Raise your hand if you LOVE getting new Facebook messages from your friends….

Now, raise ‘em again if you’ve ever clicked open that very same inbox to discover an “unsolicited” link from someone you’ve never even met.

Yeah…

Feels like spam, doesn’t it?

The truth is, while Facebook is a great place to make valuable business connections:

Getting “pitched” on Facebook is never fun.

So, how are you supposed to navigate this precarious situation without stepping on a landmine and getting your account deleted for good?

Here are the 5 questions you NEED to ask yourself before engaging with a prospect on Facebook:

 

• Have you ever had a genuine conversation with this person before in your life?

Sure, I’ve generated loads of new business on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn… but it was NOT the very first time I spoke with them (unless THEY came to ME).

If you’ve absolutely never spoken with this person before in your life (or even worse — you don’t even know who they are, or how they ended up as your Facebook friend in the first place) then please, now is not the time to pitch them.

 

• Would you feel good saying this to your grandmother?

Probably the quickest “litmus test” to stay safe with your marketing messages is to ask yourself:

“If I said this to dear old grandma, and she (bought my product, clicked my link, or whatever the action is) … would I be able to live with myself?”

If yes, then congrats! You passed.

But if not, then you need to rethink your wording (or your entire offer, for that matter!)

 

• Are you willing to put your entire Facebook account on the line?

As annoying as it is, you can quite literally get your Facebook account banned for GOOD if someone reports you. Don’t worry– the Facebook team will personally investigate if the whistleblower’s claim is true… but if it is, you can kiss your account goodbye forever.

Are you really willing to pitch someone at the risk of losing your account?  

 

• Are you actually delivering TIMELY value to this person?

Is what you’re sending this person actually valuable to them? Does it help your ideal buyer persona in a way that truly matters? And more importantly, is it timely and relevant to this person specifically?

If you know they’re getting their home ready for a sale, then that’s one thing… but an otherwise “helpful” link coming out of the blue can be a major spam alert!

 

• Have they given you a clear indication that they actually want this?

Has this person given you any indication that they want or need what you’re giving them?

This is just SO obvious, but it bares repeating (and people are pretty perceptive.)

Even if you’ve checked ALL of the boxes above, spamming all your friends with your links will still come across as **ahem** spam.

If you’ve said yes to all of these questions, then congratulations! Chances are you’re doing social media marketing the RIGHT way. Time to flesh out the rest of your marketing strategy with our FREE Inbound Checklist: