A while ago, someone asked me the following question:
If I promote others, especially my competitors, on social media, will it do my brand a disservice?
Let me answer with a personal story.
Last week, Social Media Slant turned 1. The blog may not have disrupted the blogosphere, but it has been quite successful in its first 12 months of existence.
This did not happen because big influencers told their audiences to read me. It happened because of your support, my hard work, and curation.
Curating the work of other people (especially those in my niche) has helped me complement my creation efforts and continue serving your needs in a great way. It has also kept writer’s block at bay, while adding another layer to my blog. And by offering context and my point of view to make the content even more interesting to read, I have been able to show off my expertise in a unique way.
The greatest thing about curation, though, is its community. Every member with whom I have crossed paths has shared at least one of my articles or recommended me, giving my work incredible exposure in the process.
Who are those curators? Social media pros for many of them — just like me!
Have I had to ask for support from them? Never! Actually, the more I curate, the more support I receive.
Have people stopped reading my articles, buying my eBook, or following me on social media sites because I promote others?
- The size of my audience has increased at least tenfold since I started curating
- My Testimonials and Media Mentions pages keep filling up
- Some of my competitors have even become advocates
Of course, life is not just black and white. Competition will be competition. There will always be people ready to take advantage of the 15 minutes of fame you allow them to have. Ask me how I know.
However, that should never stop you from promoting other people’s work. Because, at the end of the day, it’s your caring attitude and willingness to serve the best interests of your audience that will help you get where you want to be.
There may be thousands of digital brands that offer the same services as you, but the world becomes very small once word of mouth is involved.
