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Social Media Writing Sin #4 – Baiting and Switching

February 9, 2011 By Linda Dessau

Bait150w225h There are two ways I've witnessed a "bait and switch" in social media writing:

1. An attention-grabbing headline with a story that fails to deliver

I once clicked on a link to what sounded like a breaking news story. When I got to the page, I read all about how if there were such a crisis, it would be really important to have a great website (this person happened to build websites).

Getting attention is one thing – keeping it is another.

2. Taking credit where it isn't due

As Andrea J. Lee puts it, experts (yes, that's you!) have an opportunity and a responsibility to serve as the Google for your audience. You can be leading them to the best and most relevant content that will help with their specific challenges. And our social networks are designed for precisely this kind of sharing.

And yet, when you post a headline with a link, your readers are going to assume you are the author of both. In my view, this is a form of plagiarism, even if it's only for a second (the time it takes someone to click through and realize you're not the author of the post you're linking to).

Warning: Indulging in this social media writing sin can make you stand out for all the wrong reasons. Readers will remember you as the one who "tricked" them into clicking to a page that was either misleading, disappointing or someone else's work.


My Top Five Social Media Writing Sins – Revealed!

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Filed Under: Social Media, Writing Tips

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