In the last article I looked at keywords and how to manage those. Today I look at Social Media and to get the best out of them. One of the things that many new bloggers do (me included), is try to do to much to soon. The social media landscape is a classic example. bloggers, particularly new bloggers, sign up to as many as possible. This can often be a big mistake. Social venues such as Blogcatalog, Mybloglog, Stumbleupon and others require more effort than just signing up.
To get the most benefit out of any of these sites is to interact - and interact in a big way. It is not physically possible to do that with all the sites. You would spend more time there than on your blog, or reading other blogs.
The key to utilizing the social media landscape is to be selective. Choose one or two to begin with and then get stuck in and use it to the fullest. Really get to understand it. Understand the people, understand how that site operates. Participate in forums and discussions. Meet other bloggers and regularly visit their sites leaving comments where appropriate. Over a period of time you will become so accustomed to the site that you will find that a short once or twice a day visit is all you need to maintain the relationships developed.
Now you can sign up for another site. Go through the same process. Over time you will be able to develop strong ties to three, four or more of these sites - and you would only need to spend less than hour each day maintaining the relationship. If you had tried to build up all of them at once the chances are you would either not have learnt enough about each to get the best out of them, or become jaded and let the sites go.
Have you ever wondered how some of the members on these sites had become so popular? Of course they spend a lot of time on the site, but if you look at their profile, chances are they have been there for a long time. You chance of becoming as popular is remote as you competing with a lot of others in the same position as you. Find a relatively new site. One that is starting to become popular and get stuck into that site. Build your relationships, get to know that site inside out. As the site grows so will you and in 12-18 months, if that site does grow, you will be one of the ‘big guns’ in that site.
To get the real benefits from social media, you need to use it to your advantage. Don’t just link to any site. Link to sites in your own niche. Visit those sites often and leave comments. Visit those bloggers through the social site. For example, if you use Blogcatalog, visit your friends through the links they send you, or through you own page. With most social sites you are able to see who has visited you. leave them a message thanking them for visiting - after you have visited their site. The stronger the relationship, the more often they will visit.
