Getting engagement on social media can be hard. That is why it can be tempting to join in some of these types of promotional groups. In case you don't know, comment pods are usually Instagram related, people comment on each other's posts and get comments back on their own. Sharing threads are usually found on Facebook, they can be for any platform, people add a link to a SM post they want interaction with, then they interact with all the other links in the post and the other people do the same for them. Finally Pinning parties are the same sort of thing, you add a pin and then pin the other pins in the party, sometimes the rules are: all of the other pins, sometimes you have to pin the 2 or 3 above you or you pin back for the people who pin you. Follow for follow is exactly what it sounds like, you follow everyone in the group or thread and they follow you.
In theory this sounds like the ideal situation, you get interaction on your SM posts and your content goes out to a wider audience. However, there are lots of draw backs to these types of promotions.
Firstly there is the issue that many people don't keep to their end of the bargain! You can do your duty and share everyone's content and they just don't come back to do yours. This can be very frustrating.
Another issue is that the sharing and interaction is not from your actual customers, the other people in these groups are really your competition so any exposure you get is not really going to be to the audience you want.
One of the biggest problems I have with these types of promotion is that it clutters and distorts your brand. If you are sharing, pinning, interacting with and following 100's of secondary sellers how will that help establish you, if you sell primary resources?
I don't like these because at the end of the day they are fake ways to get engagement and it wont help your business. However....
There are times and ways that these can be helpful, but they need to be used carefully. For example, social proof is more important on some platforms (likes and comments on Instagram). Establishing a comment pod with a small group of niche people, who really get your brand can provide the social proof you need.
Sharing threads and pinning parties... no sorry can't find the good in these. A better alternative is Tribes! Join a tribe that matches your business, follow the rules and you will be able to add your own content to the tribe and only be expected to pin relevant content! My tribe is currently open to new members.
As for follow for follows, don't do this. watching your follower numbers is actually meaningless. you could have 45k follows that have no real interest in you at all or just 50 loyal people that buy everything you make... I know which I would rather have! I know this scenario is unlikely but you get my point.
Have a fantastic week :)
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