I got a lengthy spam comment extolling the virtues of a service that will take a message of your own creation, do a keyword search for related terms of your choosing, and plaster your message on every remotely associated blog and message board on the internet. If you need to be registered to comment, they’ll register you. If there’s a verification word, they’ll type it for you. “Just like a real person!” and “It’s 100% legal because spam laws only apply to email!”
They left out one important point while pimping their service, and that is, regardless of legality, off-topic, blatantly self-promotional messages wallpapering the internet PISS PEOPLE OFF.
The strength of the web is that anywhere you travel on it, there’s a community. When you’re part of a well-established community, its other members will know when you have something to promote because the subject will arise organically at some point. If they like you, they’ll buy it to support you. If they like your product, they’ll talk about it and let other people know. Word will spread, you’ll become a household name, and wealth and success shall be bestowed upon you forevermore. (Or something like that.)
What people who think “100% legal spam!” is a great promotional idea don’t seem to understand is that there is no shortcut to becoming part of a community. You (or your spambot) can’t stroll in one day and say, “Interesting post! Because I have gifted you with my presence, go buy my book!” and expect the support of the community.
The community recognizes interlopers. Even if you get past the verification word, even if you become a registered user, everybody who reads that comment identifies it on sight as spam, and spam irritates people. Funnily enough, irritated people aren’t inclined to buy anything associated with the person who irritated them. What they are inclined to do is complain to the admin until your spam comment gets removed, and then they are inclined to start new threads devoted to tacky, ignorant people who pepper the whole web with their off-topic, blatantly self-promotional spam, thus creating a community-wide association between your name and “obnoxious spammer who will never get a penny of our money.”
You should also be aware that few people are a member of just one community, so word of your “penniless spammer” status will spread. If Suzie tells two friends, and those two friends tell two friends…
Your 100% legal, 100% obnoxious promotional tool just lost you thousands of potential customers.
Look, I know authors are expected to bear an ever-increasing burden of self-promotion, but use some common sense. Would you like it if your blog comments were filling up with “If I had actually read this post, I’m sure I would have found it very insightful! Now I’m going to hijack your platform to drum up business for myself!” messages? I don’t think you would respond favorably to that at all, so why would you think anyone else would embrace such messages from you (or your spambot)?
DO THE WORK. Now, before you have a product to push. Get to know people. Make webfrenz. Go to blogs and message boards. Read the posts. If you have something pertinent to contribute to the discussion, leave a comment. Go back the next day or the next week, lather, rinse, repeat. If people find what you have to say interesting, they’ll visit your own blog to learn more about you. This is how they will know when you DO have something to promote, and if they like you and your product, they will do a lot of the promo work for you, without being asked or compensated in any way, and without so much as a blemish of ill will attached to your name.
A key component of self-promotion is doing it yourSELF. Another is not making people want to spit every time your name is mentioned.
Before you sign up for any kind of promotional service, really think about the effect that method of promotion might have, not just the certain success the salesman is dangling in front of you as temptation. He’s selling HIS product, not yours. Once he gets your money, it’s no skin off his nose if you become the most hated name on the internet as a result of his “help.”
Your name is valuable currency. Don’t squander it.
April 26th, 2009 at 1:45 PM
What she said.
April 26th, 2009 at 4:13 PM
Seconded, thirded, and fourthed. I’m the world’s biggest internet promo whore, but even I draw the line somewhere … and the spam posts are it.
And, yep, got one on my site the other day … and immediately thought, “Okay, there’s one book I’ll never read.” I understand the need to get the word out, but authors HAVE to be savvy about it. It’s one thing if people get sick of seeing your name; it’s another if your name is attached to the equivalent of growing larger penises and bringing back a time when the girls were yours.
April 26th, 2009 at 4:15 PM
Also: this is the reason I’ve begun to hate MySpace. I love connecting with readers through it … but I hate that the “leave a comment” section essentially becomes a billboard for authors that I have no connection to, so much that any genuine communication is lost. Slightly classier spam, but still spam.
April 26th, 2009 at 6:05 PM
I know the prevailing attitude is “Do more! Do more! DO MORE!”, but it remains true that the best promo is writing a book that people want to recommend to as many people as possible. Most readers have someone whose opinion they trust for book recs, and they’re not swayed to purchase by the recognition-by-bombardment technique anyway.
Not that you have anything to worry about, Meljean. You represent well online, and you write a kickass book. Steampunk doesn’t put the tingle in my drawers, but I’ll buy yours because I know I can trust you as a writer to tell me a hell of a story.
So, Commandments of Promo:
I. Thou shalt write an awesome book.
II. Thou shalt subsequently deliver books of equal or greater awesomeness until people deem thou “cracktastic” and cannot resist your wares.
III. Thou shalt not let down thy readers by phoning it in at that point.
Wise Musician talked about promo recently, and I think a lot of what he said applies to any product. The gist: The product itself is the important thing. Promo is a stunt to draw attention to the product, but no amount of grandstanding will hook a customer if your product isn’t one they want. Grit your teeth and do the stunt because it’s expected of you these days, but 99% of your energy should go toward making more and better products, until you build up enough consumer trust that your name alone is promo enough.
*fans self* Smart men FTW.
April 26th, 2009 at 11:08 PM
It has long been a goal of mine to have my writing deemed cracktastic.
Feel free to slap me if I ever wander into promo stupidity.
April 27th, 2009 at 8:12 AM
In my experience, it’s the people who worry most about coming across as jerks that are least likely to engage in jerky behavior anyway, so I’m sure you’ll do just fine.
However, I never pass up an invitation to slap somebody, so stay on your toes…
April 27th, 2009 at 8:38 PM
I searched your admirable supply of animated graphics for the appropriate panda slap (or cat slap, or monkey slap…yeah, I won’t go there) but there was none. A grievous error on your part, I assure you.
So … pencil in fantastic PANDA SLAP here.
Thank you.
April 27th, 2009 at 9:44 PM
Yeah, a panda will flash a bloody knife at you, but slapping is too violent. Go figure.
But I live to serve, so have some fists of fury: