then warns against "playing policeman."
6. If someone expresses an opinion that may differ from yours, that’s their right.
Yes. Moronism is an inalienable right practiced relentlessly by many.
7. If you are building your social media empire...
"Social media empire..." sounds much so better than "brooding mob of social outcasts with nothing more athletic to do." Bravo!
8. Don’t send auto DM’s nothing gets peoples’ goat more than being spammed.
I agree. Spend the few dollars to have personal DMs sent out from Nigerian Internet Cafes, as I do.
9. Twitter, Facebook, blogging, writing content, it’s a community, a very big community 200 million plus, so give and take.
And who says rising unemployment doesn't have an up-side?
10. So you want comment but you don’t give comment?
I have been told I give great comment. Very great comment.
11. You did not go to 11? My "Top 10" lists always go to 11. Perhaps that why I speak without listening, never follow, never link back, never publish guest posts and, yet, am still America's most beloved Millionaires. In a world of 10 and unders, Dear Queen, be an 11.
http://www.franworst.com/2008/07/20/what-is-success/" target="_blank">http://www.franworst.com/2008/07/20/what-is-succe...
Dear Richie Rich, you got a great big laugh out of me, you are so sharp! I especially like the irony bit on number 5.
I'm guilty of a few myself... Thanks for posting!
8. Don’t send auto DM’s nothing gets peoples’ goat more than being spammed.
I agree with this rule. I opt-out of the auto DMs. I haven't seen a unique auto DM yet. It's all about how much money one makes. BUT...
I am guilty of it as well because I have an auto DM that goes out to everyone that initially starts following me. But I take another approach to it. My auto DM reads:
"Yes, this is an auto DM. I need to know if you are a real person. You can listen to my voice intro. ((link to voice intro))"
The DM I created accomplishes a couple of things. I acknowledge that the DM is an annoyance. But the link leads my new followers to my site where I have a specially made voice introduction so they can hear MY voice...instead of some ad stating how much money they can make.
I noticed it has been a success since I implemented it because I receive DMs back like:
"yes im a real person..see me over on FB too :)"
"Hooray for the auto DM. Yes, of course I'm real, are you? ;-)"
"Yes, definitely a real person. No bot could make up the stupid things I post everyday."
"if I'm not I'm in trouble! Hi"
That gives me the opportunity to send them back a DM and have a conversation with them.
So if you do send an auto DM...I say make it original. Instead of:
"Hi, my name is (such and such). Find out how you can make $10k in one wk on the Internet. (affiliate link)"
Oh...and that was a really good post. Thank you for sharing.
Luvologist you're welcome, thanks for your opinion