I have a chapter in my new book, The Writer’s Workout, on permission marketing. It’s chapter 198 and it’s called, “Get Permission.”
I also discuss permission marketing in chapter 217, “Safeguard Your Rolodex.”
The other day, a gal I vaguely know popped on over to my page and posted her book promotion with a message to me to tell all my friends about it.
Now, this happens once in a while. Here’s how I usually deal with it: first I delete the post and then I unfriend the person.
I don’t take it personally, I just feel like my wall is my space and other people should not be treating it like it’s theirs.
But I didn’t do that this time. I’ve bought this person’s annual ebook a couple times, so instead, I just let her know I didn’t like it.
Bad idea. I should have stuck with my first policy.
She let me know in no uncertain terms that it was my fault she had posted on my wall because I had not turned my wall off.
I was like, You’re kidding me, right?
It got worse. I said I disagreed. She said these were the Facebook rules and anyone who had been online as long as she had knows what all the rules are.
I said what did I know, it’s not like I’m a expert on the topic or anything.
She let me know that everyone knows that book publication doesn’t make anyone an expert on anything.
At that point, I just gave up. She clearly didn’t care about our relationship—and I should have realized that from the moment she posted her promotional materials on my wall.
Which brings me back to my original policy, which is, if you post your stuff on my wall, I will quietly take it down and then unfriend you.
It’s not personal, it’s just my space, my rules, and a place where I treat people with respect and expect to be treated with respect.
When someone comes along with a different agenda, they kind of stand out.
I know I don’t have to DO anything. I can just let people do what people do.
But it’s my space. I’ll decide what I can live with and what is just annoying. I’ll also decide whose work I recommend and whose work I won’t recommend.
Do you think I will be recommending her work?
I don’t think so.
So much of recommendations are determined by whether or not people use good permission marketing or not.
If you have a copy of The Writer’s Workout, please read chapter 198 and then pick up a copy of Seth Godin’s book, Permission Marketing. I don’t enjoy kicking people out of my space. And I really don’t want it to happen again.
A lot of people have not read Seth’s work. They don’t understand basic permission marketing concepts, and if they are going to write and sell books, they really should.
You do, right?
