Though Facebook is the place to be lately if you want to promote your business, some pointers on Facebook etiquette are in order here.
As some less savory members of our family in north Jersey would say, “it’s not personal, just business.” But on Facebook, it needs to be the other way around.
You wouldn’t walk up to someone at a party and say “Hi, I am So-and-So, and I can see that you are on the obese side and would benefit from my product that will help you improve your wealth and increase your health!”
Someone did that to me once, and I was speechless. Almost. Actually, this is what I said.
Wow, I am going to pretend you didn’t just cozy up to a complete stranger and say the equivalent of “hey, you’re fat, let me sell you something that will help you lose weight.” From your profile, you seem like a really nice guy who is motivated to help people, and I am guessing you just don’t realize there is a way to approach people on Facebook, and a way NOT to. That would be the way “not to”.
So giving you the benefit of the doubt, I say – thanks for your concern!~ Happily, we are already working on it with some great products that ARE working.
Puhleeze. The same common courtesies apply on Facebook that apply in the real world. Just because someone is your “friend” doesn’t mean that you are entitled to bombard him with too many business messages.without first cultivating a relationship.
The same goes for responding to friend requests. Don’t you dare say, “Thanks for becoming a friend. If you want to become a millionaire in the next 5 days, here is a link to www.mypyramidscheme.com”
Facebook is a SOCIAL network.
Let me say that again. S-O-C-I-A-L Network. People go there because they want to be SOCIAL, not because they want to be SOLD products.
As much as you may find it to be a time waster, multiplied millions of people are there BECAUSE of Farmville, not in spite of it.
BECAUSE of Mafia Wars.
BECAUSE of Bejeweled Blitz.
Because of all the myriad Zynga games.
And so, when I had the most spectacular score of my life on Bejeweled Blitz, I made a video about it and posted it to YouTube. (You can read more about that in my post “The Games People Play.”) Because you never know whether some Bejeweled Blitz fan might want to join my network marketing company, or own a small business that would have us create a social media campaign for them.
People want to do business with people they like and trust. People who are “like” them in some way, who have similar interests, or are from the same part of the country, or went to the same college, or like the same video games or television shows. You can find out more about whether someone on Facebook is a good fit to do business with by looking at what books he reads and what movies he enjoys, and what kinds of links he shares, than you can from reading his highly polished resume that tells you only what he wants you to know.
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Jorge
December 29, 2011 at 11:48 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Very good text, Susan. I like your style.
All the best,
Jorge Purgly
Jorge recently posted..Significado das linhas das mãos
Holly Suso
December 29, 2011 at 12:43 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thanks for reminding us that Social media is social. I educate on this as much as possible but its a message that gets lost on many business owners. I’d love to invite you to our blog party to showcase your site and your social media consciousness http://synergistmarketingsolutions.com/events/blog-party-31-days-of-faves/
Hope you’ll come hang out with us!
Holly
Holly Suso recently posted..3 Secrets To Building An Engaging Brand Experience
Anne Thomas
December 29, 2011 at 12:45 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Love the message, I couldn’t agree more..! Hope you are on the mend Susan
Anne Thomas recently posted..Priority Invite code to Favo.rs
Vitus Feldmann
December 29, 2011 at 1:16 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Material for a long discussion.
Richard Townsend
December 29, 2011 at 4:26 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Yes ethics and etiquette are a problem on all social media platforms. Your points are well made and I hope will be heeded my many… although hmmm it will be a battle
Nice article. Ric
Sean
December 29, 2011 at 4:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Good points Susan, Social networks are just that, networks for socializing
Hope you are feeling better!
Sean
Sean recently posted..Jazz Lessons For Social Media
Sally K Witt, Social Media and Ministry
December 29, 2011 at 5:11 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Always a good post from you, Susan!
pinkpackrat
December 29, 2011 at 8:09 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I am so in agreement– people forget that it’s about the people. That’s why the call it FACE book and it is only a powerful sales tool if you put the people first– you give good advice Susan.
pinkpackrat recently posted..Social Media Christmas
Joshua Auerbach
December 31, 2011 at 11:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I agree 1000% with what you’ve written. Network marketing is a wonderful industry to be a part of no matter what product or category your product/service falls under. Its always good to take into consideration that nobody wants to walk into a store and find themselves talking to a pushy shoe salesman, and leave with excess socks with the feeling that they’ve been hustled. Heck, Im into fitness and have come across other Beachbody Coaches who do exactly what you wrote, and I can see how its like talking to a wall. Furthermore, I love what you’ve written. Although Im not a big fan of Bejeweled, Im always up for a good game of Words with friends.
Looking forward to more of your blogging
~Joshua Auerbach
Kim Lavigne
January 12, 2012 at 1:15 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I couldn’t agree with you more than we are meant to be a SOCIAL people! We need eachother…and this is why many people use social networks such as facebook. It’s to connect…In a society where we are so fast paced, families often have not much time to spend together. Certainly a key point to remember if you are using facebook for business, is to connect with your people regularly. Respond, comment, BE SOCIAL!
Thanks for the post ! I came by via the blog party!
Kim
Kim Lavigne recently posted..Hootsuite