What happens if you build out your website and your social networking accounts, but fail to attract the Twitter followers or Facebook fans that the sites of your competitors have? Or what can you do if your blog posts don’t generate retweets and the Facebook likes? Or even the Google Buzzes?
Here is what you and your business should not do….sign up for one of the many services that automatically generate social networking responses to your content.
There are services in the United States and abroad that, for a fee, will add Twitter followers, Facebook fans, Facebook likes, and Google Buzzes for your online content. This is social networking at its most meaningless level. One of the many problems with the idea of buying followers/fans is that these services are now being targeted by Twitter, Facebook, and Google for generating spam. Twitter recently announced that accounts with suspicious behavoir will require a password reset in an effort to slow down the tide of auto-following spam. Risking being identified as a spam site by Google just to generate more buzzes could be devastating for any site. Finally, having a Facebook page filled with robot-fans just to impress visitors is a serious waste of energy and time. Can you even sell your service/product to fans in India, Malaysia, or wherever these services may be generating social networking contacts for you?
It is better to increase visitors and fans the old fashion way….with relevant, timely, and engaging content. Even if your social networking statistics trail your competitors, your audience may consist of a much better demographic to convert sales and promote your services, than an audience of uninterested and unrelated fans and followers. Keep plugging away at authentic articles, posts, tweets, and online content and avoid the shortcuts to social networking statistical goals.
Clark Schultz Blog 