Skip to main content

Relevant Socializing in Your Social Media



 I spent a long time yesterday writing a comment in a LinkedIn discussion on a social media marketing group that I thought I would share here.  The group facilitator had invited members to post all their links but included a long list of guidelines on what to do and what not to do...  to make it a more useful discussion rather than a dumping ground.  I thought I would share it here because I think, in their desperation to 'connect' and be 'liked' so many people are totally missing the point...

Here's the comment I wrote:

I'm sad to say that even though you (the facilitator) painstakingly outlined the guidelines for this discussion I have already been bombarded in my LinkedIn inbox.

I will simply delete those messages and continue merrily on my way.

I would like to thank everyone who has begun following all my social media but would like to plead with those who are blindly following, liking and connecting with everyone on this string, to please use a little strategic thinking before you do so. I'm disappointed to see irrelevant posts on my timeline that have absolutely nothing to do with my areas of interest or expertise and certainly will not be welcomed by my friends/followers/connections.

I will not respond to each piece of SPAM individually but will quietly delete it and will not be visiting or following anyone back simply because they have 'liked' my page (but are not likely to grace it with their presence anytime in the near or distant future... but have only clicked the button in the hopes of highjacking a few followers)!

I will go through this discussion and will visit, read with interest, comment, like, share and follow those who pique my interest, have information I want or need or who I would like to engage in a conversation. If I don't follow back, it's not because I'm not 'playing fair'. It's because there aren't enough hours in the day to follow and read all the relevant content that is available let alone the reams and reams of 'stuff' that isn't.

I hope I haven't offended anyone but I felt the need to share my feelings so those of you I'm not 'following back' understand why that might be. Also, it may take some time for me to get to everyone so just because I'm not following today doesn't mean I won't jump on tomorrow. If what I write about is of interest to you, don't unfollow me just because I haven't followed you back right away. Feel free to leave relevant comments on Facebook, DM or @message me on Twitter and I'll see the honest engagement and happily engage back!

Happy (relevant) Socializing,
Anne :) 



Would anyone else like to join my rant?  Please feel free to let it all out on the comment section below.  I know I feel much better :)

Comments

Anonymous said…
On wordpress, the equivalent is when people like your post who, wow, seem to "like" every single post written by everyone, all the time! When I see the little pictures of the offenders I just wish I could erase them off my blog. :)
It's worse than the cold caller who won't remove your name from the database!

Popular posts from this blog

Adverbs & Cliches in a Nutshell - Guest Post by Jessica Bell

Too many adverbs and clichés in your writing? I've got just the fix for you. by Jessica Bell Writers constantly have rules thrown at them left, right, and center. Show, don’t tell! Stop using so many dialogue tags! More sensory detail! More tension! Speed up the pace! Yada yada yada ... it can become overwhelming, yes? I used to feel overwhelmed by it all too. In fact, I still do sometimes. It’s hard enough to get the words on the page, let alone consider how to put them there. In Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird , she says that in order not to be overwhelmed, a writer needs to focus on short assignments. She refers to the one-inch picture frame on her desk and how that little picture frame reminds her to focus on bite-sized pieces of the whole story. Basically, if you focus on one small thing at a time, the story will eventually come together to create a whole. I believe the same applies to learning the craft of writing. If writers focus on one aspect of the craft at a time, t

Virtual Book Tour for The Healing Begins April 23

As we approach launch day for Lynda Faye Schmidt's novel, The Healing , a women's fiction/family drama based on the author's life, we're excited to announce the blog tour schedule and introduce you to the bloggers and book reviewers who have joined the tour. The tour begins on launch day, April 23rd. Take a look, follow these bloggers and make sure you visit on the tour dates indicated (check back regularly for updates): Pre-Tour - March 2 - Thrive Global - pre-launch announcement  April 16 - Fit for Joy - pre-launch podcast interview with Lynda April 23 - IndieView - author Q&A with Lynda April 24 -  Canadian Bookworm  - featuring a guest blog by Lynda, "What Inspired Me" April 26 - Dartmouth Book Exchange - author spotlight April 29 - Storybook Reviews - review May 4 -  Help Me Sara  - podcast interview May 13 -  My Question Life  - review and author interview June 30 - Reader's Favorite - review  As new bloggers come on board we will update our

The Author-Preneur – Are you Ready for it? Book review: APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur by Guy Kawasaki and Shawn Welch

“Starting your book is only the first five miles of a twenty-six mile marathon that’s one-third of a triathlon.” APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur If you’re a self-published author or are contemplating taking the plunge (for whatever reason), be prepared for the demand of being an ‘Author-Preneur.’ Actually, it’s not a bad idea to do it even if you’re traditionally published. Start switching your mind-set from, ‘I’ve got to sit down and get a chapter done today’ to ‘I’ve got to sit down and write a chapter today AND post a tweet about my progress, share a sneak preview on Facebook, take that tutorial on how to convert to ebooks, and review the cover design proposals that are sitting in my in-box.’ There are plenty of books, blogs, websites, newsletters and videos out there on how to do it all... some helpful and others not so much. One that I would highly recommend is Guy Kawasaki’s and Shawn Welch’s APE: Author, Publisher,Entrepreneur . It takes you through the entire