Twitter Plays into the Hands of Social Media Guerilla Marketing

Paul McEwan — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:05:53 +0000

Every time I hear someone say their account has been suspended my knee-jerk thinking is that they must have done something wrong for that to happen. Whatever the social media site, Facebook, Twitter, Friend Flounder and the like, someone is getting suspended for being an ass-hat.

Until it happens to me.

I have just had an account suspended from Twitter. The account was fairly new. The name aligned with my new business that I am getting ready to open. I started to add a few people as well as add a few people back, (blocked a “Brittney Naked” account) and uploaded a logo.

I had tweeted a few mundane things but not a lot. I think I had under 40 tweets. I didn’t want to draw too much attention as I am not ready for business yet. So why was I suspended? Twitter is just like Facebook in this regard: One complaint about you and your account is suspended. It’s up to you to beg and plead your innocence. There is no other recourse.

Keeping in mind the lack of activity from this account, it seems fairy obvious the account was shut down by someone who feels threatened by my business opening. Falsely accusing the account of something untoward is easy.

The new business is simply amazing. Community driven and 100% correct. A completely different “do-no-harm” business model that would scare any expanding waistline CEO competitor who is watching me and direct a minion or two to lodge a complaint.

I suppose I could ask my followers of @PaulMcEwan to complain to twitter about my business account being suspended. That might help by demonstrating authenticity but it’s no way to for a new business to enter the market, maybe if I had already been in business.

Twitter has played into the hands of Social Media Guerilla Marketing and that’s that.

Facebook Disabeled My Account

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:09:38 +0000

At first I thought I had input the wrong password but after the third try I took a look at the small text above the login form that read, “Your account has been disabled. If you have any questions or concerns, you can visit our FAQ page here.” The FAQ’s really offered nothing in the way of advice or resolution so I though I should check my email to see if they had sent me anything. Nothing.

I sent an email to their appeals email address. It’s been about 18 hours and I have not heard a thing.

I don’t use Facebook for much but I use it a lot. Everything I connect to online feeds into my facebook account. This blog for instance, my meetup groups, twitter: it all feeds Facebook and there many friends commenting on what I’m doing. I seem to be using Facebook for it’s intended purpose of social networking so why this sudden death of my account without warning?

It makes me look at a lot of social networking companies with a lot of suspicion. What if I built up a business network of customers and associates on Twitter to find it all gone one day?

For now I have this blog. Even though the design isn’t finished I’m going to have to use it to keep those who care updated.

Paul McEwan » Facebook

Twitter Plays into the Hands of Social Media Guerilla Marketing

Facebook Disabeled My Account