For those who thought social media was going to be a fad – it’s time to rethink that and spend the time to master it. I find that most folks that debate this tend not to be active social media users. Just as I wrote months ago – learn by doing. Get out there, learn the tool sets, and experience the reasons others are enamored by its value. If that reason alone does not excite you then remember last week’s big news about the SEO boost real-time Twitter and Facebook feeds have. Both services now have deals in place with Microsoft and Google to capture the respective feeds and incorporate the data into search engine results, with appropriate priority and impact.
OK, the next question – how do I get started?
Start by signing up for Gmail here. You need a Gmail account to gain access to Google products.
Next, go to Google Reader here and sign-up. Google Reader is a web-based tool (website) that provides you with a single place to read content you like from many different sources. It’s NOT another email inbox you have to manage and clean, rather a single place that automatically updates you with the latest and greatest content via a technology called RSS (Really Simple Syndication.) The only thing you need to do is to choose the content you want to follow, once. For example, if you want to follow my blog you would simply ‘right-click’ and copy my RSS Feed (promoted on most web sites) link then go to Google Reader and click “add subscription,” paste the link. That’s it. Yes, there are also additional ways to customize your Google Reader, if you so choose.
Now your morning routine can include visiting one website (Google Reader) and all of the latest and greatest content from a myriad of sites you personally chose arrives automatically for your viewing and interacting pleasure. Net net, get Google Reader and start listening to ‘your’ conversation.
The Four Concepts
The first important concept to understand is the fact that everyone is naked on the Internet. No longer are individuals or organizations shielded by privacy. All those pictures, comments, or concepts you thought would remain secret are now searchable and available to anyone who knows how to use Google. A scary paradigm shift, yet the reality everyone needs to understand and deal with. The right answer is to moderate what is out there so you know what is visible to the rest of the world.
How? Use Google Reader.
Go to a small list of key sites (Technorati, Google Blog Search, Twitter Search, YouTube, LinkedIn) and put your name, your companies name, or the name of products you want to monitor into the search box – in “quotes.” Take a look at the results and when you see a site that is talking about you, your company, or your products – add them to your Google Reader via their RSS link. You can now monitor these sites.
Second, seek knowledge. There are an enormous amount of bloggers writing great content that you should be reading. The traditional concept of waking up in the morning to find a printed newspaper at your doorstep with “all the information you need” is over. You now have the opportunity to communicate directly with experts in very targeted content areas using Google Reader. Determine what you are passionate about and seek out others with the same passions. Search the same web sites noted above using keywords related to your content passions. You will likely find lots of blogs published by folks with similar interests. Copy the RSS links from those blogs and add them to your Google Reader. Soon enough you will be following ‘key voices’ related to your content passions. This is a vital step to being informed about topics you care about.
Third, join the conversation. Once you’ve had a chance to read and refine the list of blogs that interest you, you’re ready to comment and collaborate. Bloggers look forward to hearing from readers that enjoy their content, especially when they have interesting contributions. I suggest you refrain from the “great post” or “check out my site” comments. Feel free to contribute when you have meaningful commentary or a challenging perspective. A bit of respectful controversy is health for bloggers as it stimulates interest and traffic. Remember, there is much authority given to authors who publish their perspectives, whether in a book, newspaper, or blog.
Lastly, write and follow your own blog - become a thought leader. As your comfort level interacting with folks who share like passions increases you may want to publish your own blog. I strongly suggest you do that. The process to setup a blog is simple – take a look here for some assistance. Once you setup your blog – make sure you are following your own blog via Google Reader. This makes sure any issues that arise are known and quickly resolved. Understanding a customer’s user experience is critical.
Now imagine Oscar Madison had Google Reader to manage his life. Oh boy, have things changed since the 80’s.
Please share your comments on how you manage and monitor your content.
