Are You A Douch Bag When Using Social Media?

Well it's been about a week since my students first gave me the challenge to put my money where my mouth is and become an industry expert in less than 180 days.. (Video - Can I become an Industry Expert in just 180 days?) and so far the best way that I can find to get some awareness out there is via social media.. and by that I mean Twitter, Facebook and Youtube..

And after that week I realized that i'd gotten social media all wrong.

I thought that I was heading down the path to being a social media magnate and that I was going to leverage all of the followers that I was going to get to make a bin load of money...

But after looking around, I saw that social media is slowly but surely filling up with spammers and other people who have missed the point of social media, and are just manipulating it to make money.

These people are Douche Bags.

And I was very nearly going to be one of them.

To my unskilled eye, there appear to be only a couple of real reals.. that if you follow should lead to some solid social media success..

Okay.. here they are.. and let me know what you think of them!

1) Be genuinely interested in people.

Seems to me that most folks are only in this to get the biggest list that they can sell to.. they don't yet get that social media is a TWO way conversation.. and that if they're not genuinely interested in the people that they're speaking to, then they won't get anywhere (or at least won't do as well as they would like)

2) If you start a conversation and get some replies.. then reply to the folks who have entered into the conversation with you!

I think it's just rude to start a conversation with a group and then wander off and start another conversation elsewhere.. imagine if you did that at a real party with real people.. As Perry Belcher said (and whatever else he may be, he was really good at social media), If you did that at a party you would be considered an A$$hole! He has a colorful turn of phrase but I think his point was well made.

If someone has taken the time to actually respond to you.. well, just maybe they could be a future client.. so even if you are only in it for the money, it makes sense to enter into the conversation.. chances are better that you'll get a sale!

3) Don't sell to people too much when using social media.

The fact is that if people find you interesting, then they'll find your products. And spamming them is the fastest way that I can think of to get yourself un-friended or blocked from someone's account.

It's exactly what i'd do, so i'm not sure what I was thinking when I made all of my fancy plans to come up with innovative and clever sales messages that I would bombard my followers with.

So I have a question.. am I the only one that thinks that way? Am I the douche bag?

I'd be interested to find out.

Nice to meet you, and please let me know what you think.. I promise to reply!

Cheers,

John Detlefs
www.JohnDetlefs.com