As a Facebook Page owner (owner of three Pages, actually), there are benefits and irritants.

Today, this irritant has resurfaced: Facebook’s chiding reminders where reminders aren’t necessary.

To wit:

Oh really.

These are the kinds of messages Page owners get* (and remember, we’re B2B, not B2C).

• 90% Spam
• 7% Just dropping off a topical link with no context…again. And again. And again. Yep, same link. Again.
• 3% Genuine inquiries

*Exact scientific method not used

For most of these, there is either no need to respond, or the risk that responding will open up a whole nest of trolls.

So, Facebook, it’s great that you think that my lack of response to 97% of private Page messages means I should turn this feature off completely. I also realize I’ll get a super-cool little icon to appear on my Page if I response to 100% of inquiries instantly!

And who doesn’t want a super-cool icon? 

But I’m busy trying to be present for and accommodate the 3% (more like the 1%, but as I said, I’m not being very scientific here):

–The percentage of audience members who truly want to learn more, have a real question (believe me, social media managers can spot questions disguised as attacks), or actually want to provide help in return with a great resource.

–People who understand and advocate our message–or want to find out how to define it for their needs.

–People who aren’t just clicking Send on a spammy message because this is as good as it gets for them.

I’m also busy sifting through each and every one of these to determine this, and not just on this one channel. I can’t assume that a message will fall into the 97% unless I read it.

And all that takes time away from engaging with people who really could use what we have to offer, and thus would take more time away from them if I did exactly what Facebook wanted me to do.

Social media may be a blanket term, but that doesn’t mean your response should be.

(It’s also why I’m talking to Facebook like its a sentient being itself, but that’s another story for another time.)