If we avoid these tactics, our personal brands will be better for it in 2012. As will everyone else in the social media universe we impact.
1) Auto-Direct Messaging people on Twitter.
“Hi, thanks for following me! Visit my website! Read my book! Like my Facebook Page!”
I wish there was a way these could be banned completely from Twitter. They’re annoying and they say, “I’m too lazy to write anything personal to you so I’m going to sound like a form letter.” Gee, thanks. If you’re going to DM, make it personal to that individual or don’t do it.
2) Connecting on LinkedIn without a message.
Again, this is just lazy. You want people to connect with you but you can’t type a sentence or two to go with the automatic “I’d like to add you to my professional network” message? Show you’re in it to build relationships rather than a hoarder of connections.
3) Using LinkedIn Discussion Groups for your sales pitch.
If you want to have a discussion, let’s have a discussion. If you’re good at what you say, you don’t need to sell. People will value it and link to you as a result. It’s a big turn-off to transform a setting for learning from one another into a place for advertising.
4) Advertising rather than connecting.
Like the LinkedIn point, I have come across certain people who have tweeted nothing but their offerings and wares. Recruiters, you’re as guilty as anyone – I get that you’re posting a job, but why not at least attempt to converse with someone who may be a candidate rather than turn everything you post into a classifieds section? I don’t get it. Why are you on social media if you clearly don’t want to be social? Because that, my friend, is not social media. That’s advertising. And it’s frowned upon.
5) Labeling yourself a guru, visionary or game changer.
Humble much? If you’re any of the above, you don’t need to be the one saying it in your bio. You can carve a niche for yourself by providing thoughts that are interesting and hopefully, you’ll find those thoughts get shared. When people praise you, thank them. You have to earn it before you proclaim yourself a genius.
6) “Post this as your status update if you…”
It may be a great cause. But don’t pressure people to post things on their Facebook status update. There’s a better way to tell the story of that cause if you’re truly involved that can mean posting on your own wall. If it’s compelling, people will comment. Otherwise, it’s kind of like the Mom in your neighborhood who accompanies her kid to your doorstep to sell you girl scout cookies. You feel pressured to buy them or else you’ll look bad. End the peer pressure of re-posting.
Be giving. Be humble. Be considerate and respectful of your audience. Sell without looking like you’re trying that hard.
You’ll be amazed how good things can happen for your personal brand when you genuinely want to help others above helping yourself.
Author:
Dan Gershenson is a Chicago-based consultant focused on brand strategy and content marketing. Dan has guided a variety of CEOs and Marketing Directors at small to medium-sized companies, providing hundreds of strategic plans to help businesses identify their best niches and areas of opportunity. Dan blogs on Chicago Brander, mentors advertising students and cheers relentlessly for the Chicago Bears. Dan graduated from Drake University with a degree in Advertising.
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Great post Dan! I especially love #6. It doesn’t matter if it is a facebook status, e-mail or google+ comment, it is a sure bet that I won’t share it with others if someone includes one of those pressure to share comments to try to get me to re-post.
As for #4, I think most have been guilty of that at one point or another. We forget that the point of a social network is “social”. Making friends takes more time than just shouting about your product. However, we also (most of us) learn that making friends is the only way to have true fans who will be with you through the good times and the bad.
Have an awesome weekend!
Loved this post Dan – it may be obvious to some but for others it needs to be spelt out exactly as you have done. All I would add is that people should remove their Twitter feed from posting directly to Linkedin. If I want to see your tweets I will go to Twitter. On Linkedin I want to see who you’re connecting to, what discussions you’re involved in, not that you’re up bright and early and the coffee is on.
[...] can happen for your personal brand when you genuinely want to help others above helping yourself.Originally published on the Personal Branding Blog Share:Related PostsPersonal Branding Secrets for Gen Y Workers5 Tips [...]
so glad you wrote these. I did it too, and I applied them.
Just today I was wondering if I ‘ve mistaken everything. Seems sometimes to me that aggressive/unpolite manners are more successful
Not to be disrespectful, but Dan Schawbel calls himself a “Guru” very prominently on his twitter page.
but for the record I totally agree with this article ~_^
Thanks guys! Glad you liked it. It’s funny to hear which ones strike a chord most – I’d say in that regard, #6 is certainly resonating with people who aren’t liking the “Post As Your Status” pressure on Facebook.
Lorelei, you raise a good point about the Twitter feed connection to LinkedIn, but I don’t think it should be removed as long as those tweets are high quality and appreciated by the LinkedIn audience. I want people to know I’m on Twitter and what I’m talking about over there, plus I want to share interesting things from LinkedIn Today with my Twitter audience. It would get even more noisy if ever conversational tweet was posted on LinkedIn! What a nightmare that would be. As long as you keep the Foursquare “where I’m at” updates to a minimum, the people I’m connected to tend to notice I’m contributing something of value and don’t seem to care too much where it originated from. But thanks for keeping me in checking and making sure I don’t post too many “Here’s what I’m eating” tweets on LinkedIn!