Overloading Your Social Network

I’ve been doing a lot of research on Twitter/Facebook and Other Web 2.0 social media things lately. I’m not an expert by any means, but I’ve got a good handle on the personal side of this stuff.

Most people on these sites are here to connect with friends. As Perry Belcher would say: “Think of it like a party.”  Were all hanging out talking about the things we enjoy. Then some guy shows up and busts out his scrap book about his MLM, New invention, or his business. WHAMO! Total party killer. The danger of this on these sites is magnified. Either we  overload people to the point they delete or un-follow us. Or just as bad on Facebook  they “hide” us and it has the same effect.  It’s not that some might not find these things you are posting interesting. It is just that when you are taking up 1/4 of the feed I begin to wonder how effective this is from a marketing standpoint.

Did you know that “fan pages” are a good way to act as a proxy for you? People become a fan and then when you post stuff to the page it shows on the news feed of all your fans. You can also message everyone about an event or any other important thing.  If you have a blog you can set your fan page  to create a “note” for every blog post. Learn more about using a fan page and watch this  video by my friend Jerad here

http://jeradhill.com/setting-up-a-facebook-fan-page

However. Even with a fan page you don’t want to over do it.  People want to know YOU not your business plan or the fancy stuff your promoting. Think “moderation” when your posting stuff to facebook and twitter.  Your “sphere” of influence is like you. They like the same politics, sports, etc.  Be yourself, and make sure that you passion and personality come through and not a sales pitch.

Ultimately you want to drive people to your blog. Capture their email. Then use that email list to market your stuff there.

Just remember not to overload your friends