Social Marketinig - Avoid Doing This...

Taigh Smyth, Internet Marketing Expert, provided this insight when marketing using social networking sites.

If you are thinking of using Social Marketing sites to build your business this is an important article for you to read to avoid making the fatal mistakes that most online marketers are committing right now, and wondering why their business is not growing.

Social marketing sites have changed the internet and the way we communicate with others. A couple examples of social marketing sites are Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. This is usually a place where friends connect and people meet one another. This is very important to understand for when people don't play by the rules, they will be rejected by others in the group.

So how are marketers abusing these social marketing sites? Many marketers who see the mass number of people on these sites feel that it's a good idea to get their noise in and advertise to these people. This is probably the worst thing you can do. Here is why.

Let's take the example of going to a party, that's basically what social marketing sites are like, a place where people are meeting other people. Now would you walk into a party and introduce yourself as the "God of Online Marketing" and can help them with all of their problems? Of course not - I hope. But people are doing it every day online. They have corny profiles such as, "MakeMillions" and go around asking if they can help you.

There are a few things wrong with this strategy. First I immediately question to myself, "If this person is so successful then why is he going around begging others to be friends and wanting to help me?” Second and this is even more important, is that they are just annoying everybody at the party (the social marketing site). Immediately you remind them of an annoying network marketer who just will not stop calling them to 'join their business'. So instead of building the business and annoying people face-to-face, people are now going on to social marketing sites to market with the same 'failure proven' techniques.

Social marketing sites are a place where people can meet one another and build new relationships. It is not a new medium for advertising and recruiting. Be respectful of the people you meet and get to know one another. At some point they may ask you what you do and if it seems like a good fit, you can put on your marketing hat and take the next step.

Social marketing sites have made it easier than ever to connect with people all over the world, so learn the unspoken rules, build relationships, and prosper with one another.