Social media, it’s a minefield isn’t it. When you first start out using social media for business it can be a bit overwhelming, people give all sorts of conflicting advice too. Don’t worry about it! There are no rules…
No rules, but there are some really irritating social media practices that people fall into without much thought or through advice that is misguided (in my opinion!)
You know, I practically live online. I’m not a social butterfly collecting fans, followers and commenting left and right. But I do use many tools to listen, watch and share. So, this is rather a personal list of irritating social media techniques that really get up my nose.
In no particular order…
Contents
5 Really Irritating Social Media Practices
Please feel free to add your own in the comments at the bottom…
The blog RSS feed snippet
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and it’s a way of sharing your content. People can sign up to receive your feed through an RSS reader like Google Reader. That way, they can read your posts without returning to your blog.
If I sign up to your blog’s RSS feed it means I’ve found your posts interesting and would like to read more of them when you publish. You’ve jumped the first hurdle – I know about you and what you do. I like your style enough to want to know more or share your posts.
It does not give you permission to write single line snippets to RSS to try to force me to click back to your blog.
I know why people do this – the misguided advice that people will click the title and go to read your post on your blog. Increasing traffic to your blog therefore eventually increasing leads and sales…
The thing is, most people don’t write interesting titles and snippets to get that click. And in my case, I find it downright annoying and insulting.
It just means I unsubscribe. You’ve lost me. Gone, never to return.
The weekend Facebook user
There is very little more annoying than Facebook Pages you haven’t heard from all week logging in on a Sunday and blasting the newsfeed with 20 image updates within the space of a few seconds.
You’re doing yourself no favours. Drowning the newsfeed with your latest products or offers is more likely to get you unliked (at best) or hidden (worst). There are tools – even if they’re not ideal, that allow you to schedule updates to your Facebook Page.
Ok, so you’re busy. You don’t have time for this social media stuff let alone a learning curve to get the most out of these tools. Well, don’t do it at all or hire someone to do it for you.
The LinkedIn random connector
LinkedIn has a feature that allows you to connect with people even if you don’t know their email address – tick the friend box. Obviously, this is a feature abused by serial connectors.
Even worse, you get a connection request from a “friend” who you have never heard of and they don’t even have the decency to leave a personal message.
Please, if you are using LinkedIn, make use of the personal message feature. Let people where you met, how you know them or why you want to connect. It’s only polite isn’t it?
Over-zealous sellers
These remind me of those people in the town centre who hijack you to ask daft questions for their latest survey or product test. They’re interruptive and annoying.
If every status update or blog post is a “buy me” message then it is the ultimate reason to unfollow, unlike, unsubscribe… Nobody likes being hijacked and sold to.
That doesn’t mean you can’t talk about your products and services – just not all the time please!
Facebook fly-by link droppers
I actually don’t mind people liking my Facebook page, introducing themselves and tagging their business page. In fact, I encourage it. I like to see who’s liking me, why and what they do. I’ll often pop over and like your page too and keep an eye on what you’re up to…
Be warned – that is me.
Most people will not appreciate you tagging your business page or linking to your website, even after saying hi.
The really irritating part, especially since Facebook stopped the requirement to like a page before posting, is the fly-by link droppers.
It’s incredibly ignorant.
It reminds me of just walking into someone’s house uninvited with muddy boots and helping yourself to a meal. I have no hestitation hiding these random links and marking them as spam – because that is what they are. It’s one of the few social media practices that is likely to get a response from me – anything from a polite request to stop to an angry personal message.
There are my pet peeves – the most irritating social media practices guaranteed to turn me off and have me heading for the unlike, unfollow, unsubscribe buttons.
Do you have any to add to the list? Share your thoughts below.
5 Irritating Social Media Practices - Don't Be A Social Outcast! by Jan Kearney
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thanks for this. The only one I don’t understand ( which shows I am still a newbie) is the RSS point.
Hi Catherine, thanks for popping over – fab to see you the other side of Facebook too!
RSS is simply a newsfeed, most interactice sites have RSS feeds – Facebook, Youtube etc but most of all blogs. You can subscribe to them and read posts through a reader or by email. Some feeds are easier to subscribe to than others – look out for the little (usually) orange button.
Hi Jan
I have most of the same peeves as you, I am on my social sites every day too but I like to interact with my followers and build up a relationship so people that do the things you have listed are a turn of for me too!
Ok so we all have something to sell but to just post ads that say “buy me now!” is very off putting and will make me (and you lol) unsubscribe!
Thanks for sharing this post Jan, hope you have a great day
Pauline
Thanks for popping in Pauline and for the tweet 🙂 The bombardment of “buy me now”! messages are real turn off – I feel your pain too lol.
You have a great day, and week too 🙂
Hi Jan,
Yes, completely agree with the LinkedIn point. I get requests a lot with no idea who people are. I am actually happy to connect with any one really as I think that you never know when you may follow up with that person. But, there always is, yes please leave me a personal message to say who you are and what you do so I don’t have to log in and trawl a profile before I accept.
Hi Jane 🙂 I’m with you there, I’ll usually connect with most people. I do have quite a few outstanding though – all of them because they didn’t leave a message…
Thanks for sharing this information. I didn’t know about RSS and this gave me a small glimpse as to why it could be a useful tool. And, I am glad to see that I don’t participate in any of the 5 misuses you mention. WHEW!! Your insight is right on, as those things would undoubtedly annoy me too. I am fairly new to the “social media” scene, so haven’t run into much yet. Thanks again.
Hi Dyrene, you’re lucky if you haven’t been irritated on social media much yet! I think I feel a new post coming on about RSS too.
Thanks for calling in and taking the time to comment, I appreciate it.
Thanks for this it’s so useful and so many of us have yet to get this all managed correctly. I would love to share this with my readers so would you mind if I cut and pasted this and put it in one of my blogs later this week with all credit to you of course. I don’t want to reinvent the wheel, I just want to give my readers great valuable information.
I look forward to hearing from you, please tell me what you would like me to say.
Hi Heather, thanks for popping in and taking the time to comment. Wow, I’m flattered you want to re-print the article on your blog! I’ll pop the source file over to you by email, thank you 🙂
hi
nice list and some stuff is really Irritating.
I am not a huge RSS feed friend, but heck i wouldn.t cut it if somebody likes to read the blog via RSS. it is only me who doesn.t like it.
traffic for the site or the blog is nice but not everything.
a good relationship via good content is more worth and maybe the reader will be interested in my product too.
Hi Helen. RSS is such a time saver when you read lots of blogs, I’d feel lost without it. It’s a top of mind thing too – I know I have read through RSS for years, and still go to the site to buy because I know what they do and feel I “know” them. Yes, it’s a relationship thing. Thanks for calling in and taking the time to comment 🙂
Hi Jan,
This post made me giggle 🙂
In my book, the two worst offenders are the single-line RSS feeds (I mean, it’s a feed for a reason!), and the @mentions on Twitter that only have a bit.ly link. Grrrr
Have a great week.
Dee
Hi Dee. I’m glad someone doesn’t think I’m nuts with the RSS one! lol Don’t start me on Twitter – I think that needs a whole post of its own 🙂 Thanks for popping in and taking the time to comment.
Hi Jan,
Having just switched to timeline for my FB business page I was interested your bit about weekend Facebook users.
Thinking about it I have ‘unliked’ business who do this as it highly irritating. I will make a point of NOT doing this to the lovely people who have liked my page. Instead I am going to look back at how pages I have liked (and who I still like!), space out their comments and what they say to engage me.
Hi Kirsty! I’m chuffed you won’t be subjecting your followers to Sunday Facebook sprees – mainly because I am one of them and it drives me nuts too 🙂
Oh, I so agree with the linkedin friend request! OK, I understand why they’d like to connect but if we’ve never met at least have the decency to say so!
I always say something like, “I know we haven’t met but I’ve seen your comments in such and such a group. Seeing as you’re local would you like to connect?” And they all say yes, but at least they have the option of saying no.
There’s no point connecting to some random person who I’ll probably never see.
Hi Lizz! Just spotted your comment hiding – rescued now so all good. I know where you’re coming from, random requests drive me nuts.
Hi Jan,
Thanks for sharing your peeves. Much of this kind of behaviour talks volumes about the people who are doing this. I like the comparison of someone walking in with muddy boots into your house and helping themselves to a meal. Because this is how it feels like when someone takes advantage of your hard work and relationship building. Good for you for letting them know that they are not welcome!
Warm wishes,
Galina
Hi Galina, you know I think a lot of it is ignorance of social ettiquette. I come across a lot of small businesses that effectively spam as part of their social marketing. Many times it’s because they see others doing it and assume it works. Sometimes a quiet word is enough to make the change – other’s I’ve spammed and banned.
Thanks for stopping by again today, I appreciate it 🙂