"Hello? McFly! It's called 'Social' Media for a Reason!" - Blog Tips for Rain Drips

As we test the social media waters for the first time, we all make our fair share of naive mistakes and newbie blunders.

Yikes! Just go back through my early blog archives and you'll find boatloads of them! I wouldn't advise going there, though, it's pretty scary! There's been many times when I've been tempted to go back and delete a bunch of my early articles, but they're a good reminder of the lessons learned and the progress I've made along the way.

One of the most common mistakes that people make is trying to shove a square Web 1.0 peg in a round Web 2.0 hole. What I mean by that is our tendency to bring our old 'interruption' marketing bag of tricks along with us and attempt to use those same techniques as we begin our journey into the virtual realm of social media.

The most helpful tip I could give anyone is to remember that ultimately, at its core, social media is an interactive conversation. The old paradigm of Web 1.0 and static websites, like interruption marketing, was a one-way, one-sided communication. We simply dumped or plastered our self-promotional marketing message wherever people congregated, hoping it would stick and capture their attention.

Unfortunately, consumers have become more and more sophisticated and selective in what they watch, read, or listen to. They don't respond well to one-sided interruption-style marketing anymore. They ignore it like elevator music or TV commercials.

Here's just a few suggestions that will help you avoid some of the same mistakes I made:

Create Content that Causes Conversations

Don't use your blog as just a billboard advertisement or a virtual refrigerator magnet. Share information that is interesting, engaging, and useful.

Reward Reader Comments with a Response

Whenever you receive a comment on one of your blog articles, go back and acknowledge/thank your reader for taking the time to leave a comment, especially those who leave more meaningful/substantive comments.

Don't be a 'Hit-an-Run' Blogger

If you are syndicating/pushing your blog content over to Twitter or Facebook, then you need to spend time on those platforms engaged in actual conversation. Otherwise, you're simply dumping SPAM. Use a basic 2-for-1 rule. For every one post that you syndicate to Twitter or Facebook, go in and comment on at least two other updates/tweets. If you're not willing to invest the time and energy to personally participate on these platforms, then don't send your content there.

From the wikipedia definition of social media:

"Social media depends on interactions between people as the discussion and integration of words to build shared-meaning, using technology as a conduit. Social media has been touted as presenting a fresh direction for marketing by allowing companies to talk with consumers, as opposed to talking at them"

Related Articles:

"Don't Turn Your Blog Into a Refrigerator Magnet"

"Would You Like a Side of SPAM with Your Comments?"

To access the full archive of Blog Tips for Rain Drips, go HERE.

~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~

Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SOUNDBITEBLOG and Crabbing in the Hood, or e-mail:  kitsapagent@gmail.com