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Rob Eagar

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Oct 14 2013

The Dark Side of Social Media

When you visit the Facebook page or Twitter account of an author or organization and see 50,000 friends or followers listed, does it cause you to feel jealous? Envy can be a normal response when someone else’s social media page displays a huge amount of supporters. However, don’t let envy lead you astray. Sometimes, those numbers aren’t necessarily what they seem. In some cases, there’s a dark side to social media at work behind-the-scenes.

For example, did you know there are easy ways for people to fake the size of their Facebook and Twitter followers? On eBay and other websites, you can literally purchase over 5,000 Facebook fans or Twitter followers for only $11.99. Questionable companies offer this service by creating thousands of phony social media accounts and linking them to the purchaser’s pages. A few legitimate followers are added into the mix to disguise the trick. But, on the surface, many people would never know the difference. It’s like plastic surgery for your social media profile.

In addition, some Twitter gurus recommend boosting your social media numbers by trading followers with everyone else around you. For example, you agree to follow someone in return for them following you. The more you ask, the more you get. In reality, no one is really following each other. They’re just simultaneously driving up their numbers. Besides, how can you follow 15,000 other people at the same time? Nobody has that kind of time in their day.

Why do I tell you this? Obviously, I’m not condoning or recommending that you fake your social media numbers. Instead, I’m telling you this information so that you don’t get blinded with Facebook or Twitter envy. Just because someone else displays a huge following doesn’t mean their audience is active and engaged. When it comes to social media, you want quality more than quantity. I’d rather have 100 engaged followers versus 1,000 disinterested people.

There are numerous ways to build your social media platform and maintain your integrity. Provide value on a frequent basis and you will attract more followers. You can do this through offering tips, articles, jokes, video clips, contests, product samples, exclusive discounts, etc. People will follow you on Facebook and Twitter if you give them a reason to follow you. Don’t sell your soul to dark side of social media. Posers are always eventually exposed. A large social media following is obtained best by using old-fashioned methods…earn people’s trust.

 

 

Written by Rob Eagar · Categorized: Marketing Tips, Monday Morning Marketing Tips

About Rob Eagar

Rob Eagar is the founder of WildFire Marketing, a consulting practice that helps authors and publishers sell more books and spread their message like wildfire. He is one of the rare consultants to help both fiction and nonfiction books hit The New York Times bestsellers list. Rob has consulted with numerous publishers and trained over 1,000 authors. He is the creator of The Author's Guide Series, a comprehensive collection of resources that teaches authors how to sell more books. Find out more at: WildFire Marketing and follow Rob on Twitter.

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