Death to FREE E-Crap Popup Ads

“Quickest way to get me to NOT read the post you tweeted: cover it with a popup ad for your e-crap.”

I started to tweet this yesterday, then I remembered I tweeted that last week, dammit!

Do not pass go, head straight to fail
Oh-Yes-its-FREE---iStock

Popups ads for free stuff are a scourge upon the Interents, a basic blogging what NOT to do.

Whenever I click a link via Twitter or Google reader, the second I see that popup ad to subscribe to your newsletter or download your FREE e-book, you’re lucky if I even bother with the post.

Free is Good

Lots of smart people share some wonderful tools and info for free.

  • Jay Baer has social media worksheets, ebooks and other social media tools.
  • Gini Dietrich won’t let you pick her brain (neither will I) because she shares a ton of great advice for FREE via newsletters, blogs, videos and more.

Via their blogs, tweets and networking I know that everyone from Jayme Soulati to Sarah Evans to Kimmo Linkama has something worth reading, that they share for free. So I’m happy to follow, subscribe; they don’t need to ask or push with the hard sell.

Call me a romantic

You want to get all posty and retweety and subscribing with me, I expect a long courtship. I expect dinner and movie first. And quality liquor. Don’t believe me, ask guest blogger Jenn Whinnem.

Matt Cheuvront posted that in social media you don’t get married after the first date (save a drunk Vegas thing, said I). Social media, marketing, relationships are not one-night stands. Don’t hit me with the sales pitch before I can even see what you have to offer. If ads and sidebar widgets aren’t enough for you:

  • Change your “comment posted” message. “Thanks for commenting, feel FREE to subscribe…”
  • Share it in replies: That’s why the blog is open to comments right? Reply to my comment and oh, direct me to your stuff you think I might like.
  • Send it in an “old-fashioned” email. Personally thank me for the comment on your blog, then maybe share the link to your latest e-book.
  • But please for the sake of puppies and unicorns, do NOT auto-DM me with it, I’m the quickest UNFOLLOW in Atlanta.

Now if only The Oatmeal would do a Popup Ads From Hell cartoon, I’d be set. Thoughts?

Image Credit: That over-the-top gif courtesy: By SpiderWeb-MarketingSystems via Wikimedia Commons

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8 thoughts on “Death to FREE E-Crap Popup Ads

  1. Those popup ads and subscriber boxes always give me such a fright. Especially because they often popup about 5 seconds after you landed on the site, when you’ve already ready the first couple of paragraphs. I have a hard enough time reading the computer screen as it is whiout unwanted surprises!
    Steff Metal recently posted..How to be Awesome at Niche Blogging

    1. So true, so true.. sorta creepy when they know “you came from Twitter” or whatever, tracking your cookies. My thing is the irony of people promoting engagement, selling connections.. and then they automate crap like this. Unwanted indeed. Thanks for stopping by.

  2. Not just liquor, but QUALITY liquor! I keep going back to the Type OO (Output Only). No one likes that kind of person in real life. WHY would we like them online?! The auto DMs, the pop-up ads, the “Free! Free! Free!” baloney is just that. Amen, sister!

    1. Quality = gotta have standards. 😉 Very good description of the type, Output Only.. the “me, me, me” like they’re the darling star of their very own angstfest dramedy. Baloney sums it up.

  3. I laughed aloud when I saw the reference to me! Thanks Davina!

    As I believe I commented on that post about unfollowing auto-DM’ers on Twitter – I’m with you on this. Besides, if I sign up for your newsletter…what exactly does that get you?

    1. Couldn’t help myself Jenn ;-). This is more of a rant than a blog post and I’m for being direct, authentic. Yet IMO it’s bad marketing to hit someone with a sales pitch (i.e. the popup ad) before they’ve even had a chance to check out the blog, see if they like what they read. Totally agree with you, I’m signed up for many a newsletter, have tons of things in my Reader a lot of which go unread. Not sure what it gets you. Glad you stopped by.

  4. I’ve never met a woman more direct than me, and I love it. Thank you for your nod here; am humbled. I promise never to hawk the freebies other than my expertise; it turns my stomach, too, when I see it (as I saw on a blog today).

    Have been thinking about how to monetize; not really sure I can do that via blogging without offending myself and others!
    Jayme Soulati recently posted..Auto Makers Tap Twitter Influencers

    1. Jayme, My blog IS my social media portfolio, my professional views on marketing. (Maybe one day I’ll rant on the use of music in websites, another peeve.) I have no problem with freebies, asking me to subscribe… after we get to know each other. But popping up in my face.. grr.

      A lot of blogs share great info, but it’s not always scalable down to small businesses which is why I’m happy to include you here. As for monetizing.. Your SMB Collective, I don’t think that would offend if there were ads with specific products/services for small to medium business.

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