“Facebook Slaps” have become a big problem for social media-ites lately.
A lot of people use Facebook as a marketing tool. In fact, Facebook is an extraordinary marketing tool. So much so that too many people use it in a way that Facebook is really not designed to be used.
I’ve seen it repeatedly, as I’m sure you have, too.
Folks grab a link for something they want to promote: maybe a digital product or a business opportunity. Their marketing “strategy” is simple. They send affiliate or sales links to all their friends on Facebook. They put it on their status. Then the coup d’etat: they embed their affiliate and hop links in Facebook group comments.
The result is a few clicks, optins and even sales.
The unintended consequence, though, is that Facebook is starting to “slap” people for using this strategy.
They put them in a sort of penalty box, and tell them they can’t post comments for a week or so.
What is Facebook doing.
It is beginning to tell people they’re sending out too many links, and that they’re asking too people to be friends even when they have no organic connection to the person they’re trying to.
Why is Facebook doing this?
Facebook is a social media platform and it wants to remain “social,” first and foremost. They also want you being social, not predatory.
Facebook is a powerful medium for doing business, but you have conduct business as an aside to socializing, not as your sole and overt purpose for being there. So be foerwarned, even if you’re doing “business” on Facebook, you’ve got to be primarily social. If you don’t have the time, inclination or patience for that… there are other good ways to market online. Spamming Facebook is not one of them.
So, what is required for you to be social on Facebook, and avoid getting slapped?
One of the best strategies is to search and then join groups that are relevant to your interests, or your business concerns.
Say you join a group that is formed to explore ways to promote a particular M-L-M or business opportunity.
After joining the group, you need to relate to its members. You need to communicate with them and have conversations with them. Learn what they’re doing, teach them what you’re doing, ask questions and answer some.
Now Facebook doesn’t mind that, in fact it encourages it. It’s also very good strategy for developing your own personal brand. People get to know you if you go on Facebook groups, or make status observations on your own profile. In either case, tell people about what you know, discuss things of mutual interest and build relationships. Get involved in their conversations, be social, be a friend, be a mentor. That’s what social media is all about.
If you’re simply dropping links to your product or business, Facebook may very well slap you for being a spammer.
If you jump into groups where people don’t know you, then you drop links that say “here’s a great way to make money online”, or “here’s a great way to lose 50 pounds”, or “I know a great product you can use to tighten your abs”… Well, people just don’t want to hear this, and they’ll view it purely as spam.
A good rule of thumb is probably the 90/10 rule.
90% of your time on Facebook should be social. During that time, you should be helping people overcome problems, talk to people about issues they’ve raised, ask your own questions if they fit into the conversation, personalize your presence with more intimate conversation, like “how did your kids like the game” or “how did the job interview go”. Things like that are social.
The other 10% of the time, you can go out there and say “hey, by the way I to start a new business” or “did you know that a great way to lose weight is…”, or “as parents, you might be interest in…”
Be sure you don’t make more than 10% of your activity self-serving, or people (and Facebook) will perceive you not as a helping person, not as an expert, and not as an authority… but simply as a spammer… somebody who’s out there to sell stuff and that’s it. And, in fact they may well be right.
So yes, Facebook is giving people a rough time with “slaps” lately, but there’s usually a good reason for it.
The slaps may actually be helpful to you. If you get penalized by Facebook, see that as a good thing, a good time to sit and rework your Facebook strategy. And remember, the source of most Facebook penalties is the people you’re trying to promote to. Their complaints, their “un-friending” you and “hiding” your comments is the first clue to Facebook that you’re spamming folks.
Start doing business more professionally and responsibly, and you’ll go a long way toward avoiding “Facebook Slaps”.
I’d love to hear your comments, or your own experience with Facebook slaps.
