CUTTING TIES

The trend seems to be that great ideas can come from anywhere, including the grass roots, but are you being rewarded for your generous contribution?


If the answer is no, you might want to ask yourself what it is that you're accomplishing. 


Marketers and other opportunists might ingeniously package their attempts in wonderful religious esque diction; setting up shell friendships in a clever attempt to disarm and encourage engagement to further their agenda. 


They work hard to manipulate the environment (and you) in a seamless and all but invisible way for this specific purpose (so don't blame yourself for getting taken). 



Some Key Factors To Look Out For

• If the conversation is largely one-sided: The director or blogger is merely setting up a subject or topic to be discussed without responding to comments made after the fact.
• They frequently promote products and companies with links riddled throughout their text. 
• If they are unwilling to collaborate or forge real meaningful relationships: i.e. they're unwilling to go beyond the digital. 

To paraphrase, ask yourself "What am I getting out of it"  if you can't come up with a real tangible answer than you might want to move on and find a better way to invest your time.