The method of indication depends on who you are targeting specifically. If you are looking for higher intelligence individuals, you're likely to be more effective with indirect subtlety. Think like the blue check mark with twitter.

I could explain a ton about this based on my experiences in running a chain of bike shops. I've actively tested the behaviors of customers in social media, going as far as giving away a $1k product on Facebook to prove that no one cares about overt advertising anywhere on social media. It took 3 weeks and over a dozen posts to get someone to show up and ask for the product. There was no ambiguity about the posts or any catches described or implied. I'm not claiming to be an expert here, just qualifying what I know.

The total ad/recruitment options that I am aware of are:

1. selling people through their stories
2. selling a loss leader of overwhelming benefit
3. selling subtle tribalism
4. slinging spam

• stories will buy you empaths
• loss leaders will buy you misers
• subtle tribalism will buy you early adopters
• overt spam will buy you low intelligence