The Golden Social Media Rule: Bigger is Not Better

This New Yorker comic came across my desk and it made me laugh. In the new media age it seems like everyone is always out after more followers and more fans. In fact there are even third-party applications built to help you get more Twitter followers. But are bigger lists of friends, fans and followers better? Not necessarily.

Since social media is about being reciprocal, there’s no point in getting a big head because you have 20,000 Twitter followers or 2,000 Facebook friends. The important question is: are those people listening?

Take Twitter for example. With more than 50 million tweets per day, it’s easy to get lost in the social media mess. Which is why you need to have established, targeted networks. Sure, you may not know many of the people and organizations that you connect with in social networks beyond the internet, but you need to treat them just like you would your regular friends. That means being engaging and reciprocal, and not just talking about yourself.

Establishing a network of active users

Active is the name of the game, and harnessing the power of social media means establishing networks where you know people are listening and helping to spread the word. This ensures that when you send news, articles and ideas out into the social media sphere you’ll be reaching out to people that are listening, and your voice won’t be drowned out, or even lost.

So how do you establish a network of active users? Here are 5 easy tips.

1. Treat other social media users like your friends. Would you spend an hour coffee date talking solely about yourself? Probably not, unless you were looking to kick your group of friends to the curb. Social media is the same way. Take the time to be reciprocal, reposting and pushing out content that isn’t your own. If you’re a good friend, others will return the favor.
2. Seek out like minded people. Individuals, organizations and brands that believe in the same ideals you do are more likely to interact with you, which makes the task of establishing a network of active users much easier.
3. Create a conversation. Don’t be silent. Being a solid social media user is about reaching out to people personally; the opposite of mass emails and automatically generated messages. Say hello to people, introduce yourself and what you’re about and start sharing.
4. Be engaging. How long do you spend talking to someone that goes on and on about their boring lunch date? Not long. Make sure your social media posts are fun, fresh and engaging. Better yet, be controversial and provoke your networks into having a vibrant conversation.
5. Link, link, link. Social media is about sharing information, and links are the currency of the new media age; passing out good information will get you noticed and appreciated.