Everyone seems to be "going social" these days. It seems like, everywhere we turn, there's another social tool that we can use for business or personal communications. There are general social networks like Facebook, as well as specialized networks for sharing and interacting around pictures, videos, music, books, food, and more. Each of these platforms has different features, but the underlying idea is the same: the goal of the social media tool is to make it easy for you to share content with others and to rate, comment on, sometimes update, and reshare that content with others.
I believe the spirit of social media is to make social connections and social interaction around things people are interested in easier. At some point in all of this, people started looking for ways to make money, possibly because they were trying to pay for all the time spent interacting online. So we started putting advertisements into the mix. Now, I can post an ad banner on my blog and get paid for my "work". But this new incentive changed the equation for online interaction. Blogs, and many of the social tools that followed them, became, for many, tools to "maximize page views" to increase CPM rates (advertising revenue). Many businesses began to see blogging as another channel to "reach customers." I've seen this happen to each successive generation of social media tools that has come out in recent years. Too often, the result is people are so focused on producing "content that sells" that we aren't seeing the interaction / engagement that results in lasting value for everyone participating.
I suggest we change our perspective. If we look at participation in a social network (this includes blogs, wikis, microblogs, photosharing sites, social networking tools) as joining a community, we should be able to identify natural ways of interacting. If you move to a new neighborhood, you will hopefully try to get to know your neighbors. Find out what current issues / concerns are. Take part in ongoing conversations you are interested in. Talk to people. Find out who knows / works with whom. Who are the experts in a particular area? Where's a good place to buy fish, get my car fixed, get some photos taken, etc.? What are some of the rules that govern the community? How can you best contribute in a way that matches the resources you have an the needs of your neighbors?
I suggest we change our perspective. If we look at participation in a social network (this includes blogs, wikis, microblogs, photosharing sites, social networking tools) as joining a community, we should be able to identify natural ways of interacting. If you move to a new neighborhood, you will hopefully try to get to know your neighbors. Find out what current issues / concerns are. Take part in ongoing conversations you are interested in. Talk to people. Find out who knows / works with whom. Who are the experts in a particular area? Where's a good place to buy fish, get my car fixed, get some photos taken, etc.? What are some of the rules that govern the community? How can you best contribute in a way that matches the resources you have an the needs of your neighbors?
When we look at it this way, our social interaction (online and offline) can be more natural. Social networking is about joining conversations and communities. Some will be small. Others will be large. Some conversations will be short lived. Others may extend over months and years. Some will be superficial. Others will be meaningful. Some will be informative. Others entertaining. The goal is to have a healthy mix. Just like we do (or should) in our interpersonal interactions with others.
