Fuck Clicks, just Delight People On Social Media

Seth Werkheiser
Aug 9, 2017 · 3 min read

Wait, how do you delight a person on social media?

Well, if you don’t know how to delight a person, you probably suck at birthdays and anniversarys.

Think about this; looking at social media can make you feel lots of things, right?

  • Anger.
  • Dread.
  • Sadness.
  • Sorrow.

So here you are, with your social media strategy, and what the fuck are you bringing to the table? You’re showing up with “click here so you can read this thing while we load 12 ads thatyou’ll ignore and we can sort of make money.”

Or, “Follow us, RT this post, and metion us to 13 of your friends to win a sticker!”

Nah, that sounds a lot like I’m doing your marketing for you.

Here’s what I did…

In 2011 I got the idea of posting heavy metal trivia questions on Twitter. I called it Skull Toaster, and my only hope back then was that some people would reply with an answer. Here we are in 2017, nearly six years later, and it’s a wonderful, sustainable side project and a steady revenue stream.

People answer questions daily with vigor. They love replying with their favorite band, and you can sense it when they type out:

“MEGADETTHHHHHHHHH!”

I honestly look at some of the answers every day (I only post one question per day), and can see them pumping their fist in the air while in line at the bank, or sitting at their cubicle.

These people feel — wait for it — smart! They’re wise. Informed. Proud. Happy. They’re putting their nerdy metal trivia knowledge to good use!

And when people are delighted like that, they stick around. We have conversations about albums, amazing concert stories, or just shoot the breeze about coffee.

I’ve met these people, when I travel around the United States. I’ve slept on their couches, danced with them on the boardwalk while listening to Andrew W.K., hugged them at shows, talked to some them on the phone for hours. Hours.

All this by posting 2,000+ metal trivia questions on Twitter. Imagine if I spent eight hours a day doing this (COUGH — for your company — COUGH)?

Yes, occasionally I mention my Patreon, and around 45 of my fans support all this (a nice 3.2% conversion of my 1,300+ Twitter followers). In turn I send them postcards and stickers, or include their names with sponsored Tweets and Instagram posts. More delight.

Did I game the system? You bet I did. I saw CPM rates declining for YEARS (I ran music blogs from 2001–2011). Heard about these “ad blockers.” I knew writers weren’t making what they used to writing for banner-ad subsidized websites.

Skate to where the puck’ll be, friends. Where’s that? HAH! Figure it out. It’s almost 2018 and shit ain’t gonna get easier here on the web.

Instead of constantly asking your audience to click a link, vote on something, or share with their friends, try delighting them instead.

Seth Werkheiser

Written by

Writer of metal trivia at @skulltoaster since 2011. Podcast host & producer, video maker, social media / editorial / email marketing nerd. hi@sethw.com

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