ActiveRain is meant to be a social community.
If you think it's about SEO for your posts, well perhaps it used to be, but that's back in the day when ActiveRain management was willing to commit the resources to optimize the site. For the last several years, it's been fairly obvious that ActiveRain has a lot more competition for real estate ranking (think ZTR among others), so management basically "punted" on the whole SEO thing. SEO costs money and if you take a look around you know the bulk of the active people are working on a free account.
So with that in mind, how do we fit as a member of a social site? IMO there are quite a few categories of ActiveRain members, some heavily into the social aspect, some middling, and some not at all.
And while ActiveRain management may condone certain behaviors here in the Rain because they're not technically anti-social, the net impact to most members is a negative.
For instance, we have the mega-market report folks. Literally page after page after page of blog roll occupied almost exclusively by one or two individuals. They are ActiveRain members in name, but not in social function. Their posts MAY be open for your comments, but just as likely to be comments disabled. You may find the reports useful, or based on what I've seen more commonly stated: a hindrance to enjoying the community. IMO people are less likely to explore the blog roll for new members who may write good stuff. (side note: you wonder why the same people get picked for features? My engineering mind thinks sticking to the same people because of difficulty working through the general blog roll MAY increase the odds of the same people getting featured).
Then of course we have the outright spammers. Need a "friend" in Bangalore? Services are available. Need keto? Pharmaceuticals? All that and more are available. Fortunately the lifespan for those profiles are short, but they breed like cockroaches. It's a daily whack-a-mole exercise. And within that group is the "we buy houses for cash WITHOUT agents". Seriously, do they NOT realize who this site is intended for?
Then there are the 3rd party hired guns (the Fiverr.com types). Some write legit posts, others are here to provide 3rd party link promotion. Now some of them understand the difference between Rainer and Rainmaker so they're helping pay the bills. Not ideal perhaps, but at least they're helping keep the lights on. Their impact on the blog roll is minimal, so scroll on by.
And then by the 1000's are the bluehead profiles. At best, they're basically using ActiveRain as a directory site. Post a profile, but don't participate. No posts, no comments.
Now within the social participation ranks, we've varying degrees too.
We've got the Q&A section only folks. They'll ask questions, answer questions, but are rarely sighted outside of that section of the community.
Then you have the Agent Professor students with they're more or less standard list of questions and blog posts. They'll participate for a bit, but rarely do I see a long term graduate continue on. Considering their "welcome" is often less than friendly, who can blame them?
We have the vendors. They write some informative posts and will respond to comments. They're hoping to build business, and they might be spotted commenting around the community.
Next up are the sporadic participants. They come and go from the Rain, participate fully for a bit, then POOF, disappear for months or even years, then remember how this place helped their business and THEY'RE BAAAAACK!
Then there are the regular participants, maybe every day, but at least a few days a week, week after week. Some blog and engage for business, some more for the social aspect. I started off social, but my focus is now much more business related. I'll read a few posts and leave a few comments, maybe dip into the Q&A section now and then. My only mandatory function is writing a post. Other members are more hardcore with the social function. They're going to max out their comments left every day.
We've got the whole spectrum covered in the Rain. Participate a little, or a lot. The choice is up to you. Bottom line, if you're NOT participating, you're missing the entire point of the community.
Until next Tuesday, just Ask An Ambassador if you need help,
Bill of Bill & Liz aka BLiz
You definitely summed it up. I'm one who is intense for a while, life gets in the way and I'm gone, but like most families, I always find my way back. Thanks for your insightful post.
Comments(32)