When I started using social media from a marketing point of view, there were no rules to follow. I didn't find a thousand blogs repeating over and over how to engage an audience or how to get more followers. Over the past few months, I noticed a tremendous increase in tip article written by alleged web marketing experts trying as hard as they can to get some exposure. If you pay attention to this phenomena, you will quickly realize that most of these articles always state the same things and use the exact same marketing tactics to get you to read their supposed miracle tip articles.

The tactic is simple: state the obvious using erudite sentences and make sure to add a number to your title: 10 ways to grow a fan-base, 6 tips to become a leader on LinkedIn, 10 advice you should follow if you want your blog to succeed.

This is why I ironically decided to do the identical method to illustrate the article you are about to read. Hereafter you are going to find the 4 sentences that warn you not to read further because it will probably be pointless and you will not learn anything. I do not have better advice to offer but I can still save you some time.

1. Create valuable content 

This is without a doubt, the advice I read the most. The blogger is basically telling you:

"Do you want to be a pro tennis player? Be good at tennis."

This does not mean anything. Instead, I would love to read tips on how to improve my writing skills or my way to analyse my social environment.

2. This will triple your engagement rate

Then show me a concrete example of it. If this is indeed going to help me so much, why can't I find any concrete application of your statement in your article?

3. Build a relevant audience

Any chance I will find a tip on how to do that? Yes, "by creating valuable content", which again does not tell me anything but only states the fact that it is really important to have people interested in what you have to say. I'm not sure anyone wants fans who do not care about what he shares.

If by that, bloggers mean "do not just purchase a bunch of followers and likes", then please explain to your audience why this would be the worst move to consider. That way you would make people actually learn something.

4. Social Media is dead

Obviously I made this up and this probably won't ever happen but my point is: do not read an article claiming that anything "is dead". You will feel as if Captain Obvious wrote it because indeed, you already knew that it was dying or rotten. If it is not buried yet, it's because the title is ostentatious and the writer probably realized it too as he was writing it.

The reason I wrote this article is not because I'm tired of reading these advice but because I think most of the bloggers should start being more innovative. We live in a constant renewal world where stagnating means dying, therefore everyone feels obliged to keep his audience entertained 24/7 when it would actually be better to take enough time to provide this valuable content everyone is talking about. Stating the obvious and staying on the surface of your article only draws attention on a short-term basis. My interest goes to people who investigate their topics concretely.

Author Bio
This article is by Eliott Duckers who is the Community Manager/Consumer Engagement Office at Evolutionland.