You all know that Facebook is my preferred procrastination strategy and Internet addiction of choice.
Where I used to say ‘I’ll stop for a ‘cuppa’, I now say ‘I’ll stop for a cuppa and a wee 5 minutes stalking session on Facebook’.
Stalking?!
Hell, yeah! You mean that’s not what Facebook for?
No? Darnit.
On more than one occasion I’ve caught myself looking at holiday pictures of somebody I don’t even know and saying to myself ‘that’s a nice villa’ or ‘wow, that looks tasty’ as I clap my eyes on their holiday eats.
I think, ‘why are there no photos of me’, and then it hits I wasn’t even there. Quickly I get the hell out as I’m invading a space where I have no right in being. So yes, I would class that as mini-stalking.
We both know that stalking is unwanted and/or obsessive attention by an individual or group towards another.
But let’s reverse that, let’s talk about…
Little business owners using Facebook to market their business and who are obsessively trying to grab attention by unwanted means.
In particularly let’s hash out the attention that some seek via the Facebook events/groups and tagging features.
You.
Know.
Who.
You.
Are.
Names (at this stage) will be spared.
But for the sake of this post we shall call you Curly. (Curly?! I’ve no idea, it’s the first name that popped into my head, I don’t even know a Curly!)
So ‘Curly’ here we go…
Upfront-i-ness: The other weekend I accidentally invited everyone to an event I was taking part in my home town (Edinburgh). If you and I are connected through Facebook you may have thought ‘Dawn, I’m in South Africa!’ or ‘Yeah, like I’m going to travel 3000 miles for that tomorrow!’ or worse you may have thought I’d skipped over to the dark side to join you.
Unlike you Curly, I do try to treat people with the same respect I would show them off-line. So, I apologised…
Why?
Because the Facebook features of events, tagging and groups has made it mighty easy for little biz owners like you and I Curly to engage in a new level of spam. Personally I don’t like spam being one of those vegetabl-tarian people ‘an all.
I know you may be thinking ‘that’s the way that Facebook is done’.
If you do think it’s okay to carry out the behaviour below Curly can I recommend this course? I attended in 2010 and it was one of the best courses I have taken on using Facebook for Business.
Curly, you may not realise it but you are using Facebook and drawing negative attention to yourself.
Let me explain…
Events Feature
It appears you have developed a common condition called face-y-book-biz-owner-lazyitist-zilch-etiquette when it comes to creating events Curly.
You create an event and invite everyone whether or not the people are interested and/or in the geographical area (if it’s an in person event).
Not content with that, you then use the event you created to email everyone again x10+. And then you add status updates that have nothing to do with the event to the actual event page.
Why do you do this?
Is it because you know every time you update or comment on the event, this is displayed in the 4999 people you invited? Do you think that their connections will see what you have posted and sign up for your event?
You could spare us all Curly and use the Facebook list feature to separate your friends, erm, into lists. And yes, it will take a while because you do have 4999 friends.
See, I’ve got lists called: Edinburgh Peeps, Social Media Chums, Courses (various lists of people I have attended programs with), Blogger Peeps, Friends + Family, Personal Development Peeps, Careers Peeps and so on.
I know that if I’m doing something in Edinburgh, I would only invite people in Edinburgh. And I would say on the event page something along the lines ‘I’m inviting Edinburgh peeps to this event, if it’s not for you, apologies for intruding but if you know someone who will love, please share’.
Why do that? Because at least the people who have no interest in the event will know I considered their personal space, it’s polite Curly.
Tagging Photos
I know you love this feature Curly, I observe when you upload a photo, you write a status update and then tag (using the @ symbol in Facebook) a wheen of people so that your picture, name, product, service is seen by the person tagged and their friends.
Don’t you think this is just rude unless the person is in it, or it has something to do with them, or you know they will love it and it will be of interest?
Worse for business though Curly is tagging a picture that has feck all to do with you and your business. WTF? Pictures of quotes and cute kittens or the ‘motivational quote of the day; usually involving a beach or some big text just to grab attention, come on. It’s annoying. Stop. It.
Earn your attraction stripes.
If you’re going to tag people at least tag them in something that would interest them, is of value, or you know they would like.
Make them smile, not seethe.
‘People don’t have to approve the tag’, you may say.
The majority of people aren’t aware of all the strategies and tactics little business owners use for their business marketing on Facebook Curly.
I’ll assume you know this. Therefore the responsibility is yours to stop being so darned lazy and learn how to engage with people so they want to share your information without you facey-booky-spamming them.
Why should you expose people to crap and expect them to clean up your dirty work? Would you stand outside screaming ‘oh, look at me, look, look, look, looky at me, see me, see me’? No? So what makes it acceptable anywhere online?
I’m teaching people how to censor your tags you Curly, I’m telling them that if they are sick of being tagged in crappy photos and want to approve them first they need to do this:
I hope you don’t mind.
Moving on to Facebook Groups (or the misuse of)
Curly, belonging to groups is lovely.
Being invited is wonderful.
Being added to a group without permission. Meh.
It’s like being stolen from my house, blindfolded, thrown in a car, and then dumped in the centre of a party where I know nobody and have no idea what the hell is going on. I didn’t ask to go, I maybe didn’t want to be there. I may have no interest whatsoever in the theme of the party.
It’s wrong. Ask people if they want to join the party.
Is that so hard Curly? I mean you’re connected, right? You would be able to send them a quick email, yes? Or did you add a a few thousand friends just for social proof and know nothing about them and what they would like? Mmm.
‘But people can leave’, you may say.
Why add people in the first place Curly?
Come on. Without their permission?
- Did you get taught no manners?
- Did you ask if they wanted to belong to the group?
- Did you enquire if the group would be something they would be interested in?
- Sure people can leave. But again why would you not ask for permission in the first place?
And lastly Curly
Please quit stealing email addresses and adding them to your email list. This is rude, illegal, and unacceptable. Spend some money and time learning how to build a beautiful, meaningful, responsive list and quit making a fool out of yourself and your business.
Treat people online how you would treat them offline. Here’s a class from the same guys who do the Facebook Course: WEBINAR: 9 Businesses Doing Facebook Right. Enjoy!
Your Turn
Is this just my experience? What has been your experience of these features on Facebook?
Okay, this event is very good. Promise.
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Holy Hannah, this is so bang on! Just this week I withdrew from two groups I was added to, without any prior communication. I used to send a little note, somewhat apologetic for pulling out until I woke up to the lie that is. I’m NOT sorry. Maybe I’ll start sending them a link to this post instead :)
Hey Sandi, yep I send a wee message with a link to the group. Don’t get be wrong some of the Facebook groups I’m part of are wonderful. But it’s so obvious when it’s been created to be a sell-festival. Modern day equivalent to networking events where people attend to what they can get, not what they can give, urgh. I hope you are well and enjoying the last few days of Summer in your part of the world. Dawn xxx
Great rant, but I think you’re just getting started, girlfriend. I would also add (for groups): “Quit spamming us with your pyramid schemes, links and sales pages. Groups are for asking questions, having discussions and getting feedback on things — not just posting a link to your latest whatever and running out the door without so much as a how-do-you-do.”
Hey Tea, thanks for commenting — it was quite reserved for me, the energy was there with the banging of the keys! ;-) I was added to a woman’s group once and it was ALL pyramid schemes (and filled with people conned into certain WAH ‘opportunities)Not to mention the admin selling her wares 10 times a day.
I have been guilty of posting a latest whatever and stepping out, and posting when really I don’t have much to share. I refuse to automate Facebook (that’s a lie: maybe a good quote that I’ve found and use Hootsuite to schedule) — I just feel that if I can’t be there in person, then I shouldn’t pretend to be.
Now, you being a Social Media Coach and Trainer is that a good idea? Dawn xxx PS: Loved the post x