There’s been so much hoopla (yup, that’s a word) in the last year of two about the power of social networking and what it can do for your business. I personally didn’t get keen to this until about a year ago, but realized soon enough the huge impact it has made.
You’ve probably heard things such as:
- How can you measure social media?
- What’s the return on investment?
I never really got the answer to this. Some say you can measure it, others say not. I say, how do you measure relationships?
Let’s think about this for a moment…
My first thought is that you can’t measure relationships. But the more I think about it, maybe you can. Not in the statistic sense of course, but in the practical yet ethical sense. Let me explain.
Scenario: Let’s say you’ve been active on Twitter for several months. In that time you’ve made many connections, some you just would consider acquaintances, some you have followed (or vice versa) that you never heard from again and others that over a course of time you’ve nurtured relationships with.
Now fast forward six months and you’ve finally ready to release your first online product. Who do you think you will go to first to ask for support? The people you’ve made connections with over time using social media or those you barely know?
Anyway, why did this whole topic come up in the first place? What story am I about to share with you that just may (if you are yet not convinced) persuade you that Social Media is a powerful tool that if used correctly can be a driving force in your business.
About a week ago I got an email from a friend, I will call him Brian from Blog Engage 
, asking me if I wouldn’t mind checking out his article for the FamousBloggers / CommentLuv contest he was in. He was facing some stiff competition from Mavis Nong, who at the time was well over 400 comments on her post!
(Side note: Little did he know at the time, I too was a participant in the contest, but because of my respect for him and what he is up to in life, I gladly agreed to head over and support him).
Upon reaching his article, he had already 276 comments on this one article! Pretty freakin’ amazing right? Well, he was gunning for more and boy was he pulling out all the stops. Within 24 hours he managed to get over 100 additional comments. And you know what? They are still coming. At the time of writing this post he was already at 512 comments!
You’re probably thinking what’s the big deal? Sites like ProBlogger and CopyBlogger easily get double that. But here’s the thing – the article had already been posted for a few weeks and those additional comments were added based on his commitment to blow it out the water. The majority of comments are added within a week of a post going live.
Of course my first thought was, how? How did he use the Power of Social Networking and produce over 100 additional comments in 24 hours for an article that was published weeks prior?
So I went back and looked at all the comments and here is what I saw:
Question after question after question! Hmmm… maybe he’s on to something. Same thing for Mavis. Her 500+ comments wasn’t a freak accident; it was due to the power of social networking!
It’s called having a conversation and engaging others!
But see this wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t already done the work previously of creating and nurturing relationships with others. This is not something that happened over night. This can take months, even years to do!
- So imagine what nurturing your social relationships can do for your business?
- How can these relationships help you in being the driving force in getting your product or services out there?
- How can these relationship turn into collaborations?
So the next time someone tells you that social networking is a waste of time, remember this story and remember what one mans perseverance and willingness to connect with others did for him.
BTW, due to the overwhelming response of this, Brian decided to add all those who supported him as Sponsors in a contest being held on his social network as a way of thanking them. Great idea Brian and thanks for being an inspiration.
Click below to see the list of Blog Engage Sponsors:
[spoiler]
Ana Hoffman from Internet Marketing Tools
Kimberly Castleberry from WordPress and Facebook Marketing
Justin Germino from justingermino.com
Amogh from The Funky Chunk
Don Power from sproutsocial.com
Kavita from SFIhomebizz.com
Latief from Simple Blogging Tips
Jane Sheeba from Blogging Tips
Sheila Atwood from newbielifeline
Matt Conlon from Matt Conlon.com
Aswani from aksindiblog.com
Kharim from Free Blogging Tips
A. Tatum from maddencorner
Tuan from Technology News
Omer Greenwald from webtechwis
Aybi from social media for business
janwong from janwong.my
Robert Bravery from integralwebsolutions
RowenaBolo from AsianMarketer
Ileane from BasicBlogTips.com
David Leonhardt from SEO consultant
tonyknuckles from 113tidbits
Cosmin Stefan from themilliontwister
Joyce Oladipo from joyceoladipo
Jon from Essex Portal
Jon from jonalford
Mavis Nong from attractionmarketingonline
Dahlia Valentine from That Internet Marketing Thing
Jan Rossi from getyoustartedemarketing
Janet from The Natural Networker
Dennis Edell from Direct Sales Marketing
Vijayraj Reddy from Make Money Online
Alex from Jocuri from jocurile
Tony Hastings from thetop10blog
Neeraj Rawat from Experts Galaxy
Kristi from Blog Marketing
Mani Viswanathan from DailyBlogging
Alex from make money with amazon
Estava Morioka from estavamorioka
Shiva from Webmaster Tips
Robert Dempsey from Internet Marketing Strategies
kbharath from Techntricksonline
Steve from Lifestyle Design
ndreas from Online Advertising
Saket Jajodia from SJbn.Co
Bican Valeriu from smarketools
Wong Chendong aka The Bad Blogger
Nishadha from Make Money Blogging
Dave Grimes II from thesisready
Devesh from Blogging Tips
Matthew from Home Based Internet Businesses
Paul Salmon from Technically Easy
kirapermunian from geekster online
John Paul from Blog Resources
John from Hypertransitory.com
Michael Aulia from CravingTech.com
Daniel Snyder from fireproof safes for data
Deepak from Lead Generation
Nicholas Wind IMer from cashflowduplication
Sarah Lam from writingconsultation
Catarina Alexon from catarinasworld
MtnJimFisher from outsourcing
Peppy from The PeppyWrites Chronicles
Felix Albutra from Blogging Access
Gloson from social media and blogging tips
sajeev kumar menon from sajeevkmenon
Argie Monroy from Live Life More
Andrew Williams from The Billionaire’s Butler
Memoirs of a Single Dad from Memoirs of a Single Dad
Gera from SweetsFoodsBlog
Togrul from Income Streams
Jennifer from emptypockets01
ptaylor98 from ptaylor98.jottit
Doc Sheldon from docsheldon.com
Goran from Black Hat Source
Ninure from Ninure da Hippie’s Blog
Christine from christine.biz
Sarah from templatefaerie
Alison Moore Smith from Affordable Web Design for Small Business
Dave Lucas from dave-lucas.blogspot.com
Sean Supplee from Seansupplee.com
DazzlinDonna from making a living online
Pablo Lara H from pablolarah.cl
Tia Peterson from bizchickblogs.com
Dr. Rus Jeffrey from General Sarge
Sietse from allyouneedislists.com
Blazing Minds from Blazing Minds
Typhoon from make Money Online
Kiesha from WeBlogBetter
Bryan Hollis from News for Bloggers
Harleena Singh from Freelance Writer Blog
Tristan from Blogging tips
Andi from misadventureswithandi.com
Dr. Hansjörg Leichsenring from der-bank-blog.de
Big Cajun Man from canajunfinances.com
Imran from shariffdotorg
Melinda from findingthehumor.com
Martha Giffen from marthagiffen.com
Dani Nir-McGrath from danimcgrath.com
Pit from pureinfotech.com
TS Redmond Mize from Element Content
Raj Agrawal from Upcoming Technology
Ryan Hanley from Albany Insurance
Kev From kevsproreviews.blogspot.com
Dana from Cell Phone Reviews
Michele Welch from new biz blogger
Josh Thompson from Boom Serve
Ryan Biddulph from Home Based Success
Fletcher T. from emailfletcher.blogspot.com
Jimi Jones from Jimi Jones
Dwight from FinanciallyEliteBlog.com
[/spoiler]
Action Plan:
1. Look for ways to engage your readers. Ask questions. Write meaningful and engaging responses to elicit further comments. If you are using the WordPress platform, you may consider adding the ReplyMe plugin.
2. Develop a plan on how you are going to use Social Media to create and nurture relationships. Don’t be a passing ship in the night. Dock your boat and stay a while and get to know people.
So what do you think? Do you think social networking is all it’s cracked up to be? Leave your comments below and share with us your thoughts.
Image Credit
The social web in my opinion is an extension or an offline version of building and nurturing relationships. Just like in “real” life, you can not do everything on your own. You have connections and the web has grow in such a dimension that it is impossible to think that one can succeed without any form of connecting with people. The examples you gave are just but proof that interacting, engaging, and helping each out is the force that can not and should not be ignored. The web is no longer a single players game..
Well said DiTesco! You’ve just summed up my post in a few sentences.
I think networking and collaborations were always the natural course; many of us just didn’t see it. But more and more I think it’s become apparent and a necessary step to your overall success.
Thanks for your input. Always love hearing from ya!
Communication is the key to all networking when ti comes to the internet..if you can master this then you have a recipe for success.
“Black Seo Guy “Signing Off”
Agree Antonio! By the way, I just love how you sign off on your comments. You’re consistent with it, which is really cool!
Thanks Michele…because some people don’t like my signing off..
People are to please. I like it, too!
LOL I mean, People are HARD to please. Typos!
LOL… I was wondering what you were trying to say.
What did you mean by people are hard to please? Are you talking in general or in the context of your website?
The power of social media marketing is incredible. But I’ll be the first to admit if you don’t go out of your way to develop and build these relationships it won’t be as powerful out of the box as some people think.
If you look back over the past three years you will see ton of hard work on my part sincerely trying to meet my members at blog engage and build true relationships.
It’s an extremely difficult process to get the hang of. Meeting new people online you have nothing in comment with and know nothing about can bring upon huge obstacles.
Asking questions to the people commenting really helped me overcome and achieve many comments I wouldn’t normally have gotten.
Thanks for using me as an example and also thanks for supporting me in the contest.
Any time Brian. Your display of social networking with that post was uber impressive and a lot of people can learn a thing or two from that sort of commitment.
I’m glad you’ve verified that this is not an overnight process but one that takes a LOT of work and willingness to open yourself up to new experiences, new people and a whole host of different personalities.
Well done my dear! Keep it going… I see a book in the works in the future. Maybe something for you to think about???
Ironically I have started an e-book but the Blog Engage RSS Service has been so successful it’s been keeping me so busy the book has been put on the back burner. (Hold)
I have about 30 pages of content in the book so far. I had planed on releasing it free to blog engage members only but we will have to see what happens! Hard to release something if it never gets finished lol…
Maybe I can include it as a free benefit as well to our RSS customers. So many idea’s so little time…
I hear you Brian. Some here. Tons of unfinished projects. Definitely a challenge to keep up with it all. By the time you finish writing an article, answering some comments and do a bit of social networking, half your day is gone. LOL Crazy!!
You can just make is a simple ebook – 30 pages sounds like there may be quite a bit of stuff already. Anyway, sharing it with your members is a great idea. People love bonuses.
By the way, will definitely be checking out your Blog Engage RSS service soon (on my to do list as we speak). I remember DragonBlogger doing a write-up on it and its seems like a very worth while service. Great to hear it’s going well for you! I just love success stories.
I know the last time I looked at it I was reevaluating some of the content I added. You might laugh but I actually started it many months ago… I know I know procrastination is the assassination of motivation right?
Honestly I think I lost interest and started wondering if it was even good enough to release. The funny part about online blogging is many people are at different learning stages it’s almost impossible to write something that can be beneficial for everyone.
Then after a few weeks I started wondering if it was even worth releasing and here I am now with this book that I have to truncate somewhat and release. I’ll be honest you have sort of inspired me a little to maybe re look at the project.
oh my goodness Michele, I went back to my blog to see when I announced I was working on an e-book and it’s almost been a year LOL
http://www.seomkt.com/i-am-working-on-my-e-book-everyone/
jezz I’m rather embarrassed…
LOL…don’t be Brian. I’ve been working on my training program for a LONG time as well! Sometimes other priorities (and life) get’s in the way. Hey, maybe it was just not the right time and now it is.
“I lost interest and started wondering if it was even good enough to release.” That’s just your ego talking. We are our worst critics, don’t you know? I’m sure it’s great and it may not be for everyone, but your target is NOT everyone. Right?
Pick a date on when you plan to complete it, let us know when that is by telling everyone (including me) and we will hold you accountable. Now the pressure is on.
Thanks so much for this post. I’ve been struggling for the past several months to get the hang of social networking in order to work for me as I prepare to launch my upcoming web-based biz. It’s been very slow going. Some days I see no results at all.
Now I know to 1) be patient and keep nurturing the relationships a day at a time; and 2) to ask more questions and find ways for others to engage.
Hopefully by the time we reach the launch countdown, I will have a community there to share the moment with me. I appreciate the boost and the simple but helpful tips!
You got it Sarah! Simple, yet effective and common sense tactics. But most of all be your vibrant, authentic self! I don’t know about you, but I gravitate towards people who are real, driven and passionate about sharing what they do. Show that side of you and you will see how easy it flows. But it’s a work in progress like anything else.
Good luck with your launch. What kind of business are you launching?
I think people would have a better social media experience if they would stop trying to measure it and just use it the way they are supposed to, ie. engage with others. I mean, the two hours businesses spend running reports could be spent looking at conversations in their industry and jumping into the mix! Great post, and example!
Hi Kristi,
I completely agree with you! Many of us try to analyze things to much and try to replicate instead of allowing things to come naturally by simply be open to conversations. I like to think of my social networks as a big party. I don’t shoving products and services down people throws when I entertain them. I schmooze them first, get to know them, make them feel comfortable first.
You just have to get out there. Thanks for your input Kristi. It’s always very much appreciated!
Kristi your 100% right, I cannot convince our marketing department to spend any time social media marketing because I can’t “prove” it’s a valuable aspect of online marketing.
If they would only be more open to new ideas we would be ranking higher in the search engines and generating positive activity in social streams online. Instead no one knows about us unless we call them. It’s rather sad actually.
I totally agree with you Kristi. But some folks LOOOVE their numbers. I personally find them boring.
“I think people would have a better social media experience if they would stop trying to measure it and just use it the way they are supposed to, ie. engage with others.”
Could not have said it better myself Kristi.
Coming from you though it’s no surprise.
You are the bar to which all others set their sites (excuse the pun) and I for one look at you as the number one example of what sharing in the blogging sense should be.
(Did that make sense?> it’s 3am and I really should be in bed)
Oh sorry, great post Michele, I remember Brian emailing me about that too. Happy to engage and like you said, he was always adding value to the continuing thread himself as well.
You’re not so bad yourself sister.
In fact, you’re bloody awesome I reckon
LOL, you crack me up Alex. Thanks for the wonderful comment.
In fact, you’re bloody awesome yourself!
Now get to bed!
I really like the action plan you added at the end. When you’re a new blogger, that is the kind of information you need. When I first started blogging and using Twitter, I was pretty much learning and lurking. Once I started to jump in and join the conversation, I started learning so much more. It’s well worth the effort.
Hi Marianne,
It really is like swimming in deep water when you first start isn’t it? A bit scary, intimidating and exhausting until you learn the ropes. But once you get the hang out it, it can be such a powerful tool and fun! I’ve really enjoyed social networking, in particular Twitter. The irony of it was that Twitter was my least favorite and the onset and the one that I just “didn’t get it” for the longest time.
Funny how things change.
Thanks for stopping in. Lovely to hear from you!
Hello. The heart of the matter, connections!
Get in, get on with it, or get something else that works: if you don’t understand something online then its important.
while I am not a big fan of contests this seems to be very effective in finding out what kind of chops you have online.
Observing, as you have, gives me the chance to filter the bits that will work for me. Thanks for that.
Billy.
PS Can you tell me where you got the sidebar on the left of your screen, the one with all the social connections to like, vote, tweet, share etc… it seems to be sufficient without being invasive. Thanks
Hi Billy,
It really is about what works for YOU. I guess you’re right. Contests can really say a lot about a person can’t they?
The plugin i use for my sidebar is called Sharebar. It’s very easy to use although keep in mind if you use Firefox you may have a hard time seeing updates due to caching delays. In Internet Explorer you shouldn’t have any trouble seeing true values.
Thanks for stopping by! Pleasure chatting with you.
Thanks for your response Michele.
I do appreciate the pointer to the sharebar and I will look into trying it out.
BizSugar is an Ohio site, I’m from Akron, and I like the other stuff on offer too.
I will be back to check what you write about.
Best regards Billy
Hi Michele,
Awesome example here.
Brian connected with me and I was more than happy to offer up a few comments, adding value to his post and increasing the engagement.
When you make connections you have absolutely no idea of how immensely beneficial the relationship is for both parties, now and down the road.
Thanks for sharing!
RB
Hi Ryan,
I agree… you just never know. This is the reason why you should always treat people with respect and being willing to listen. That virtue may one day lead to wonderful things.
Thanks for stopping in!
What a great example of how to engage with your readers, no wonder his blog gets many comments. It is hard to maintain such a commitment though, really have to admire the effort.
Hi Nishadha,
Yes, I agree, it’s no easy task for sure! It is a huge commitment on his part, but it’s also what has made him successful with his sites. For me a happy medium works best. I love to comment and engage others, but do realize that this keeps me from working on other projects that ultimately affect my bottom line.
Decisions, decisions.
Every relationship in order to survive requires time, and lots of positive energy.You don’t get into a relationship expecting to work by itself, you need to be an active participant in order to get positive results. The same thing applies to the relationships we develop online.
Yup, you hit the nail on the head Mia! You always have to be an active participant others the relationship won’t work. It takes time, dedication, commitment and the willingness to explore. Something beautiful when someone slowly begins to reveal themselves to you because you’ve been a stand for them to do so and a stand for being a person that they can trust.
Wonderful hearing from you! Cheers
Gotta say I love Brian (in a nice friendly, and manly kinda way….)
He does a great job at engaging people and drawing them into a conversation. Sometimes I get so caught up in blog engage I dont get other stuff done
LOL, I’m sure he’ll enjoy reading that James.
It really is an engaging and actively community; I can’t see why you can lose track of time being on it.
Nice meeting you!
That’s freaken amazing, Michele! Awesome study you did here. In the beginning, I was wondering where this may all lead (actually, I was jumping with excitement!), and then you hit it on the nail when you said to engage your audience with questions, and I’m just like, “Oh.”
And yet, while it should be obvious, that’s the one area where I’ve been sorely lacking over the past few months. So thanks for the reminder! I sure owe you one.
By the way, what Brian did was INCREDIBLE! Accumulating comments to over 500 AFTER the post has already been live for a week? That’s insane! He definitely gets a pat on the back from me for that one.
Christina
Hi Christina,
I agree; what he managed to pull off was nothing short of fantastic and impressive.
Glad you like the article. It’s all about building up the suspense and adding a twist to the story. LOL. But, yeah, it was a great reminder for me as well. I always respond back but asking questions is definitely a great way to keep the conversation going.
Let me know how it goes. Maybe you can do your own case study???
Haha, we’ll see.
Hi Michele,
GREAT example of the value of social media! I think Kristi’s point is really terrific too – just hanging out and talking to people, like you would at a party, is much more likely to yield results than doing hit & runs on a gazillion blogs. But it’s so easy to get caught up in the numbers game because they’re thrown at us in all the article headlines: “increase your subscribers!!” “get more followers!!”, etc. Gotta learn to shut out the noise and just have fun – and I’m saying this mostly because it’s a lesson I’m finally beginning to take heed to myself!
Hi Tisha,
It’s a great lesson to learn. I agree, we are bombarded by how numbers are so important, but in the scheme of things means very little. I’d rather have conversations with 100 people who are up to great things in life as I am then with 1000 that could care less of having a conversation and connecting, but rather just promoting their stuff.
I think with engaging and building relationships the numbers just come naturally anyway, in due course.
Thanks for stopping by Tisha. I was wonderful to hear from you!
Michelle,
I have to admit that I have tried to measure my time on social media. As with any business you try to measure where it is best to spend your time and money. But this is one area that is tough to measure.
A few weeks back I attended the funeral of a friend. The gathering was held in what we call a cultural hall. The hall is the is the size of a basketball court.
I was surprised the see the hall packed, and people were even standing in the joining rooms. It was quite a tribute to my friends ability to build honest lasting relationships. And I am sure the ROI for him was even bigger than I could see.
It is easy to say that measuring social media is a waste of time and the the time could be better spent else where. Or that stats are boring. Yet we still do it. Your article measured and compared the results of social media. The blog contest Mavis and Brian were in pushed getting numbers to measure by. I viewed the amount of people at my friends as a measurement of his love and generosity.
It is simply a way of determining value. The value of our time, the value of what we bring to others and the value that others find in what we bring. Sorry but we do not escape that measurement no matter how petty we may think it is.
Hi Sheila,
Sorry to hear about your friend, but wow, what an amazing story of someone who has dedicated their lives to building relationships; what a testament to who your friend was as a person. That is the true measure; who will stand for you when the time comes?Who will be your evangelist? Who will be your support?
So the only true measure is how are you contributing to another and how that conversation is making an impact. If you are making a difference for another than that itself is the only true measure worth mattering.
Thank you for sharing this story with us Sheila.
The ReplyMe plugin is awesome, Michele. I used to wonder why people didn’t respond to questions I asked in my replies to their comments. Many times these were in response to a question they brought up in their comment and for which they seemed genuinely interested in a response from me about.
I finally figured out that people are resistant to subscribing to anything (including comments) because they never know what they will get in their inbox. I still get my email flooded by additional comments from sites I visited months ago, but I subscribed to comments so I could carry on a conversation with the blogger about the post.
This plugin removes all those headaches. I wished more bloggers used it.
Hey Brad,
Nice too see you around again! For ah while I hadn’t seen you around the blogosphere. Of course I might of just been in all the wrong places. ( ;
The ReplyMe plugin is soooo freaking awesome! It really helps to expand the conversations that are going on within your community. I had my doubts from the hype, but after using it for a couple weeks I really noticed a difference.
If your not using that plugin then, you really missing out.
God bless,
William Veasley
Nope, I was hiding under a virtual rock.
Actually, I was helping out a friend for tax season and it basically consumed my life for about two months. I’ve been back for about two weeks slowly getting back into the groove.
It’s nice to know I was missed. Thank you.
I’m with you Brad; repyme plugin is definitely one of my favorite finds! It always drove me a a bit crazy getting sometimes 100+ emails from a very active site that I subscribed to.
Some bloggers use both repyme and subscribe to comments, which is great because you still get the direct response sent to you but you also still get all other comments as well; however some people want this. Not sure what the ideal solution is, just a matter of preference I think.
I’m using both plugins on my sites now. I’ve been thinking about dropping the subscribe to comments one, but it’s great for guest posters to keep up with comments. I wonder how many other people really care about all of the other comments left on a post? My guess is that it’s very few. What do you think?
Hi Brad,
Well I can only speak for myself but more often than not I want to know if the blog host has responded to my comment so I don’t have to continue to sort through all the comments. It’s just a time issue. If I’m particularly interested in the discussion I will make it a point to read the comment, but it’s a rarity since I’d rather focus my efforts on producing more content, working on projects and connecting with people on my social networks.
I think it’s fine to have both; I’ve considered putting subscribe to comments back on as well. This way they can choose to unsubscribe if they want, yet still get the direct response from the blog host. I think it’s just a matter of preference really.
Awesome post Michele!
I totally agree with you… I have used social media to make some great connections in my industry and cannot stress the importance of integrating it into your online marketing strategy.
For example: #tweetitforward was a great way to leverage the power of social media.
If used correctly social media is such a powerful tool.
Show them how it’s done Michele…. =]
LOL, I love your upbeat and positive mindset Chris! Utilizing social media in your marketing strategy is only getting stronger and you would be remiss not to take advantage of this medium. I expect those that realize this sooner than later will gain the competitive edge.
Great hearing from you Chris!
Hey Michele,
Fantastic example of social networking. I really have been trying to step up my social networking game. To pull in 100 comments in only 24 hours is pretty amazing if you ask me. I glad I took the time to drop by and read this article. This is really inspiring for me.
Looks like you been having some success with Twitter. I see your avatar all over the place! I have made some interesting discoveries with Twitter lately. ( :
God bless,
William Veasley
Hey William,
I KNOW you have stepped up your game and it’s fantastic to see! I agree, what he pulled off was amazing and only proves what is possible.
So you’ve some interesting discoveries on Twitter lately huh? Hmm… do you plan on writing about it? Sounds very interesting.
Michele, we have so many options these days on how to market ourselves that people always feel the need to measure ROI so they can spend their time wisely – especially those of us that are trying to make money online.
I’m not really in that category so I just do whatever floats my boat – so to speak.:)
I use Twitter a whole lot because I love it. I’m a huge fan of people like Brian, yourself, Kristi, Gail, DiTesco, Tia, Mavis Nong, Hesham….the list goes on – because I really like you guys. And each one of you has done a fantastic job of “giving back” by sharing your experiences and helping others. That’s was social is all about and you’re right – it can’t really be measured.
Thanks Michele!
Hi Ileane,
WOW! I just loved your comment!! So authentic, from the heart and real. You’ve been such a wonderful inspiration for so many people (including myself
) and it doesn’t surprise me that you would write something as elegant as this.
Keep on doing what “floats your boat” girlfriend. It works wonders for you.
Its interesting when you think of the power of social media. This over the first quarter of the year has proven to help to act as a catalyst for good as well as bad (depending on what way you look at it). Nevertheless, its got imense potential, mainly due to it bridgeing the distance problem.
Over the past 15 days, I have been lucky to get in touch with some interesting folks, from whom I am gradually getting to know better. And all this has been via twitter & co.
Martinsays : Hey Michele, whats been the best thing which has happened to you via any of the SMs you use?
Hi Martin,
Great question! A lot of things have happened to me via Social Media that has been awesome; in particular meeting a whole host of amazing bloggers and busines owners. But if I had to pick one at the moment, I would say is meeting my now partner for WordPressJunkies.net. As I said, you never know where your relationships may lead you and in this case has led to a wonderful collaboration.
Thanks for stopping by Martin!
I think now that Google is integrating your “social media network” within search results…makes using social media not just a no brainer, it’s a must.
A lot of the criticism of social media was that people aren’t in the “buying” mindset. In other words, people searching Google were looking to solve problems / take action / buy something. So, a lot of people were putting more weight on SEO than social media.
Now that Google is changing their algorithm to include your “network” in search results, it’s a game changer. It’s like automated word of mouth. (It’s like Google’s saying: “Hey your friend John bought these jeans from XYZ, maybe your interested?”) Pretty cool.
Vaynerchuk was on a business show (CNN? FOX?) and he explained this “local / tribal Internet phenomenon coming on us quickly. Their jaw dropped.
Ahah Anthony. Very clever way to think about it. Yes, with Google now integrating your social network recommendations into your search results it only stands to reason that more weight will be focused on this!
Would love to have seen that interview with Gary Vaynerchuk. I’m sure it was fantastic.
Thanks for your input. Just more evidence of the Power of Social Networking.
Someone cut straight to the good point on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvpduZKAPvs
The full interview on GV’s website:
http://garyvaynerchuk.com/page/2
Awesome Anthony! Thanks so much for posting the link. Appreciate you taking the time to do so.
Look forward to viewing it.
Ciao!
That’s very interesting Michele! You did well in highlighting the important phrases in Brian’s comments. They were like pieces of gold in the sand and you’ve discovered them and shared to us! For me, genuine relationship with your clients/readers/followers means everything. It’s not a simple buyer-and-seller scheme. With relationships, you are able to grow and help others.
Hi Charlene,
Agree 100%. One of the most amazing learning experiences when I started my first online business, is that the more I nurtured my relationship with my customers, the more they supported me; not in just buying more products but also telling their friends about my site. It’s a beautiful thing.
Thanks for your input Charlene… very much appreciated!
Michele, I’m a huge believer in the power of networking whether it be online or in person. It’s all the same to me. Just treat people the way I want to be treated. It’s wonderful to read through these comments and see so many people that I am already connected with. You’re building a wonderful community here.
I’m always asking comments in my posts. It’s definitely a great way to engage readers in conversation but obviously, I’ve been missing an even bigger opportunity to ask questions in my replies. Thanks so much for such a great post! I can definitely use this piece of information to help increase the number of comments that I get.
I appreciate the plug-in tips too. I really like your Sharebar but I’ll have to move my follow buttons to do this. Are you using a plug-in for your follows too?
Hi Sherryl,
I actually have my follow buttons coded in into by banner spot, so I didn’t need to use a plugin. You can give sharebar a try but I think they all have their pluses and minuses.
It’s not a perfect option, but it’s the one that meets my needs the most at the moment.
You already have follow buttons on your right sidebar, so you can always make those icons a bit bigger if you are concerned your site visitors won’t see it. Or keep in mind the sharebar icons can be displayed within the post area as well.
Good luck and thanks for the wonderful comment!
I learned years ago that one had to encourage interaction with your readers and the way to do that was through replying to the comments they left. That after all is what interaction is all about. This is aided by using some form of subscribe to comments plugin. I’m amazed how many bloggers still refuse to use one. They don’t know what they’re missing out on.
Hi Sire,
I agree, I don’t get why have a comment section when you have no intention on using it or barely using it! That’s the life blood of a blog after all. Of course, some people may disagree with me. But I think those whom already established a following and then switched off comments would find it easier to to go this route than those first starting out.
Anyway, I not too long ago switched to ReplyMe plugin with I love. Although contemplating adding subscribe to comments again and giving people the option to subscribe to ALL comments as well. If you don’t currently have it, you should check it out!
Thanks for stopping in. It’s such a wonderful treat to hear from you.
I did have a look at it Michelle but it conflicts with a plugin that I’m using so I think I’ll leave things as they are for now.
Shame
Don’t you just hate it when plugins don’t play nice.
Ciao!
Hey Michele,
Nice post.Truly demonstrated the power of the social media.I also feel it is the best strategy of network marketing.
Great post, Michele!
This has started me thinking of utilizing my Twitter account. Because, honestly, it’s just sitting there. I just created it just not to be left behind but I haven’t really used it to connect with people. Now I know, and I agree that social networking is really a powerful and valuable tool. People are just eager to connect with others. We want to know what everyone else is doing and we also want to share.
Social networking now a days are really powerful. But there are some people who abused the network by using it for their negative intentions. People should know the purpose or use of social networking sites. Nice post!. XD