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Stop With All The NOISE Already!

by David Johnson on Mar 26, 2011

With the increasing number of ways that both social networks and email providers are working to help their users receive less noise, it's time that you stop producing so much of it. Take a look at your content, whether it's a status update on Facebook or an email newsletter it's important to note that just because you put it out there doesn't mean people will want to consume it. It may be time to quiet the noise and think really hard about the kind of content that you are putting out there.

With the onset of Gmails' Smart Folders that strip out all bulk email messages and Facebooks' EdgeRank algorithm that greatly reduces the amount of status updates it's users are subjected to, it's more important than ever to focus on quality engagement over "like" or email acquisition.

We've all heard it before, "think before you speak," the same could be said this way:

  • "Think before you tweet."
  • "Think before you press send."
  • "Think before you click share."

The important word is think, think like the people you are targeting, ask yourself these three questions:

  1. What reaction am I trying to create? (will people unsubscribe or click unlike)
  2. What action do I want people to take? (Blog comment, click through, like...etc)
  3. Do people really care about this? (is it only interesting to me, or will others find it interesting as well)

What noise are you producing now that isn't necessary, that people aren't engaging with and isn't producing the desired result? The answer to that question will let you know what you need to eliminate...and the sooner the better.

What are your thoughts?


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Comments

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by Bryan Armstrong Last Year:

My favorite is when people re-hash the same content on 14 different forums with slightly re-arranged Titles or content, yet every one is tweeted and posted to their FB.
Don't get me wrong, if it wasn't valuable on some level, I would unsubscribe, quit following, block user, unlike, etc., etc. But is it really helpful to put the same article out there en masse?
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by David Johnson Last Year:

I know what you mean, I've clicked on two different titles only to see that its the same post I read the day before only the paragraphs are rearranged.

I am guilty of putting the same post on multiple forums though, but I do try to keep it to 2 or 3 in the hope that I will reach different people, but that isn't always the case.

At least I don't re-hash! LOL Thank you for the valuable comment Bryan!
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by Bryan Armstrong Last Year:

David, No problem and thank you. I too have posted the same content on 2-3 sites in the past, and that's not what I'm talking about here. It's the re-hashing (tweet, tweet) that I then find is the SAME article I already read and responded to. So post away, just make sure you do it here first, as I dont see threads get "jumped" here like on some other sites.
Thanks for all you share,

Bryan
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by David Johnson Last Year:

That's the exact reason why I wrote this post, because of that. That and I get asked a lot of question about engagement and why, even though they aren't trying to sell, nobody is engaging them. It's important to take a look at what you're putting out there to gauge if it will get the kind of reaction you want, before putting it out there.
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by David Johnson Last Year:

That's the exact reason why I wrote this post, because of that. That and I get asked a lot of question about engagement and why, even though they aren't trying to sell, nobody is engaging them. It's important to take a look at what you're putting out there to gauge if it will get the kind of reaction you want, before putting it out there.
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by Bryan Armstrong Last Year:

David, No problem and thank you. I too have posted the same content on 2-3 sites in the past, and that's not what I'm talking about here. It's the re-hashing (tweet, tweet) that I then find is the SAME article I already read and responded to. So post away, just make sure you do it here first, as I dont see threads get "jumped" here like on some other sites.
Thanks for all you share,

Bryan
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by Lindsey Auguste Last Year:

Great posts and comments here. Not only is it a major bummer when you get excited about an article and find that it's one you've already read, but I think a lot of us are guilty of putting stuff out there without really thinking about what we're trying to say. We think it's more important to get something - anything- on a forum or a blog when really taking an extra few minutes to thinking about the content you are actually sharing is a huge part. We have to think "is this content that I would want to engage with, and if not, how can I expect others to?" Makes you own your brand and your message more.
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by David Johnson Last Year:

Very well said Lindsey! I know that I will do that, although I do put thought into what I write first. For instance I will look at my blog and see that I haven't put up a post in a few days and I'll start to feel like I HAVE to get something out there. I know others will do the same thing but will forgo quality to get quantity.

I trained my self a long time ago to think in terms of reaction (engagement) and how will a particular piece make me look in the eyes of my potential clients. THAT is more important than how much I put out there, then again I do feel the pressure of always wanting to have fresh content but I don't let it run away with me.

Thank you for the awesome comment Lindsey!
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by The Cobalt Group Last Year:

Brilliant point. This is probably the most valuable social media lesson there is, and the toughest to learn. In the social media industry, there is such an emphasis on keeping yourself "top of mind" and "frequency." Couple that with lightening-fast functionality like being able to post a Tweet in twenty seconds and a Facebook note in five minutes, and it's a recipe for rash behavior. I remember reading a hilariously on-point Copyblogger article a few years ago about not "drunk blogging" meaning posting a poorly written, borderline psychotic blog post in a throe of emotional fervor. This article is an extension of that valuable point. Just because the medium is snappier, doesn't mean it requires any less thought, insight, or professional polish. I think the most important thing is putting those safeguards in place to keep you from posting-on-impulse. A few things I do-always, always write a Tweet or Facebook post in Microsoft Word first so I can review for spelling, etc, schedule my Tweets in Hootsuite so I can review them before they go out, and I always have at least two other people read a blog post before I publish. What do you guys do to encourage thoughtful social media? I'd love to hear any other tips!-Jade Makana, Social Media Maven for ADP Digital Marketing (Formerly The Cobalt Group)
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by David Johnson Last Year:

Very well said Jade! When deciding what to post it's important to know what your brand means so that you are better able to remain consistent with the views that you express. Then, you are better able to tweet, post status updates and write blogs that coincide with the image you are trying to portray. I should have included this as a 4th question to ask yourself:

4. Does, what you are about to post, align with your brand image?
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