Sunday, January 21, 2007

File Under: People Unclear On The Concept

So, I get this bulletin on MySpace from one of my "friends" who is involved with an organization that I have some ties to. In the past, I have been active in promoting the organization, and one of my best friends is in charge. This guy works with my friend, but I don't really know him very well.

Anyway, this myspace "friend" says in his bulletin that he is creating a new profile page for the organization. He says he wants to use it to "promote" the organization and promote all the individuals involved with said organization. It is important to know that he uses the word "promote" twice in the bulletin. My first thought is always to find ways to help these guys out, because of my friend. So, I'm thinking, "I'd better add them as a friend and put them on my top friends list. That should help 'promote' their organization."

I send an "add friend" request, and promptly forget about it. A short time later, I get this condescending little message from the guy:

"Thanks for requesting the add. Right now we want to keep this page all (members of the organization.) Glad to have you on my personal page, though."

Now, maybe I've got it all wrong, but I've always understood that the best way to "promote" something on MySpace is to get as many friends as possible. If you try to keep your page exclusive, it is going to be ineffective as a promotional tool. If you want to have your own little exclusive clique, create a myspace group, and make that exclusive.

This gentleman obviously doesn't really understand the true intent of myspace. I also wonder if he assumes that if he only allows organization members to do an "add" request first, they will appear first on the "friends" list. In other words, maybe he thinks people appear on the "friends" list in the order they are added. This is incorrect. In fact, myspace lists people in chronological order according to the date they first created their profile. So, keeping your profile exclusive for a while, then adding outside friends, is useless.

So, what can we learn from this about using myspace (or any social networking site) as a promotional tool?
  1. If you're trying to "promote" something, you cannot really restrict your friends list. If you want to have an exclusive, elite clique, creat a closed myspace group.
  2. If you decide not to honor an "add" request, don't send people a condescending note and make them feel bad, just deny their request. Chances are, they won't even notice anyway, especially if they have over 600 friends.
  3. If you send out a general bulletin, asking your friends to add the new profile you've created, you should probably be specific if you don't intend everyone on your friends list to do so.
  4. Do not, under any circumstances, include in your condescending note, a phrase like "Glad to have you on my personal page, though," as if they are lucky to have you as a friend. Chances are, they have plenty of friends already, and it's no skin off their nose!
OK, so those last three are really about MySpace etiquette in general. Here endeth the lesson!
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