Seriously, how are my pets so cute? I am pretty sure I have the best animals on the planet. I'm also a little obsessed with this skirt because it's different than any other ones I own, and so much fun!
A little while ago I mentioned that once I hit 5,000 Facebook fans I would do something extra special for you all. I've been trying to come up with something awesome, but something's been holding me back... and it has to do with this. In case you didn't know, Facebook is purging everybody's Pages and deleting fake profiles, so many pages are seeing huge decreases of fans. Before I found these news articles, I thought that the reason I've lost over 80 fans in the past 2 days was because of the recent giveaway I had, and that they were simply entrants unliking after they didn't win. I wrote a post about this earlier, and even though I think I've found the actual culprit for the unlikes in that news article, I still think that unliking after a giveaway is a huge problem, so I'm sharing that post anyways....
I know, I know, people complain about this all the time and the general point of view is that you either a) stop having giveaways or b) stop making Facebook "liking" a requirement of entry. I don't like either of these options, especially because using Facebook as an entry is such a great way to get your fans to have an easy entry and even gain some new followers that might not have heard about you before. That quite honestly IS why a lot of us do giveaways in the first place. A giveaway is a marketing tool. So is Facebook. That is why we have branded pages and "fans". The truth is we ALL want something from a giveaway, whether it's the awesome prize at the end for the winner or the new traffic for the host. Though it would be nice, you can't really expect a blog/site to continually give stuff away out of their own pockets for absolutely no reason and no benefit to their brand. Giveaways are an easy way to expand a brand's reach so I think that everyone has to expect that there will be some requirements to entering.
The problem though is that there are SO many people who just hop around the internet to all of these different giveaways, complete their entries, and then remove themselves from your fan-base once it's all over. It comes with the territory, I know... It's just irritating because it really takes the point (i.e. marketing) away from the host and leaves them wondering if all the trouble was worth it. Not just that, but the majority of hosts would probably love someone to win that is actually interested in what they're offering or what they do, as opposed to somebody who is just stopping by to snatch up free stuff. We all love free stuff, so where do we find a happy medium?
The problem though is that there are SO many people who just hop around the internet to all of these different giveaways, complete their entries, and then remove themselves from your fan-base once it's all over. It comes with the territory, I know... It's just irritating because it really takes the point (i.e. marketing) away from the host and leaves them wondering if all the trouble was worth it. Not just that, but the majority of hosts would probably love someone to win that is actually interested in what they're offering or what they do, as opposed to somebody who is just stopping by to snatch up free stuff. We all love free stuff, so where do we find a happy medium?
If it were a perfect world, everyone would love everything and we'd all be fans of one another. Too bad that isn't the case at all. What I'd suggest though is that when you enter a giveaway, at least show your appreciation for the person going to the trouble and if asked to "like" a page, stick around for a while to see if you're actually interested in what their page is all about. If you're not, that's fine, but at least give them a chance instead of immediately deleting them if you don't win something. It's not fair to the host or the other entrants who actually ARE fans of the blog/site/product and would actually appreciate it. You could also be a little less obvious and simply hide the posts you don't like from your newsfeed.
So there are my thoughts on giveaways, which now is totally unrelated from the purging Facebook is doing.... but whatever. How was your weekend friends?
I love the outfit! :) xxx
ReplyDeletehttp://jeminixlife.blogspot.com
blogging is such a tricky business with there being so many different forms of media at your reach, though not all completely reliable. i admire your ambition and drive! you have a lovely blog. this is one true follower. x
ReplyDeletealso loving the sweater!!
http://lovelyunnecessities.blogspot.ca/
that can really be challenging, most especially because it is just so easy to follow and unfollow or like and unlike someone -- it only involves a click.
ReplyDeleteyou look very lovely (as always) and it seems like you had a lot of fun doing these photos <3 :-)
inspiration from the little things
I really love this outfit. That sweater is gorgeous.
ReplyDelete<3 Melissa
wildflwrchild.blogspot.com
Thanks for a well-written article. I have found many of my now-favorite blogs/shops/sites (including you) through giveaways. For the most part I've found that I really enjoy what the page/blog/shop has to offer and I stick around. On the rare occasions when I have unsubscribed or unliked it has been after giving the site a chance and realizing it's just not a good fit. I feel twinges of guilt every time, but at the same time, my time is precious and shouldn't be wasted on things I'm not interested in. It's a fine line to find balance.
ReplyDeleteI don't even enter giveaways any more cause my Facebook became so full of things i just didn't have tome to read and i couldn't even find my fails posts! I ended up hiding most pages from my feed because i know what its like to lose likes. I only read about teen blogs now that i quit blogging and i don't even enter their giveaways. I think that its to much work to keep up with it all! I just enjoy reading everyones posts and visiting their shops every once and a while.
ReplyDeleteSorry my phone changed the spelling on stop many words!
DeleteHaha there it goes again. Im done.
DeleteDana your outfit ROCKS! Gorgeousness, I love it!
ReplyDeleteI don't enter the giveaways that require the use of my personal facebook page. I like to keep all my likes within my business page because that's the page I use to keep up with all the other bloggers and small businesses that I really actually like. Plus, I would never want to be one of those people that "likes" just to win something. I only like pages that I actually want to keep up with.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, "un-liking" is definitely annoying, but so is when people lie and say that they liked for a giveaway when they really didn't. I don't know why people do that, maybe I should stop making that a priority. And thanks for cluing me in on Facebook!! I had no idea!
ReplyDeletexo TJ
Love this outfit - you look so cute! I get annoyed with giveaways for this reason too....but every time I do a giveaway I gain a few genuine fans and that makes it worth it =).
ReplyDeleteI have yet to have any giveaways for this reason. I suppose I want readers and followers to be around because they like my blog and not just because they're trying to win. On the other side, I don't follow other blogs just for a giveaway either - if I'm a fan, I'll enter but I follow a blog because I like what the writer has to say/show and not what he/she raffles off.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this wonderful and thoughtful post! And I must say that I enjoy your blog and businesses very much! :)
ReplyDeleteI participate in a lot of giveaways and I just continually have problems with them, which takes all the fun out of it as the host. As a newer small business I am trying to reach new people by offering them a chance to win my products but when they immediately unfollow back, or lie and say they liked you when they actually didn't or when they do win a gift card to my shop and then ask if they can just have their whole order for free or want me waive international shipping costs it really puts a bad taste in my mouth.
I love doing giveaways and offering something awesome for my fans and giving people who might have otherwise not heard of my shop a chance to check me out, but somethings that people do has really made me re-evaluate that practice.
Aaron and I were discussing this same exact topic a few weeks ago. It's just so crumby to follow just to win. If you like the art or the shop/product why not support them with a "like" or a "follow"... What's the big deal? Just like you said...it's easy to hide updates, and skip a post in a reader....but just overall...why would you want the product without offering a bit of support? I just don't get it. But I've seen it first hand, and have read other bloggers gripes. I just always hope for the best from people. :/
ReplyDeleteYou always have such great discussions over here Dana. That's why we love you. :)
xo
I've gotten to the point where I don't really enter giveaways anymore, or if I do I'm extremely selective of what networks I follow/like on because otherwise it gets really out of control.
ReplyDeleteI'm very liberal with following people on GFC, BlogLovin' and Hello Cotton because that's not where my everyday reads are. I'm happy follow and support people, but unless I'm super interested in someone... Most people don't make it to Google Reader, where I keep all of my favorite feeds.
I don't "like" bloggers and businesses with my personal Facebook page because I don't have the time to sit around an hide updates for everyone I follow, sure... It's possible, but I'm just not interested in taking the time. However, I do "like" quite liberally with my blog's Facebook page because I like following and supporting other people, I just don't like to mix it all in with my personal life. I've heard people complain that they'd rather have people follow them with their personal accounts, but I dunno... I personally like having that separation.
I wish that business/brand page "likes" counted towards your fan count, then it wouldn't matter so much. I personally like "liking" with my Wonder Forest facebook instead of my personal one as well, but hate that it doesn't register as an actual 'like' for the page.
DeleteI had no idea that they were purging fake accounts! That makes me feel a little better, but it still sucks. I honestly never "like" a page unless I really like the product and am willing to have them show up in my newsfeed every day...or whenever they post.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad and so true. I follow blogs that I am interested in and read all the time mainly through GFC. When it is someone who I like to get more from other than what they write in their post I then follow them on twitter/facebook/etc. It is unfortunate though when someone you have been following for a bit or even recently but really and genuinely like them and they have a giveaway for their devoted followers that it feels impossible to ever stand a chance when there are people out there liking pages and then deleting it all to get a prize. It doesn't stop me though from liking their twitter/facebook pages and what not but the giveaways I just tend to not follow because of those other people.
ReplyDeleteANYWAYS!-had a rant there-you look gorgeous as usual :) Hope you had a great weekend!
Cristina Marie
C'est Une Belle Vie
What a darling outfit! I love your mix of prints and colors.
ReplyDeletehttp://shannonhearts.blogspot.com/
I can see why you would get frustrated with the process. I don't doubt that many other bloggers (or small business/individuals who host the giveaways) feel the same way. One thing I've noticed--a blog may have, say, 700 followers. And, typically, a post may get around 5-15 comments, depending on the content. Then, suddenly, a GIVEAWAY!!! Magically, there are hundreds of comments from individuals all interested in winning...and only winning. It upsets me when people comment only for the sake of getting something ... is reading the individual's blog not enough? I've never hosted a giveaway, nor do I plan to in the near future. I do enter them, though. And I only enter those that interest me, that seem applicable. I never earn every single Rafflecopter entry, because I don't "like" things that don't apply to my personal style. I check out the giveaway, yes ... but I certainly don't want to hurt anyone's feelings by "unliking" later on. As bloggers, we always watch numbers--followers, the amount of comments, how many likes we have. It hurts us when they go down, for any reason.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I started rambling. Sorry for that. :) Totally not what I meant to say, haha. Just know that I sympathize, and that I think those who enter giveaways should be more cautious about what really interests them.
I personally never enter giveaways and sometimes I will see one on a blog I do not read, etc but I do not enter bc I feel bad for not even being a reader. Plus I just can not deal with all of it I rather just buy it and save the time lol. '
ReplyDeleteYes, as a business you want more people to spread the word etc but you also want the person who wins to be a reader someone who will use or need the product. I think by making someone like, etc they are only doing so to get the prize not bc they want to. I stopped making anyone like or follow me bc of this reason. If people like you they do and numbers really do not matter.
Very nice outfit! Love your sweater :)
ReplyDeleteHave a nice day!
xoxo
I would have to agree with you that your cat is definitely cute! =D
ReplyDeleteNice floral and stripes mixed together =)
http://diva-in-me.blogspot.com
I agree, that sounds super annoying. I also find it irritating about the personal/business likes. I don't really use Facebook on a personal level, so I really wish my business page would count towards other people's page likes! I think most people understand though.
ReplyDeleteAll these quirks and changes on Facebook made it hard to keep up sometimes!
Claire
total rockstar fashion shoot, Courtney Love-ish but BETTER! Dana, i adore your outfit and it is different for you which is the part i think i like the best!!
ReplyDeletewell, i'm not with the majority b/c i went off FB way back last year. for me it was just too many social media formats to keep track of. like visiting with friends, i prefer 1 or 2 to a big group. know what i mean? i can't believe all the recent hub-bub though. such a scene!
um, priceless is exactly what i'd say about your sweet toothed kitteh too :) awe, our cat, Gizmo, does the tongue stick out thing. sometimes she's mid-lick or mid-meow and it just sticks there like that. hilariously awesome!!!! happy week Dana! thanks again for providing a venue where these kinds of thought provoking discussions take place as well as a beautiful balance of loveliness. xo ♥
LOVE that outfit. The pattern mix is perfection. And the facebook un-liking actions by people after a give-away.. totally unclassy.
ReplyDeletetotally agree on the give-away thing! It's happened to me. REALLY annoying. Love your style chick! xxxx
ReplyDeletehaemeandrobecca.blogspot.com
i always love reading your thoughts on topics like these. seriously! and on another important note, this outfit might be my favorite one YET! i adore it!
ReplyDeletei LOOOVE your print mixing!
ReplyDeleteLOVE that skirt.
ReplyDeletethis outfit is the cutest. happy october!!!
ReplyDelete