SDSol: Miami Tech Consultants: UNFRIENDED: Friend or Salesman? Miami Social Media

When I was at the University of Iowa (Go Hawks!) we were one of the first dozen or so schools to use Facebook. This is back when it was thefacebook and an .edu email was required for sign-up. I fell in love with social media as friends shared pictures, updates, and events. I was able to find old girlfriends to ask if they still love me and everything. Over the years I have had accounts on plenty of sites (LinkedIn, Friendster, MySpace, Blogger, Yelp, DeviantArt…) but chose Facebook as my preferred social platform. This was not because of the technical terms I use during the day such as system architcture, functionality, or technical specifications, but rather because of the users. This is where my friends are and I need to be here.

As Facebook experienced astronomical growth in their user base the owners began searching for ways to monetize the site. Business, fan and group pages began creeping in and Facebook launched their PPC model shortly thereafter. I have no problem with businesses establish a presence on the site; it’s a valuable medium and companies deserve to have their voices heard. When I “like” a business page they have earned the ability to actively sell to me. However, “friends” have begun selling from personal pages. As the frequency and redundancy of the pitches has grown, it has begun troubling me. I can no longer tell if someone is recommending a product in earnest, or if they are simply trying to make a few bucks on ShareAShale. I have decided to strike back.

Sales pitch from a very savvy marketing pro. We worked together on several projects in college and she does great work; fantastic to see her putting it to use… I just don’t want to hear it.

I’ve thrown the gauntlet down via my status. Seller beware! It is followed by the pointless ramblings that Facebook is supposed to be comprised of. A dirty innuendo, a quote from Super Troopers, and a link to a YouTube remix video.