3 *simple* rules to follow on all social media platforms if you don’t want to be THAT person.
- Do not add a friend/follow someone, and then immediately try to pitch them on your business or project. You don’t walk up to people you haven’t gotten to know in real life and do this…unless you are that sleazy guy at a networking event who shoves his business card into your hand and just starts talking about himself. How do you even know your new friend has a problem you can professionally solve? Social media begins with being SOCIAL.
- Do not add people to your Facebook group without their permission. No matter what your (uninformed, impolite) business coach or MLM upline tells you. It’s truly bad form that creates bad blood. You lose quality prospects before you have a chance to nurture them. Then you’re left with people who don’t know better, and what kind of customers do you think they will turn out to be? You wouldn’t kidnap people and force them to attend your local, in-store event against their will. Let’s stop with the social media felony acts, too.
- Do not tag God and country in your promotional post. Endorsements should be requested, and you should get permission to hawk your wares to someone else’s friends/followers by being granted a virtual real estate easement on their timeline. You wouldn’t put up a flyer or sign in front a friend’s home or business without their permission. Same for online.
By following these guidelines and building authentic relationships, you will have more doors to opportunity open up from simple conversations and observations than you ever could hard selling people who barely know. Look for opportunities to solve problems for others and the opportunity to sell with come naturally for you and the desire to purchase will come naturally from your social media “friend.”
(This post was brought to you by my Velvet Machete! It’s real talk coming from a place of real love and concern.)