5 reasons I might refuse your JOIN GROUP request on Facebook

Social networking can be a strategic part of career networking, for sure. But it takes some savvy to do it well. Just being a joiner, seeking membership into as many Facebook groups as possible, is not enough.

Having started a few special-interest Facebook groups, I have found myself groaning over nearly daily lists of JOIN GROUP requests from folks that clearly have no legitimate reasons for wanting in. I handily reject these requests.

OK, hold it right there. I’m not trying to be elitist or exclusive. The issue is spam.

Consider these five reasons I might refuse a JOIN GROUP request on Facebook.

None of these criteria for denying a request to join a Facebook group is prejudicial. These issue simply point to the likelihood of a petitioner being a potential spammer, rather than actually seeking to participate in the Facebook group.

Take a look. Here’s why I might reject your request, if you ask for entry to my Facebook groups.

Don’t take this personally, please. This post is aimed at being helpful and instructive. And, hey. I have accepted at least 2,000 member requests for one particular group, which is targeted to a very specific interest niche. Another group is growing rapidly as well.

1. We have no mutual friends on Facebook. Suppose my Facebook group is about Biking in Ohio. If you and I both pursue this activity, wouldn’t we be likely to share a few Facebook friends?

Here’s a definite red flag. If your profile reveals that you have NO Facebook friends at all, then you will surely look like a spammer.

2. Your entire Facebook profile page is written in a foreign language. This is not an ethnic bias. If your online activity occurs in another tongue, it may be a fair bet that you are not an active participant in the pursuit covered by a local or regional Facebook group (as mine are). For example, am I honestly to believe you are a Grand Rapids quilter, if your Facebook page is composed solely in another alphabet?

3. You already belong to a bazillion Facebook groups on all sorts of topics. Unless you are a spammer, can you actively participate in that many online communities? Could you possibly be passionate about that many subjects? Or are you simply selling something?

4. Your Facebook profile page shows no hint of the Facebook group’s focus. Here’s a tip. Suppose I run a Facebook group about agility dog training and competitions. Before you send me a JOIN GROUP request, you might want to have a few dog photos on your own profile page.

5. Your current location is nowhere near the region covered by the Facebook group. Here we go again. Let’s say a Facebook group is all about Gulf Coast fishing, but your Facebook profile page indicates you live in Paris, France. As the group administrator, won’t I wonder why you wish to join?

Like any Facebook group administrator, I’d love to see my groups grow and gain interest in their own arenas. But I refuse to overlook the possibility of inappropriate joiners, who might only clutter the Facebook group walls with spam ads for sneakers, sunglasses, or get-rich-quick schemes.

Smart networkers work the ‘net strategically, but also appropriately.

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Adapted from public domain photo

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