Social Media…OK, but how about some clues?

First, make a choice; you can be LOUD, RUDE and ANNOYING.  Or, you can strive to become INFLUENTIAL!

As human beings, most of us behave in accordance with some unwritten laws of social interaction.  Extend what you know about human nature to social media.  In fact, if you keep a few of these laws in mind during your social media engagements, you might just become influential!

You scratch my back, and it’s much more likely that I will scratch yours!

So, applied to Social Media, I am more likely to retweet someone who has already retweeted me.  I link to and follow people who link to and follow me – well not always, but usually.  I also tend to give a business far more trust after it has provided me with a lot of free value.

Take the initiative. Provide no-strings-attached value to your network and you will gain influence.

Are you over-committed? Should you be?

How many people do you follow on Twitter?  Are you signed up for more RSS feeds and newsletters than you can really read?

You could eliminate these distractions by purging your lists. But, you don’t. Why not?  Well, partly because you feel you owe them a back scratch and partly because that would be admitting you can’t keep up with all you’re trying to do, or shouldn’t have “committed” to in the first place.  Either way, it’s another one of those unwritten laws.

The positive spin is your followers may be feeling the same way, so remind them what a good choice they made initially, keep giving them what they want…and need.  Eliminate any friction so they will increase their commitment; leave comments on your blog, post positive reviews, retweet you, stay in your community – AND maybe even become a customer one day.

Social Proof

What do other people like me think is correct?

Most of us are impressed when someone has a ton of blog subscribers, Twitter followers, etc.  Other than they can be “gamers” using auto-follows, our reaction is usually positive.

So, if you create a lot of value for others, evidence your value by writing engaging content as a guest poster, interviewing authors, and posting your expert opinions.  You will quickly gain a support network, and when it comes to social proof – the size of your tribe matters.  Build your tribe big and frequently provide them proof.

Yes! … (Well, I like them, so why not?)

Doesn’t everyone prefer saying yes to someone they know and like?  And, don’t we all usually like people that are attractive, similar, complimentary, familiar, and cooperative?  Whether good or bad, associations influence how people feel.

Social media is no different.  It tends to give extra credence to attractively designed blogs and well produced (technical and content) messages.  And, recent surveys show corporations that display a sense of social media savvy in their new site designs are perceived better by prospects and customers.

Individuals involved in charitable efforts always reap some benefit of association – that’s why many volunteer in the first place.

So, think of a retweet, a trackback, or a positive blog comment as a social compliment and do it when you feel it’s warranted.  It is free and available leverage; use it and you will benefit.

Perception

Most of us, adults anyway, were taught to respect authority when we see it.

By its nature, Social Media authority is more about perceived expertise.  A polished blogger may offer extensive and intelligent commentary on a subject, and thus will be perceived as an expert gaining Social Media influence as an authority.  Meanwhile, a genuine expert, but unknown blogger may be dismissed without thought.

One direct measure of Social Media authority is the number of people who will read an article or buy a product based on little more than a well known blogger’s endorsement.  It’s not much different than the television advertising ploy of celebrity spokesmen and holds true in the virtual world as well.

Retribution

Easy come, easy go!

Even more quickly than real world celebrity, social media authority can vanish on discovery that the perception was wrong – that no legitimate field of knowledge exists.  In an instant, electronic freefall may leave nothing more than the smoke of unfavorable “tweets”.  It seems social media shows a spark of understanding that authority should be limited to those with a legitimate field of knowledge. Don’t even fool me once!

Supply and Demand

When bloggers market they generally limit the number of customers or the timeframe of an offer.  They create and leverage the concept of scarcity.  Only a few remaining, etc… It’s an economic fundamental and old marketing trick that continues to be effective.

Earn Your Influence “The Old Fashioned Way”

Your Social Media success will be a growing network, influence and stronger relationships.

  1. Create and Offer Value.  Take the initiative – give your contacts high-value content, insights, reports, etc.
  2. Expand and Nurture Your Network.  Flatter your subscribers by responding to them, reach out to people you admire with complimentary blog comments, retweeting and linking.
  3. Commit to consistent active engagement on the platforms you use.
  4. Use social proof to increase your credibility and grow subscribers with expert guest posts, comments, and retweeting.
  5. Volunteer.  Coordinate your community for worthy efforts – do good and feel good and enjoy the benefit of your association with the effort.
  6. Dress the Part.  Present creative, professional design on your website, and social media landing pages.