Great post. I’m in this group to learn and meet people not to be sold.  If I trust you, then I might do an inqury, but that will be my decison.  Behave people!

Thank you  @dongrandy  I also came here to network.  Once I get to know everybody a little bit more I will approach them if I want to purchase.  There are some amazing people here.

Great  post  @randithompson

I just hope that they learn something from your post.

@mike-stelzner @randithompson Thanks for reminding all the members about this!

Glad we’re all agreed on this one. All of us here re smart enough to know when we want to buy something, and when we don’t. Thanks for bringing this up front.

@mike-stelzner

If they really are newbies who are here to learn, you might want to explain how things work on a site like this, especially one filled with people who do this for a living. Just saying, I don’t think this will happen too often here, but I would like to think that a true newbie might be given a second chance to behave. Second chance blown, however, I agree — kick them off. And, of course, all trolls and autobots must go.

Are you really set on a first strike and you’re out policy for newbies trying to learn, but making mistakes? Just wondering.

Robin Carlisle

In the words of one who is the poster child for inappropriate: “Don’t taze me bro!”

While I find “spammy” people annoying, referring to some one as “the poor idiot” is a bit excessive, don’t you think?

I think it important that we find ways to make it safe. Even to make mistakes. That means we may have to put up with the pain of a learning curve, but…

What do you think? How can we teach those spammers the nuances of social marketing without squishing them?

Thank you everyone who has contributed to this thread.  This is an issue that many of us are very aware of.  Are these people spamming us, or are they new  to marketing on the internet and social media?

So many of us who are here influence those who follow us on social media.We show them how to use it to market. I believe, it is up to us to show our followers (or in this situation, possible newbies) how they can use our forums or social media pages to promote what they have to offer, in the right way. I give people 3 chances. Each time, I take the time to write them a friendly note that includes instructions on how to use their comments for marketing. If there is no response and they keep spamming my pages, I ban and block them.

In the niche I am in, most of the people are new to marketing online and social media.  I was one of them not long ago.  When I first started “marketing” on social media I was one of those who went to all the big pages and left my “comment ad”   I also did this with the message systems.  I was a spammer.

It did not take long for me to discover people like @mike-stelzner, Mari Smith, and @johnjantsch.  They showed me another way to use social media for marketing.

@warrenveach Thank you for your question. Many people feel the same way you do.  They are not sure what is acceptable when they want to promote what they have to offer.

Your question is ”If you saw a post from someone wanting to start a horse blog, would you mention your expertise, or just hope they found you?”   I have become very selective about who I share my advice with.  I would not post on that comment unless they asked me directly.  If they came to one of my social media pages and asked, that would be a different story.  You are lucky to be a part of the SME Networking Clubs.  Now you will be able to see how other people promote and market online.  You might notice that most of us are not promoting what we have to offer.  

Personally, I have found that if people like the advice I give them, that they will click on my banners and find out more about what I do. This is probably how it happens here as well.  If you want to get somebody’s attention, start sharing some of your knowledge with them through your comments!

Would love to hear what other people think about this.  What advice do you have for Warren?    

@pronoya

Oh, horrors! You got me on that one, Don. This poor idiot did catch my uncalled for remark, rewrote that sentence, and thought I had deleted it entirely. Woopsy, it didn’t get deleted. “Naive newbies” is an ever so much kinder term — one I thought would simply stand on its own. My bad. Now it’s edited appropriately, thanks to you.

Robin Carlisle

@atlantarobin – LOL. Damn revisions. Especially the ones we do at 2:00 am.  

@warrenveach – Excellent question! I’ve only had the good fortune of this online situation. I chose to use their email form to extend a conversation privately. While I ultimately could not meet their needs, it was a fantastic way to open that conversation without being “spammy”.

So I think any private channel would be appropriate.

Any thoughts?

@warrenveach I don’t think it’s spammy to include links to our own website or pages/profiles in our replies or dm’s. We’re here to support each other in our business ‘games’. I want to know your expertise, specialty and context from which your answering the question posed. It’s a way I can get to know you and your business better. I want to see your website and Facebook page… see if you use a Fan Gate, graphics, newsletter list. It gives me an idea of the expertise you have that I can utilize. Call it social proof. I go to peoples Fan Pages and read their posts and comments before I like their page and before I take their contribution.

@warrenveach @atlantarobin @pronoya

If someone is asking a question and your service is the answer, it is always appropriate to reply publicly.

For example, “I need someone who can help me build out my Facebook page…”

Your reply, “Our company specializes in this…”

Alternatively, if someone asks a question that might not be looking for a service, but you make a connection, then I would private message that person and say something like this; “I saw that you were looking for tips on how to improve your Facebook engagement.  I happen to help small businesses as a consultant, in case you’re looking for outside help…”

Both of these situations share one thing in common: contextual relevance.

@mike-stelzner

Thanks Mike,

I think that is probably the best answer to this thread yet.

@amyhallbiz

Thanks Amy! I’ll take that as a serious compliment as I figured I was way behind the curve on fan pages.

I’m trying different page styles on different pages. Hopefully, I’ll settle on one before too long.

We started the page not to long ago and only had a few “likers”. I’ve been promoting it a bit more this past week and the followers jumped to about 50.

More importantly, several took me up on the free prescription card offer, and a couple even made product purchases.

It probably should be classified as beginners luck, but I’ll take it!

Thanks again!

@amyhallbiz

Yeah, I was playing around on WP this morning and saw that plug-in. The disadvantage that I saw was that the WP plug-in was a little more DIY, whereas some of the fanpage apps are more point and click, drop and drag.

The simpler the better for me!

P.S. I stopped by your page and gave it a “Like”.

@amyhallbiz

Good luck, let me know when you have it up and running. I may have to ask you for help.

@mike-stelzner

Thanks for your examples using contextual relevance as our guide in dealing with how we respond to requests for our paid services or to situations where our paid services could be the answer to someone’s needs.

I encourage you to somehow preserve this thread. The more this conversation developed, the more helpful it has become. I hope everyone stops by to read this thread. It’s a keeper.

Also, because I so liked the answer to your question, may I ask what SME’s policies are on quotes, attribution, citations etc. regarding materials, resources, member writings in forums, SME writings, etc.? I like writing narratives that visually illustrate problem-solution situations for readers. I have an idea in my head right now and would like to quote the answer you wrote about contextual relevance above. What are your writer’s guidelines for using source materials here? What’s allowed and what’s not allowed?

Robin Carlisle

To me, I am not here to try and sell anything… I am here to make new friends, and to learn new things, plus if I am able to lend a helping hand, do that also.

I can’t get my head around how some people can think throwing up some links (here, or any social network) is going to make someone interested in what they have to say!

Maybe it’s because I’ve been in sales previous to being a facebook consultant, but spamming is to me like me contacting a would-be customer and before I say anything else to them, I just say ‘buy my product, here it is!!’ DUH wouldn’t get many sales, would I? I heard this quote: “People don’t care what you know, until they know that you care” Isn’t that the truth!!!!

I have a question about the rules for these forums. First, my assumption is that if someone posts a link to a product for which he/she is an affiliate, he/she should disclose that relationship.

Is that in fact one of the forum rules? 

I’m asking because a particular member has posted a link (looks like an affiliate link) and recommended a product that looks a lot like a MLM setup to me . . . and this member did not disclose any relationship. 

It may be a great product, but if it turns out that my purchase is lining this person’s pockets, I want to know. That wouldn’t stop me from buying—but I want to know what’s going on.

Moderators, can you respond?

Just an addition to my post above. The link in question was indeed an affiliate link.

@rich-brooks Can you comment on my question in post

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/clubs/small-business/forum/topic/please-do-not-spam-us-with-your-message-ads/?topic_page=2&num=20#post-5310

Thanks!

@themusclediva

There’s not a hard and fast rule about affiliate links as I’m seeing it. In the Club Rules doc it says:

• Ads and links: Please, no spamming. You are welcome to assist others in the community and we request that you use your good judgment when posting links to your products or services.

As has been mentioned, you can Flag any post you feel is spammy and a message will be sent to the site administrators.

@warrenveach @themusclediva @jomartin @amyhallbiz @atlantarobin @mikestelzner @rich-brooks @randithompson @rlmosca and others.

Thank you for all the insight and great thread.  This has generated a lot of thinking and a great conversation.  I, like many others I believe, are here to learn and share and grow in our knowledge and our business.  I do not consider myself a social media expert at all, but I am learning more and more everyday. 

With groups like this, I get new ideas and fresh views on topics that make me think instead of gettting stuck in one way of doing things.  My goal is to learn as much as I can and to share my experiences with others so they can learn and grow.

I said all that to bring us back to the talk abut one strike and your out or giving a second or third chance.  This forum brought to us by SME and Mike Stelzner is awesome.  THANK YOU!  But is it still in the beta, or beginning stage.  There are things to work out and people will make mistakes.  I made a big one and had no idea. 

In my excitement of the new group and forums, I sent friend requests to a lot of people who I thought I could learn from.  While I was doing this, I had some computer issues.  My computer would freeze up and I could not tell if the friend request went through.  I would sign on later and the “Add Friend” button would be by some of the names again so I would send the request again. 

This happened a few times.  Then I received an email from Mike stating they had received complaints that I was sending repeated friend requests to people who had rejected my freind request.  To them it looked like I was harrassing them and I totally understand their thinking that.  That was not what was happening at all.  I had no idea they had rejected the friend request, I thought it was my computer issue. 

I explained that to Mike and he understands that was never my intention. 

I think we all agree we dont want to be spammed, but we also have to understand that their will be a learning curve with any new project like SME clubs and we can all learn from other’s mistakes, as well as our own. 

I do want to appologize if I offended anyone in my excitement to request friends.  I am truly sorry.

I want to again thank everyone for being willing to share their expertise and I know personally, I will be calling on some of you for assistance or maybe even referring your service to current clients I have. 

Thank you

Thanks, @rich-brooks and everyone who has commented on the affiliate link query.

I don’t have a problem with people posting affiliate links in product discussions as long as we disclose the fact. 

@mike-stelzner Thanks for the definitive reply. It’s a different answer than I got before, but I appreciate the clarity, and I think it’s a sensible policy. I asked about it because a particular member was recommending a service, posting an affiliate link, and not disclosing it.

Thank you for helping us understand.  @rich-brooks  and  @mike-stelzner   What we are doing here will make an impact on the world of social media.  It is great to be a part of history in the making!

@journeycreation   Asking for new friends is easy to do.  I have been very slow about adding friends and like to look at who they are before I friend them.

 @themusclediva  Thank you for your question about affiliate links.  Now we know.  NO affiliate links! 

@stewkelly  I agree with what you say.   I also believe that some people do not know they are spamming. The good news is that they are here, and they will learn from the best in the industry how effective marketing works online and in social media.

Has this thread made a difference for you?   Please share how.   

For me, this thread has helped me to feel more secure here.  I am so tired of all the spamming that we deal with on a daily bases.   It is nice to know I can come here and be safe from that.  

Thank you @theodoresturos  I have noticed a change in the messages that I am now receiving. I have not gotten any more ad messages.  :)