The Scam of Social Media “Voting Awards” “Vote for Me!” Websites

On Twitter and other Social Media platforms, there has been these “Top Award voting” sites that proliferate Social Media. “King or Queen of Twitter,” “Top this or that” etc. I saw one where it promised you would be declared “Twitter royalty for life on their site,” but the bad quality of the build on it was such that I dont think its still in business. These are sites that you have to go to, setup a profile so people can “vote” for you and then start harassing the crap out of your friends to vote. Usually, its for some made up title, for a category that a million other people probably out rank you for being more deserving of.

The sites are smart and have vote limits, like: “1 vote per hour,” so rabid contestants click over and over and annoy their friends to also do it. I’ve seen “cat fights” between Twitter users as to who is cheating. I’ve heard of people wasting enough time to setup scripting programs to ping vote the sites automatically. Complete utter Idiocy. I even find it more annoying when someone else submits me, which is the case if you find me on one. I DONT sign up for them, if you see me there. Honestly, if you are truly respected in your field, you shouldnt have to be out “whoreing” votes personally.

Heres THE problem for me: YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME, EFFORTS AND NOT GETTING PAID FOR MARKETING FOR SOMEONE ELSE! I honestly, think you should better invest your time in something that makes money for YOU. I’ll support you in that.

I’m always amazed at how some people think some little thing like one of these events, will catapult them OVER all the work that it takes to truly be successful and recognized by your peers. These sites are making a killing off of ads and traffic. If its a big brand site, it helps with ad revenue and getting people to “hump” your brand. Usually they get List data en mass. Its free advertising referrals at best.

When you visit one of these sites, vote and direct all your other friends to do it, you are freely advertising the site and when people go there, they are increasing their traffic and ad revenue. Sites make more money off of their advertising if they can show they have more traffic. MEANWHILE YOU JUST FILLED THEIR EMAIL OPT-IN LIST WITH ALL YOUR FRIENDS INFO THAT THEY CAN MAKE MONEY OFF OF! Who wins – the websites. Who loses – YOU. You waste a bunch of time on it and now your friends hate you for annoying them. Check your bank account – nope nothing more there. Do you have any idea how much money you just made these sites for FREE?!

Another part I detest, is when someone I’ve never ever heard of or chatted with in my stream, wants me to vote for them to be a “Social Media Star” or whatever the title is. Usually its someone with little following, who has no business in that catagory. Meanwhile, they are hoping someone with my caliber and reach will do the work for them? Thats like a “Extra” in a Hollywood film, hustling Jack Nicolson to vote for them in the Oscars? Uh Hello?

I dont mind if you send me a link once asking for my vote. No Problem, I’ll scratch your back and support you. But, dont send it to me over and over, asking me to do it 50 times a day. Personally, I’d be more willing to support you if you were making an affiliate commission off it. Its the fact that your NOT getting paid, that bothers me. Plus, you are NOT even getting paid to SPAM ME for someone else? Even worse, you probably have a blog that your neglecting that needs marketing, while you are doing this.

Some people think its fun and god bless em. Have fun with Twitter. Hey if you think its fun and this really is the best use of your time you can come up with. I’m all for ya. But for all the work you may be doing, MY MAIN BOTTOM LINE POINT IS THIS: IF YOUR GOING TO WORK THIS HARD FOR SOMEONE ELSE’S WEBSITE, DONT. START YOUR OWN AND PUT THAT WORK INTO PROMOTING YOUR OWN SITE. I’ll gladly support you and you can bug me to promote and retweet your site all the time, BECAUSE I’ll know the money is going into YOUR pocket. Whenever someone asks me to promote THEIR website I gladly oblige.

So in the end, work hard for yourself to get traffic to YOUR website. Annoy me to promote YOUR site. I’ll love it. Not some fad contest no one will remember next year.