It seems that there are a lot of business owners who think that social media is just a popularity contest and that the person with the most likes, fans, and followers wins. Unfortunately, that is not true when it comes to your online marketing and Google is getting really annoyed with the tactics some companies are using to boost their numbers. It’s cheating, and we all know that Google doesn’t like cheaters.

Black Hat Social Media methods are growing and social media giants like Facebook and Google are cracking down on those who feel the need to buy fans. The point of social media for a business is to engage, connect, and have a two-way conversation with fans. If you’re buying likes, are you really building the right tribe? If you’re using fake profiles as fans, don’t you think your analytics will be skewed?

Bottom line, cheating is bad. Google addressed the issue of Black Hat SEO by updating their search algorithm and finding the “keyword stuffers” and others who violated their terms. The end result? Websites found using Black Hat SEO methods were blacklisted from Google, meaning they were not found in searches. The same thing is going to happen to those social media profiles dabbling in Black Hat. Social media and SEO are so tightly linked that it will severely hurt your company’s search ranking if your social profiles are blacklisted.

Ok, so if you can’t buy likes and fans, then how do you grow your social media following? It’s easy, you grow your social profiles with relevant content. Remember, social media is a conversation so post relevant content and talk with your followers. Ask questions, look for opinions and listen to your true followers. This is how social media benefits your business.

At Orbit Design, our Marketing Machine program covers social media management as well as content creation and lead generation. Learn more about our program here. If you need help with your social media marketing, give me a call today 303.433.1616 Ext 5.