You’re Doing Social Media Wrong

Most people don’t really intend to be takers. They don’t intend to do social media wrong. But the tool kit makes it easy. It’s easy to find people with an audience. And it’s easy to find their email address. But that doesn’t mean that you are entitled to leverage someone else’s community and platform to promote whatever it is you sell.

If the very first communication you make with someone you have never met is to ask them to promote your work, you’re doing social media wrong. You are making a withdraw from an account that you haven’t even opened.

If the very first communication you have with someone that has a community to which you want access is to ask them to review your product or service, you are doing social media wrong. Your not really looking for a review. You’re looking for promotion.

If you believe that access to someone else’s community is a shortcut for developing your own community, you are doing social media wrong. There aren’t any shortcuts to relationships of value. You have to do the work yourself.

If you believe that you are entitled to claim value without creating any value, then you misunderstand how relationships of value work. You have to join the community. You have to add value to the community. You have to develop relationships by helping to create value for others in the community first.

If you do social media right, you won’t have to ask for help. Instead, you’ll find the community will ask you how they can help. Yes, it takes more time. Yes, it takes more effort. And, yes, it also produces much better results.

Questions

What are the mistakes people make on social media?

When is it okay to ask for value before you have ever created any?

What do you do to promote the work of others in your community?

How do you do enough for others that they will volunteer to promote your work?