How to Avoid Sounding Like Spam in Social Media

Michael Bergbauer - December 13, 2011

All too often, beginners in social media marketing treat their corporate accounts like a dumping ground for links. Of course, link building is an important part of any social media campaign. However, the concept of “too much of a good thing” certainly applies. Posting as many links as you can to your social media profiles can backfire quickly and cost you the attention of your audience.

In general, you have to be very careful to avoid being overly self promotional and focus on providing innovative and informative content to your social media channels. Excessive self promotion, advertising, and linking can undermine your company’s credibility and make your content seem “spammy.”

Your company website, product pages, and SEM efforts can handle your advertising. Successful social media campaigns are ones that engage users. Get others to talk to your brand and interact with your posts. By encouraging this interaction, you get the chance to learn about the thoughts and preferences of your consumers – which is invaluable marketing data. If you are having trouble creating content, have a look at our list of content ideas.

As you establish authority and gain more followers, self promoting or linking to your site’s other content is advisable in moderation – so long as it is relevant to the topic and/or channel to do so. Try to think like your consumer. If you think a status update is going to look like spam in a newsfeed – you’re probably right.