How could Social Marketing help when both of your notebook computers crash?
Well, it helps when you spend a couple of days rebuilding your files, downloading all of your software again, and you finally take the time to look at your blog and find that your Alexa ranking has improved by almost a hundred thousand sites.
The real beauty of Social Marketing, Networking and the whole Web 2.0 thing is the way that it builds your traffic even while you are busy doing other things. Your sites keep getting traffic, and your readers are posting comments, and sales are made...
So it helps your peace of mind more than anything else, but that is sooooo important when you are dealing with malfunctioning equipment.
So while I sort through fifteen hundred emails and deal with assorted tasks dealing with my sites with- out benefit of most of my files, new people found my blogs, sites and lenses. Regular readers kept on visiting and posting. And my own little corner of the internet continued to grow.
There is no shortcut to this, it is all just a matter of doing the assorted tasks, and interacting with your community and you become a part of the stream in your niche.
No doubt you are familiar with The Rich Jerk, and the plethora of imitators that popped up in his wake. That kind of in your face attitude in sales copy, as well as product ideas has been quite possible for one very good reason...
It stands out!
What is more, it also makes it easy to dismiss questions that are inconvenient with and "I just don't care!" That kind of take it or leave it attitude can be quite persuasive, and is quite effective at a time when many are so barraged with information that they are beset with analysis paralysis.
So blog posts titled "Ten Ways To Fail At X", or Squidoo Lenses like "How To Guarantee Failure At Google Adwords" are becoming quite common.
True these differ from the crassness of a Rich Jerk approach, but they share a negative perspective, that is disarming and if not over- done will get results that a straight ahead attack on a subject will not.
Another of these tactics is a review of a product where the email subject or page title starts with "Don't Buy Product Z Until You Read This"
Be careful though, as your content must indeed give a valid reason for that "delay" whether it is a bonus or an alternate product that has more value, benefits or flexibility.
The psychology behind any and all of these tactics is valid, and can be utilized in a great many ways to motivate your readers, prospects and customers. Just don't overuse any one of them or you risk losing that effectiveness as it requires at least some element of surprise. Much in the same way that old subliminal advertizing starts to fail when your average reader knows to look for the outline of a naked lady in the icecubes of a liquor ad.
If you pay attention, you will recognize Diggs, Twitts and all manner of Social Media posts that take a negative slant to their tone.
Watch them and see if there is anything you can learn from them. Try out a Twitt or two before you tackle an entire page or you may find that you haven't the voice for it. If you don't then don't attempt it on that large of a scale. The most important thing to remember here is that this can't be forced!
Use of a negative perspective in your copywriting and all of your Social Marketing, Social Networking and Web 2.0 activities such as blogging and forum threads needs to be more than just a gimmick.
Useful content needs to be conveyed just as at any other time you sit down to type anything for online publication.
Know and develop your voice as you write, and make sure that you ask others what their impression of the tone your writing sets is. I can almost guarantee that is will differ somewhat from your own view.
My own challenges include an over reliance on certain adjectives and modifiers making repetition a challenge to avoid, as well as a far more formal tone than I am aware that I use.
These would never have occurred to me had I not sought out the opinions of others. You need to as well.
The story is about Brant Walker, a Social Internet Marketer that has started several controversial Web 2.0 Websites.
Each one approaches the social interaction at the core of Web 2.0 from a different perspective than had been attempted before. Many say that this is from a negative one.
The sites are all successful enough that he has sold some for a good chunk of change so this may fall under the "No such thing as bad publicity" category.
Go read the article and think about these issues. Is there such a thing as negative Social Networking and therefore negative Social Marketing?
One thing is for sure. Brant Walker's sites have garnered significant attention. At least two of his sites have been taken down: BumFinder.com and FakeYourSpace.com.
The first due to negative publicity and the second die to a cease and desist order from Fox (Owner of MySpace.com)
His most recent success (that we know of) is another Web 2.0 endeavor that also leans to the negative side of social networking: RottenNeighbor.com
This site appeals to a darker side of social interaction by giving people a place to bitch and moan about their neighbor's uncut lawn, garbage pile and late night carousing.
Whether you think this kind of site is a good thing or a bad one, you can't dismiss the fact that Mr. Walker is getting serious traffic!
It will be interesting to see what form of Social Networking this guy will come up with next. We may neer know, as you will note in the article, he has had to go covert with his sites to avoid too much scrutiny based on his previous sites.
I dunno about you, but this does make me rethink my site ideas. Social Marketing will never be the same again. Which is just fine, as one of the best aspects of Web 2.0 (already headed for Web 3.0) is it's ever changing nature.
Haven't you noticed that blog posts, Squidoo Lenses, HubPages and forum threads all get higher rankings, more traffic, and greater exposure when there is some kind of controversy involved?
I know that I have, and fortunately I recognized it for what it was, and capitalized on it. We should all be doing so!
To do so requires that our blogs, lenses and every other web property that we develop be as interactive, as "Web 2.0"-ish, as Social as we can make it.
Wikis, polls, guestbooks, rating systems, and comment encouragement all need to be utilized, and more...
So my answer is that Brant Walker is a very successsful Social Networker and Social Marketer. How can you blame him, or cast aspersions on him for getting to the very essence of the Web 2.0 Phenomenon.
