Because I was having trouble falling asleep the other night, I started surfing. In just a few moments I encountered a myriad of different offers; some for body wraps that could melt away my pounds, a service that could fix my credit score, a few offers for self-improvement coaching, holistic healing therapies, weight loss hypnosis, and anti-aging remedies along with invitations to attend business seminars and fundraiser benefit events. No, I wasn't channel surfing...these were all offers from my 'friends' on my Facebook wall.
It is said the average American sees over 3,000 advertising impressions each and every day. So what makes the impressions plastered all over television, radio, newspapers, bus benches, websites etc. less offensive than those offered by my friends? Why am I less annoyed by a television commercial than I am about a marketing-type status update? For me it's quite simple, I accept traditional ads as standard business, but I friended these individuals as people, not businesses. How do I know the difference? People interact with each other.
Having been an entrepreneur I understand there can be a fine line between business and personal for many people. If you publish a self-help book, is an update of that personal or business? To me it doesn't matter, I'm looking for news about what you are doing. But when your update is a direct solicitation for me to buy, you've crossed the line of appropriateness. Set up a Facebook business page and share whatever you want with those who 'like' it.
Think of the Facebook newsfeed not as a bulletin board for your business endeavors but more as an online chat. Without personal interaction, your updates are less interesting to me than the ads I see on late night TV, just before I turn them off.
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I blocked a dude from sending me messages trying to get me to contribute to his cause. I think he finally figured it out because then he "undfriended" me. Bummer. He just did what I didn't have the guts to do. About 6 months later he sent me a message on Facebook that simply said, "Hi Diane." I gave him a short "hi" back but nothing more. I think he was putting out feelers to see if he could start hitting me up for money again. Nope. Not happening!
ReplyDeleteReally good point...how effective do they think this form of marketing will be when their friends start hiding and unsubscribe from them?
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