Spammers version 2.0

So in the beginning there was Twitter spam. (See http://ukwealthcoach.blogspot.com/2009/02/whats-wrong-with-social-networking.html)

People began to read the many excellent articles on how to use twitter and they got the idea that 50 messages a day saying "I can make you money" "Earn £1,000,000 in 3 days using my system" etc didn't work.

They learnt that you had to offer value and you had to communicate.

So we get generation 2.0 spammer. I haven't used Twitter seriously for a while but had added some new people, today I had some time so I was replying to messages etc.

I noticed that I was getting loads and loads of motivational qoutes, now don't get me wrong I am a Personal Development junkie, can't get enough of it but this was all wrong.

It was obvious that people were just sending the same qoutes every hour with a link to their - "make £1,000,000 in 3 days following this system".

They think that this passes for adding value - IT DOESN'T!! seeing the same quote every hour is not adding value it's just bloody annoying.

They just don't get it, you can't automate value in Twitter.

Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed etc are about building relationships. You dont build them by bombarding people with messages.

We are human and the difference between us and robots is emotions and relationships. SPAM ROBOTS CANNOT BUILD RELATIONSHIP. Period. Fullstop. The End.

There are no short cuts, you have to put the time in to get to know people, find out their needs, try and help and get help.

I see twitter as like a huge local pub. I can pop in anytime and see some friends and a lot of 'not yet friends' (some call them strangers) At this pub like any, I chat, I ask for help, I follow people who are interesting, who can offer me value. If I can help a mate out I will do, if I have heard something on the news that I know interests someone I will tell them - ONCE!

I have a business opportunity, when I am down the pub people know what I do, if someone asks me about it I will tell them, if they are interested I will arrange to get together with them. If they aren't interetsed thats fine by me. Sometimes I meet people in the pub that don't know what I do so I tell them ONCE and sometimes I offer it to people who I think it might interest ONCE.

Imagine a conversation in a pub like this

"How you doing Steve?"

"I'm Good - The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. - Have a look at my business"

"No thanks, you showed me yesterday. Did you see the football last night"

"Yeah, good result, the only difference between losers and winners is losers quit - Have a look at my business"

"No thanks, you showed me yesterday. I was going to get us a beer but look at the queue"

"Problems are only opportunities with thorns on them - have a look at my business"

"I'm just going to pop outside for a month"

Treat Twitter like you would a pub without the beer. Interact properly and stop being annoying and giving everyone a bad name.