When Giving Works, and When it Doesn’t

Any good social media evangelist will tell you that you have to give, give and give.

It’s true. Social media is about sharing.

Sharing what you know
Sharing free stuff
Sharing links
Sharing connections
Sharing your time and attention

Heck, the web was built on sharing. Right from the start we shared information, friendship and bookmarking links.

There are times though when “sharing” will not work out for the best:

When it is not good value – You might think that free is free, but in fact your reader normally has to supply an email address or at least their attention. We all know the phrase “that’s ten minutes of my life I am never getting back” – don’t be the cause of wasted time. Not a good way to build a brand.
When it is impersonal – Giving is great, when it is yours to give and has some relevance to your audience!
When it is expected – This is one where I have made a mistake too. If you give away too much then certain parts of your audience start to see you as the freebie guy, and get huffy when you put something up for sale. Free works best when it is seen as a valuable gift or resource and not as “freebie of the day”.
When it is confusing – Even free needs to be sold. You need to describe at least the key benefit. Too many people think free sells itself. Confused contacts do not consume your content and they do not come back for more.
When it is a bait and switch – If you are giving something away make sure that is what you do and if there are any conditions or requirements make sure they are clearly articulated. When someone signs up then finds their credit card statement contains items they didn’t anticipate they do not see it as a cost of business, they see you as a scam artist. Even some gurus have tried to pull this trick and bad word spreads at lightning speed.

The best way to give something away is to value it yourself so that your reader will value it. Give it the attention, description and processes that it deserves, and deliver it well.