onlinenetwork

New Media For The New Millenium

I don't profess to be an expert, but I know a bit about social media. The other day, I attended a blog relaunch party and just happened upon some people who know even more. These folks head social media departments of major corporations, the kind of corporations that live and die by the Internet. You'd better believe my ears got perky. Opinions are a dime a dozen, but here's some tips from the top with my own sprinkled in for good measure.

Social Media Is All You Need

Hard to believe, but that's the popular belief among social media mavens. Content is and remains king. If you have a message or product people want or need, good social media will create all the advertising buzz necessary. What about search engine optimization, keyword buying, link reciprocation and other techniques taught for success on the Internet? Desirable, yes, but no longer critical. With the right social media and a good product/message, it is no longer necessary to pay for advertising to get noticed online.

Hard Work, Dedication and Time

Sorry. There will not be any overnight social media success stories (except that site about John McCain and even that was a fluke in an election year). Okay, maybe some sites will take off overnight, but the majority of Internet entrepreneurs will not be able to leverage social media to their advantage without hard work, dedication, and time. "Just stick with it" is a mantra often repeated by those in the know. Quality content and consistent networking over time is the established formula for success.

Does that mean your site doesn't offer quality if traffic isn't improving over time? The beauty of social media is the ability to connect with an audience. If traffic numbers are stagnating or you're not seeing a significant increase in activity, it might be time to change direction. But before making any major changes, invest in some good site analytics. Sometimes, poor site design or failure to register on major search engines can be the culprit. It's worth hiring an SEO expert or site designer if you believe you're doing everything right but still can't increase traffic.

Choosing A Network

Social media isn't one size fits all. Some networks work well for certain types of people while others will not. Take HubPages as an example. Used consistently overtime, writers with top content will get noticed, generating modest monthly income and possible offline opportunity. Conversely, writers like myself who publish sporadically may not find much benefit with this type of network. Obviously, I plan to make better future use of my hubs, but who knows? I may once again get sidetracked with other projects, once again leaving my reader stats in the tank.

Decide what type of person you are and what type of social media network you are most likely to use daily. Only then can you decide which networks are worth your consistent time and effort.

My Three Favorite Networks

Are you someone who likes to update on the go? Then Twitter may be a good social media fit. Currently no ability to monetize, but Twitter adds a certain insider feel to any website or newsgroup. You can configure updates on a monetized page (like the Celebrity Politics articles featured here) to make better use of your content. On the flip side, some of my best article ideas are from people I follow on Twitter. When they tweet, I listen, giving me possible advantage over the competition and an easy way to stay updated on news events.

Yahoo acquired MyBlogLog about a year ago, making a nice addition to its stable of webmaster tools. The site seems to change every time I log in -- not necessarily a bad development -- just slightly annoying for those who work best with consistency. The top features of this social network are the ability to connect with others through messaging, search and join different communities for news updates, and feed your content to whoever lands on your page. People don't have to join your community to read content, although growing a community is a nice side benefit of regular activity.

Some of you have come to know Facebook as a place to connect with friends and play games, but Facebook remains one of the top sites for social media and web applications. Once you have established yourself and found a few friendly faces, take a look at groups and pages. There you will find like-minded individuals who are also trying to promote content and connections. You should also take advantage of the ability to comment on status updates, picture postings, and just about anything happening in your newsfeed. Feed your own content to the Facebook network. If all else fails, set up a page for your website. You'd be surprised how many people take an interest in what you have to say.

Jump Right In The Water's Fine

Social media may not be your cup of tea, but it's worth testing the waters. And if you're already testing the waters and have a favorite social media network you'd like to publicize, feel free to leave comments below. I'd love to hear about your adventures in social media, good or bad. Come on, now. Don't be shy.

Forget everything your mother told you about the Internet. Social media is counter-intuitive. Perhaps that's why SEO remains the favored method of online advertising. But I think the trend is about to change.

All your little details, your name, your location, your professional background, and what you do for a living become relevant in social media. Scary? A little. But once you break through that barrier, you'll wonder why you didn't trust the process sooner.

Don't get me wrong. Revealing too much information to virtual strangers is still a dangerous practice. I jealously guard my street address, but publish my city of residence. Because it's fairly distinguishable and we live in a small city, I use "T" as my last name. Details like social security numbers, bank account information, and the password to my PayPal account are off limits for obvious reasons. The goal of the game is to share but not go overboard.

If unable to make that distinction, better to stick with traditional advertising than turn up dead on the Jersey Turnpike. Social media is not for the faint of heart.

I like to think of my online presence as me at a convention and social media as a huge networking event. I've got business cards in my wallet and something to drink to keep conversations flowing. As I go around pressing the flesh, other people in the room perceive me superficially. If I stop to talk with them, I can exchange business cards. What do I talk about? Definitely not intimate personal details.

Social media is a 24/7 calling card. It establishes who I am and where people can connect with me. Just like conversations enable the protocal exchange of business cards at a convention, my personal details empower social media to make new contacts without my actual presence. Once connected, it has the very powerful advantage of allowing future exchanges of pleasantries and promotions. In that respect, social media beats SEO by a mile.

Proving once again, even in the digital age, it's not what you know but who you know that gives one an edge over the competition.

Growing up, I always wanted to become a writer. Teachers and relatives heaped praise upon my early missives. Sometimes, I wondered whether they were simply pandering or honestly believed I possessed talent for the written word.

I didn't have to wonder long. In college, I abandoned my writing dream, directing my attention to more earthly pursuits such as law and political science. Back then, I lacked the confidence to become a successful writer. I wasn't ready to face the possibility of rejection, nor the unpaid hours to hone my craft.

It simply made sense at that time. Now it doesn't. The Internet has leveled the playing field.

When I graduated from high school, a writer had three maybe four avenues to success. Find a publisher, self-publish, freelance, or land a job with an established medium such as newspapers, magazines, or television. That was pretty much it.

Today, there is more. For someone with serious writing aspirations, the Internet is a godsend. Whereas writers of the past may have toiled on a project for months or sometimes years -- only to be rejected by publisher after publisher -- writers of today can immediately connect with an audience using very little investment of time or capital. This works to an aspiring writer's advantage in so many different ways, but the prospect of immediate audience feedback is one I find particularly exciting.

Writers of the past didn't have the luxury of knowing whether their work would resonate with an audience, at least not until accepted or rejected by a publisher. Even then a career could be cut short by poor sales. Today, the feedback of an online audience, be it comments, traffic, or the number of non-reciprocal links is tremendously beneficial. Styles can be tweaked, different topics created, and plot lines taken in different directions. The immediacy of the Internet is mind-boggling and unique in this regard.

When an audience grows and becomes loyal, terrific. A writer who hits pay dirt can develop their work accordingly and more likely generate income from a sizable fan base. Conversely, lack of a regular audience and dying numbers may herald the time to throw in the towel. Interpreting feedback correctly and using it to one's advantage can be the difference between writing for profit and writing for fun. The science isn't perfect, but at least the opportunity is there.

Either way, the open playing field of the Internet is a boon to aspiring writers. Free, immediate, and so much easier on self-esteem, I can only imagine the possibilities for the future literary-minded.