Is Your Social Media Chatter Reducing Your Website Traffic?

Spam isn't just reserved for email anymore.

Spammers are using a variety of social media platform and if you're not careful, spam can reduce your website traffic.

Problems Caused by Spam

Spammers used to use email to claim you'd won a million dollars to try invite you send them money. However, spam filters have caused most of this type of traffic to go directly to the junk box without ever being seen by the intended recipients.

Spam has now spread across social media.

In fact, social media spam was up by 355 percent in the first half of 2013, according to Nexgate's State of Social Media Spam Report.

Social media spam allows the spammer to reach a mass audience with each post, as opposed to reaching just one person at a time with email.

If you're social media networks are covered with spam it can reduce legitimate traffic to your sites. It may turn off your customers and cause them to stop following you on social media.

It can also show that you aren't actively keeping up your social media sites. If you aren't checking your sites regularly to delete and address spam, it may turn customers off.

Learn to Recognize Spam

Social media spam isn't always obvious. Very often, people that post spam disguise it as a very legitimate looking post.

It may include words like "click here" and it may entice large numbers of followers to check out the link. Spammers often try to attract people to a particular website, such as a site selling the latest herbal supplement.

It may also include pictures of a story that is likely to intrigue social media followers. Often, stories that really tug on the heart strings of well-intentioned people are used as bait to attract people to click on a link.

Some spam links contain malware and can harm people's computers.

Often, spam is used to try and gain personal information from people, such as their bank account or credit card numbers.

Facebook Spam

Facebook spammers often have hundreds of fake accounts.

They may not have any legitimate-looking friends and may not actually have real profile pictures. Instead, they may steal a photo from someone else or may use cartoon images.

Often, spammers use all capital letters or post a link to their own website. If someone posts a message on your site that is questionable, flag it as spam and it will no longer be visible to others on your site.

Be careful about what information you provide to any apps that you use. Also, set your Facebook settings so that apps cannot post anything on your wall.

Twitter Spam

Spam occurs often on Twitter as well.

Spammers often mention you in tweets and send direct messages or even may try to hijack your account to send spam.

Reduce the chances of getting spam by monitoring your tweets closely. Pay attention and ensure that all the tweets in your account are actually from you.

Finally, don't buy followers.

Sometimes this attracts spammers to your account. Don't follow people or brands that you aren't familiar with.

There are legitimate apps you can purchase who can review your followers and alert you to people who may be spammers. You can also use apps to reduce and filter out spam.

Address spam before it hurts your website traffic.

Create a social media campaign that includes strategies for preventing and responding to spam and it will increase your website traffic.