So you want to be my social media friend, let’s see if you can pass my test…
(1) do you have a banner picture?
(2) do we have at least 5 friends in common?
(3) is your profile more than a year old?
(4) do you have at least 10 pictures (of you or others) on your page?
(5) do you share any information about yourself?
(6) have you posted to your page at least in the last week?
(7) have you shared more than 30 posts on your page?
If you answered NO to more than 1 of these 7 questions…the chances of you being my friend…well, let’s just say…it’ll never happen.
So why is this test important when selecting who can and can’t be your friend on social media?
Well for starters…safety.
If you accept the wrong person as a friend they could potentially target your other friends and can access their information through you.
Now let’s review why these questions are important.
A banner picture – is important because it shows you that your new potential friend has taken the time to show off their personality. A blank picture typically means a new account or an account that could have been cloned. Yes, cloning accounts happens more than you think. It’s when someone steals your pictures and creates a new account to trick your friends into thinking you have a new account.
Having friends in common is a big trust factor and goes a long way in deterring whether your potential friend gets accepted. If less than a few friends in common than make sure the person is legitimate before accepting. Ask your friends in common about the person in question.
Having a profile for more than a year is a good indication the account is not a fake account – although use your good judgement when accepting them as your friend.
Having at least 10 pictures on their account gives you some indication that they want to be somewhat transparent and want people to know a little about them and their personality. Although it’s always good if those pictures are different. I’ve seen accounts where they have hundreds of pictures but they are same 10 pictures over and over again.
Sharing information in their about section gives you more details about where they are from, where they live now, where they work and if they are married or single. The more information they supply the better idea you have about them.
Posting to their page in the last week is a biggie…it tells you they are active on social media. I can’t tell you how many friend requests I get and when I look at the last time they posted and it shows a year and half ago I have to wonder why? So they want to be my friend but yet they rarely post. Hmmm, nope!
If they don’t have at least 30 posts to their page its a good indication they seldom use social media to interact with people so accepting them as a friend would be the equivalent of saying “Hi” to a passing stranger in a foreign country…sure it’s courteous but nothing will ever come about it.
Learn to be vigilant in who you accept as a social media friend.
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Rob is affectionately known as “Mr. Sarcasm” to his friends - to everyone else he’s a Certified Digital Marketing Strategist, a Foremost Expert On Specialized SEO, a Best Selling Author, Podcaster, Speaker and Authority Broadcaster who can help amplify YOU to your audience.
Rob has authored, coauthored or produced over 55 books covering social media, search engine optimization, podcasting, copywriting, personal injury law, weight loss, military law, life lessons, scams, sarcasm, customer service and more. His book clients include lawyers, speakers, doctors, real estate professionals and more.
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