Can You Promote On Social Media Without Looking Like A Complete Dork Or A Spammer?
This year I took on a country school bus run, and every school day, have traveled up the highway picking up and delivering school children to farms and nearby villages for a local school.
I’ve mostly enjoyed the experience, and have spent down time thinking about different topics, taking notes, and planning future blog posts.
Covering a about a hundred and sixty miles on average, it soon became apparent that I needed to take my camera with me.
From kangaroos hopping alongside of me, to snow covered fields and mountains shrouded in mist, there was always something to snap if I had the chance.
One sight that has had me laughing and thinking every day is the sign below.
Obrien Constructions Sign
What’s so funny about the sign in this picture?
The sign itself is quite solid, sturdy, and conveys the message that a master builder is available in the district. No problems with that at all!
The thing that makes me laugh though is that it is situated in a field, next to a couple of run down sheds, and a rickety old fence.
I’m sure that the owner of the sign had nothing to do with the building of either the sheds, or the fence, but to me they do nothing to build confidence in the product being offered.
The sign would, in my mind, have been more effective in a clear space, away from the shed.
How does this relate to social media?
Many people think that social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Plurk and others present the ideal opportunity for them to advertise for free.
Apart from the fact that this may contravene the terms of service of these platforms, such advertising soon wears thin, and those who promote this way can look inept, and amatuerish.
People on social networking sites are there for a social experience, and soon grow tired of constant messages containing advertising links.
A friend on one site has seen the number of friends and fans that he has drop dramatically because of this, and I have had some people ask whether they should unfriend him.
The messages wouldn’t be a problem if this person actually engaged and interacted with others on the site, but he doesn’t!
Social media is a great way to network for business, build a personal profile and creat a buzz about your website.
Do it the wrong way though, and you risk losing friends, or get kicked off the site, and in the process defeat the whole purpose of doing it in the first place.
Allan Cockerill
