Let’s talk Ello.
In case you’ve been living in a pineapple under the sea, far from news-y goodness, you know about Ello. The invite-only social network exploded in popularity, at one point processing 30,000 sign-up requests an hour.
30,000 people. An hour. Begging to sign up.
Why?
No ads. No creepiness. The folks at Ello swear they’ll never sell ads or sell your data, and will instead run on a ‘freemium’ model, selling upgrades to accounts that want them.
That’s a pretty big deal, right? A massive interest in social without commodification, a huge groundswell, a desire to interact somewhere, anywhere, that is free of marketing and being marketed. That’s the sort of thing marketers ought to be listening to, right?
Well, some are. But they’re hearing a very different song than I am.
Y’all, I am already seeing posts and articles and infographics about how to market on Ello. A place people are joining specifically to avoid marketing.
No. Just…no. That’s extra-crispy wrong. We’ve moved past overly-persistent-traveling-salesman-in-a-hotel-bar creepy and gone full on into Blurred Lines creepy. “I know you want it.” No. No, they don’t want it. That’s why they’re on Ello.
Stake out your real estate there? Fine. Share good content? Absolutely. Make sure your branding is represented in line with your other social accounts? Rock on with your bad self.
But why, why, why would you try to sell to people who are trying to avoid buying? Is that really the reputation you want to have? The brand that doesn’t take no for an answer?
I know it’s Halloween, guys, but this is the wrong kind of creepy.
Storytelling for Success 
There are so many awesome ways a business can use social media for marketing. It’s a great way to connect with customers and build them into a loyal community of fans! Unfortunately, so many businesses miss the point and just look at social media as another way to move product.
That’s a fair cop — there is lots of awesomeness to be had, and marketers should be building communities. And I should’ve been a bit more clear with some terms. That’s what I get for ranting.
You can, and arguably should, look at the steps I outlined (stake out real estate, share good content, keep branding consistent) as part of marketing, but not necessarily as part of selling. There’s gotta be some sales-free place somewhere online, right?