Do you get Social media fatigue?

[Andrew]

Can you be bothered with Google Wave, or is it just too much effort?

[SuButcher]

Hi Andrew,
Would be interested to hear what people thing about Google Wave.
I wrote a guest blog post about it on Wednesday after hearing so many people say 'I've joined google wave but can't see the point'...

Google Wave - How it might work (if we stop moaning)

No offense!

[Andrew]

I admit it - it's my fault - maybe I need to settle for being a late adopter

[SuButcher]

Frankly, the user interface for Google Wave is a mess. Its a big ask to get anyone to use it, and they didn't really provide a great deal of obviously available help.
Everyone who tries it is doing damn well!

[Tony]

Wave seems such an oddity that doesn't solve any issue that email doesn't already deal with perfectly well. I assume that Google expect developers to do things with Wave that we haven't thought of, so we haven't seen any real application yet unless we've forced one.

Regarding social media in general it's frustrating when people use so many platforms that you don't get the message because they are in a closed loop like Twitter or Wave. I'm more interested in content than the medium.

[SuButcher]

Very good point about closed loops Tony, wherever you are it has to be where the people you want to engage with are too.
No point in shouting in an empty room!

[Tony]

I know that you're a big Twitter user Su, do you think that it is just one a suite of app's that you should keep up with?

[SuButcher]

Well it depends what you want to do...

I use 'Social Media' primarily for networking - that is finding new contacts, growing relationships with the right ones and then we help develop business opportunities for each other.

These are the ones I use for that.

My Holy Trinity of Social Media Platforms

1. Linkedin
If you are a networker already then Linkedin is great because you can set up that network of contacts online (and Linkedin then gives you a range of ways to manage, develop and grow your network too).
http://www.linkedin.com
I'm at http://www.linkedin.com/in/Subutcher

However, I suggest you only 'connect' on Linkedin with people you know (because the assumption is that you already know them).

So what about the people you don't know?

2. Twitter
Unlike Linkedin which is relatively closed (but not as much as an online community) twitter is open - that is its easy to 'listen in' to conversations and join them - a bit like going to parties. Very open and biggest chance to find new people. But keep focused - what you tweet affects who bothers to follow you...

So use Twitter to find new people - go and find them, talk to them, get to know the ones who respond constructively, and when new relationships are created, speak on the phone, meet them (if you can - some of my contacts are in the US and I'm unlikely to meet them any time soon) and build your relationships from there.
(and then connect with them on Linkedin too)
http://twitter.com
I'm at
http://twitter.com/subutcher (for me unexpurgated)
http://twitter.com/UKConstruction (for UK Construction people)
http://twitter.com/ArchitectLeague (for architects)
http://twitter.com/JustProfs (for advice like this!)


3. Content - which means a Blog
The missing thing in the holy trinity is making content - the stuff people actually read (or look at) online.
Most people don't make content, they just consume other peoples, but if you want to really say something about yourself and have an impact you have to have a home where you can create some really good content.

The lowest cost content maker is a blog.

A blog is an online journal or diary - you make entries on a regular basis using a simple interface a bit like this one I'm typing into now. Regular updating raises interest from people and google.

There are all sorts of types of blog platforms. The simplest are just a way of posting stuff online - but you have little control over what it looks like.
For example, you can use http://posterous.com for experiments or off-topic stuff - mine is at http://subutcher.posterous.com (mostly recipies!)
There are other sites like blogger and wordpress.com

Many online communities also have blog features (http://ning.com has thousands of online communites, even PropertyWeek and Building has recently set up communities there - its free)
But if you really want to use a blog to its best advantage you should get your own using http://www.Wordpress.org Which you can host on your own website domain name.
Wheras a good bespoke designed website may cost you several thousand pounds, a self hosted blog can cost you a couple of hundred to set up and around a hundred a year for the hosting and updates. You have to make the content though!

Example self-hosted Wordpress Blogs I've been involved with:
http://www.justpractising.com
http://www.greengaugehomes.com
http://www.justprofessionals.net

In addition to the blog itself creating interest, if you tweet from your blog - have a twitter account which shares and links to your blog content as and when relevant, you have the advantage of the openness of twitter and the depth of content of the blog.

Other than these three, I feel that other communities can be added as they are appropriate to your objectives and industry. Some are really vibrant, most are growing and worth touching base with. But most of all you need to be making your own content and building good relationships, hence my three favourites.

What do you think?

[Andrew]

Thanks Su - great post - I'll check those sites out