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The four truths of blog and social networks to use to your advantage

Last Friday, Monica O’Brien of Twenty Set wrote about how blog networks sucked and that there wasn’t any advantage to being part of one. I disagree and this post is my response.

Here are the four universal truths about blog and social networks, and how to use them to your advantage:

1. Network means it’s not just about you. Social media by definition is social and is thus a give and take world.Traffic will not magically be sent to your blog, nor will exposure magically occur.

Joining a network – whether that be a blog network like Brazen Careerist, a social network like Facebook or Twitter, or the professional network LinkedIn – doesn’t mean that all of sudden things will be easier for you. Really, it only means that your work has just begun. Hard work.

I mean, I get it. I’ve been there. We think that since we are letting networks have access to all of our writing – words that we have toiled over until 2:00 am and let sit until 2:37 am just to feel motivated and confident enough to even publish – that we should reap grand rewards. That just by giving away permission to our soul, great things should happen. I’ve been there, but that’s not how it works.

It works by not only allowing more people into your world, but by listening to them, hearing them and responding. It works by participating and figuring out how you win with your post and how the community does too.

2. You can’t be found without showing up. A blog network is not your blog. Think of a network as the meeting place – a community house, a bar on a Friday night, the lunchroom at work, whatever. Your blog, in contrast, is your home. You’re the same person – and your posts are the same – in both places, but different people show up and different conversations occur.

If you stay at home, people will find you, but the majority won’t know you exist. Similarly, if you go to the bar and just sit in a corner, that girl is not going to magically give you her number. So you can’t just blog in a vacuum, nor can you join a network and expect that to be the final step if you want to build exposure and traffic. People don’t just find you – you find them.

And that isn’t a theory just for beginners; it’s a commandment for established bloggers. The fact that Penelope Trunk syndicates the heck out of her blog is no coincidence to her success, nor is the fact that Chris Brogan shows up to every social media event imaginable. You don’t stop working ridiculously hard when you’re established. You work harder.

3. Use their network to build your network. A blog network is not promising you a product like cereal, but is selling you on relationships. Before Brazen Careerist started, the sense I had of the Gen Y blogging world was limited; I knew around twenty-five Gen Y bloggers. Now I know and have access to hundreds, not only because Brazen Careerist helped discover those people, but also because Brazen created, inspired and facilitated that particular market to be part of the conversation.

I take advantage of the Brazen network by looking at the community profiles in the same way I look at who my favorite Twitter friends are following, or who my real-life friends and I have in common on Facebook.

And when people comment on a post of mine on any network, I don’t just hope that they subscribe to my blog, I’m proactive. I check out their blog, reply to them, comment on their posts, link to them and begin to build a relationship. I get interested in what they’re doing, because they’ve shown interest in me.

I can’t imagine how I would find these people – those that are interested in my topic – in an easier way. That’s called building community and it’s what social media is all about.

4. Blog networks do give special treatment for two reasons. The first is to attract a lot of traffic from good writers. Want to be featured on the front page of a network? Be a good writer. You could be among the most-hated participants but if you write well, you’ll still be featured.

The second is to reward the people that they have relationships with. This isn’t unfair, it’s smart. Relationships make the world go round. I personally have no idea how blogs are picked to be on the front page, but there’s an easy way to circumvent whatever process the blog network has installed. That is, build a relationship.
Email the community manager if you feel you have an especially good post to, 1) promote yourself, 2) begin that relationship, and 3) make the community manager’s job easier.

I guarantee that a better attitude to success is to ask not what the network can do for you, but what you can do for your network.

Collective truth.

By Rebecca Healy

My goal is to help you find meaningful work, enjoy the heck out of it, and earn more money.

38 replies on “The four truths of blog and social networks to use to your advantage”

@Rebecca – Glad to see that you’re sticking to your guns and have upped the ante in 2009. There are so many of us that enjoy your writing, and I hope you’re able to keep up the more frequent posting.

I was just having a similar discussion this week with some Gen Y bloggers. Some of them aren’t sure that they want to be associated with the ‘Brazen’ label when talking with future employees. Heck, a couple even agree in full with Ryan Holiday’s post (though I’ll admit, I took some of it to heart, and read in between the lines to find value).

The point is, at least for me, it’s not about any of that. It’s about the things you’ve mentioned here, and I just want to echo your sentiments. It’s not about the title of the community, or all the blogs under one roof. It’s about the people you’re able to meet and the relationships we forge because of the community.

Great post Rebecca. I couldn’t have put it better myself.

Highlighting on your last point: It’s not hard to build a relationship with a good community manager. It’s their job to keep you happy. And yes! By coming to them their job actually becomes easier.

-RP

@ Ryan S. – Thanks for the comment. This post wasn’t a response to Ryan Holiday’s posts but I wish I had linked to him as well. I like the brand angle which wasn’t really brought up in Monica’s post, and I do think it’s important to associate with brands that are positive for you. And I do think the positivity is created by the people in the community, not what anyone says it is or wants it to be.

@ Ryan P. – I thought you might enjoy that tip : ) Glad you enjoyed the post.

One thing I love about the conversation started at Monica’s blog is that it brought up some very relevant questions about social and blog networks that need to be addressed. From my perspective, they need to be addressed for the sake of both the networks and their contributors.

Take it or leave it, if any social network went under (Twitter, Facebook, BC) then all your networking and content equity would go under with it. So I guess I’m saying, if you’re a part of a blog or social network, it’s in your best interest for them to do well – so they can help you do better. So sure, there’s a give and a take there.

In that vein, I think it’s critical for the transparency and generosity to be equally weighted on both sides. To me, that means critical conversations like these are important for the sake of both entities. If blog and social networks don’t address the questions of their contributors, if they don’t lead with authenticity and concern for their participants, then people will leave. Fast.

I’m thinking MySpace, for example, and its loss of credibility when it didn’t really address the spammy reputation the site started to get. Sure, it’s not exactly hurting, but it is now playing catchup to Facebook, which had a solution that it sold to its community. And obviously, it’s now thriving.

In terms of issues management for the brands of these sites, networks in social media need to take advantage of the openness of these conversations and demonstrate progress – and conversation – towards solutions.

Coming back around to the point of your post though, I think it’s an interesting issue of the Gen Y voice you seem to have hit upon here. We are criticized all the time for wanting something for nothing, for narcisissm and self-interest.

Sometimes, whether we like it or not, we have to realize that success, as you have said, is a result of effort. That networks are a result of relationship-building. That hard work pays off.

But also, that there are great ways to make opportunities work for you. So thanks for that reminder.

This has been an interesting topic that has unfolded over the last few days. I am a firm believer in your first point. Essentially you get out what you put in. Write crap, don’t respond or reach out, and look for an easy way to traffic will never be the answer you are looking for online.

Look at Dan Schwabel, Penelope and other successful bloggers. Their stuff is everywhere. I write guest posts weekly to grow my audience. And while honestly the traffic from Brazen to my site has decreased recently, there are always new adventures, people and topics to explore.

@ Duchess of Kickball – Thanks! Glad it was useful.

@ Tiffany – I strained not to write a post that dismantled each of Monica’s points, because while I think her post was well-written and provocative, I don’t believe it was accurate.

Take Brazen Careerist – which I use as an example because I know it well. You know more than anyone that I was their biggest critic before, during and after their initial launch. I’d venture to say that I still am. It irks me every time when I get more comments on a post on Brazen than I do on my own blog. But then I remember, that’s more eyeballs than would have ever seen my writing otherwise.

I guess it comes down to, what are you trying to build? Do you just want traffic and exposure, or do you want to build a brand? Transparency and authenticity from networks are important, yes, but perhaps we should realize that they’re already doing that. I think we underestimate efforts, and perhaps that will be a good follow-up post what transparency and authenticity actually mean and what to expect.

As always, thank you for your thoughtful and intelligent comments : )

@ Greg – We do have to create our own success and not worry about what others should give us. And I think I should have made this clearer in my post – I don’t think a blog network is about getting direct traffic. I’ve never gotten a ton of traffic from Brazen. What it is about is building relationships that facilitate getting that traffic. Building exposure is never short-term (think how many stumble upon people actually subscribe to your blog), but is a long-term affair. Thanks for weighing in!

Wow, a lot interesting comments here. As a farily green and inexperienced blogger, you have to weigh all your options when it comes to what you want out of your blog. Personally, when I started my blog, I knew nothing about niches, audiences, personal branding,etc. I just wanted to write – and write well for an audience that might enjoy what I had to say (or learn from it). However, I think I’ve learned quite a bit from the blogging communities about how to promote my blog, come up with post topics (and even writing better). So, I think both concerns are valid and fair. I guess it just depends on what you hope to get out of your own blog versus what you hope the blogging communities will give you in return.

What I think is great about this is that these guidelines don’t just apply to blogging. They apply to lots of things. I think your note about being picked up in a bar is on point. Within Gen-Y, there are those who do kind of wait to see what’s supposed to happen. I feel like it’s my job to help them along, because then we help each other. Your ability to articulate structures and a “code,” if you will, is just another way you show what we’ve got to offer.

What can I say?
It’s another great post from Rebecca!
I totally agree that there’s a place for both the personal blog and blog network and they should both work together and complement each other. It’s not an easy task to achieve from what I’ve seen and read from you and others in this post. It’s a lot of work and you’re monitoring two different communities. As you and others have said above, you get out of it what you put in to it and connections, relationships, and branding are some of the rewards. Thanks again as I’m always learning here as well as BC.

@ Raven – I love that quote about “just wanting to write.” I feel the same way at the end of the day. I love writing and that supersedes anything I put in my post. Thanks for the reminder!

@ Emily – Great points. It’s a lot about ensuring that you’re an active participant in life, not just sliding by.

@ Akirah – They feed each other – the writing and networking. I often get ideas from visiting other blogs and talking to people, which goes back to that idea that you can’t blog (or live) in a vacuum. Thank you for the comment!

@ Mark – I appreciate your perspective. Certainly it’s a delicate balance, but if you do it right, it’s also a lot of fun. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know people like you through BC. Thanks!

This is a good “how to,” even, for those who are just getting into Web 2.0 networks and not quite understanding the rules for participation. It’s always good for me personally to understand how things are supposed to work so I can manage my expectations.

Good post Rebecca! I think your points are very important to anyone interested in turning up the volume on their blog. I meet lots of people who are frustrated with their blogs and I will certainly send them a link to this post, the tips are beyond the basic “how do I start” level which is exactly what is needed.

Great post Rebecca! I am new to blogging, but have been following your posts for some time. The type of discussion that you have inspired with this post is exactly why I finally got a blog of my own up and running. I recently wrote a post describing how differing perspectives, specifically yours and Monica’s, inspire great conversation and how me finally breaking through to comment is a prefect example of what you have done. Anyway, thank you, and I hope to read more great posts like this in the future.

-Patrick

@ Amanda – I think managing expectations is a key phrase in your comment, and that is important in whatever venture you embark on. Thanks for commenting!

@ Caitlin – Awesome! Coming from someone who is great at turning up the volume, I appreciate the sentiment : )

@ Patrick – I just read your post and am glad you commented so I could discover your blog. I think your analysis of both Monica’s post and my own is right on, and I look forward to seeing more from you!

So, I’m abroad right now and haven’t read any blog for almost two weeks (a big deal if you know anything about me!). But I just sat in a ridiculously overpriced internet cafe and read Monica’s post and then your post, because I think this conversation is fascinating.

I think you and Monica both bring up a lot of valid points. I’m impressed at Monica’s boldness and I’m also impressed by RP’s awesome attitude and the response he left to Monica’s post.

But in the end, while I think all the online debate is fascinating, I think it should be far simpler than this, or at least it is for me. I like writing. And I like people. Joining blog networks has put my writing in front of more eyeballs and helped me build relationships with a ton of interesting people I would never have known otherwise. It was never really about direct traffic or subscribers or how many links I get or how much credit/exposure or whether I’m building a brand, although once I learned about all that stuff I did start caring about it ad I do pay attention to those things now. But the bottom line for me was and still is about having more conversations with more interesting people, and I think I have definitely gotten that out of Brazen, so I’m not too worried about whether Brazen is providing all the other little things.

You have some very good points, but Monica does have 1 great one. Your blog is being penalized for the duplicate content, which will hurt your organic rankings and potential traffic. Like everything else in life, blog networks have their pros and cons. Which wins out? Depends on what you’re looking for.

Thank you for all this! In learning more about social networking, it seems like we keep coming back to the old fashioned stuff of the “Golden Rule” (do good unto others and they will do good unto you). I think this is absolutely true of all aspects of network marketing – whether it is on the ground or in cyberspace.

I’d been on facebook for about a year, under an alias, and only because a client wanted to talk to me off-email. Then, a few months ago, I made the mistake of getting another account under my real name. A friend wanted to promote a site I’d contributed to for years, she figured I should be a group administrator, yada.

I regret having done this. I’ve spent a large part of my life online since 1992; sent my first emails in the mid-80s, when they were still rarer than telexes. But in the last few weeks, I find a surprising amount of my privacy has disappeared. Suddenly people are posting and tagging photos of me; people from my distant past are dropping by to say hi and wanting to be friends (I’ve taken to pretending I don’t log in much), and the feed is suddenly clogged with these people broadcasting minutia of their lives.

If I want people to see pix of me, I’ll send them. I really have no need for photos of me to be online for the whole world. If I haven’t spoken to someone in 25 years, it’s not because I can’t find them and am pining; it’s because I’m not interested, or even because I stopped talking to them for a reason. Do I really want to pick up a relationship with the former best friend who went floridly insane and abused her kid? Well, no. What about that highschool guy last seen posing with guns? Thanks, but again, no. My boyfriend from freshman year? Hey, it was 1985. Our alumni assoc does a fine job of maintaining contact info. If we’d really had things to talk about, I’m sure we would have long before facebook made its appearance.

There’s no reason for zillions to read my blog; if people are interested in the subject, they can find it by search engine. Is it helpful for finding professional contacts, no. I continue to find that the most helpful connections come from people I have coffee with, or from new people I seek out and talk to cold via phone or email. Most of them are too busy and well-established to spend time on facebook anyway.

What about the alias, the one I’d let real friends in on? Well — I stopped adding friends when I got to 6. I don’t need to know what they did for lunch. If they’re local, I see them; if not, we have actual conversations via phone.

Here’s what a network is, to me: Other mothers who live nearby, who are part of my community, who understand what it is to do this work of raising children, and who will act immediately if asked for serious help. We’re all in our 40s with young children and far from our parents, who are starting to need help themselves. Most of these friends are stay-home and have no idea what I do professionally, and I don’t bore them with the details. Nor do we have long conversations about the differences between single motherhood and married motherhood. But they all get what’s important, which means that I can call them from halfway around the world and ask them to do emergency overnight childcare in an awkward situation. Or write an affidavit, no questions asked. Or show up so the kids can play together. We help each other in very tangible ways, and frankly we do a lot for each other that most non-mothers-of-small-children would be too squeamish or involved in their own lives to do.

That’s a network. I suspect we’ll always be friends in the way that war buddies stay friends, whatever paths their lives take, and however little they have in common afterwards.

Rebecca, I think it might be worth considering that you’re talking about a kind of communication that’s useful for certain kinds of people at certain points in their lives. Which is great. But if you run into resistance to adoption in other places, you might want to consider that social networking software just isn’t as useful outside those nodes, instead of believing that the people resisting it need enlightenment.

Having read both your post and Monica’s, perhaps not too surprisingly between 2:05 and 2:22AM, I find myself agreeing with much of what both of you have said. As with any professional or personal endeavor, one must ask herself, “What do I want to take away from this experience? What specifically am I seeking to achieve?” The clearer I’ve been about my blogging and social networking goals, the more I’ve been able to engage in communities and conversations that close the gap from where I am to where I want to be. Previously, I experienced a lot of the frustration that seeps through Monica’s post.

Networking is so important for young people. It can mean the difference between a dead end job and a fulfilling career. The best advice I think I’ve ever gotten is try to do a little networking every single day. Whether it be on forums, Facebook or calling a friend. When you stay in touch you stay at the top of their mind.

The only way people will give to us if we give to them. That’s great advice.

Hi Rebacca!
Thanks so much for this post. I learned from it. Im writting from Benin/ West Africa. Here people do not know much about blogging and other stuff related to social media. It’ll come probably later. I myself have been on my blog since december 1st. I don’t get comments nor enough visitors (only 172 visitors) but after reading your post I realised my mistakes. For instance, I don’t comment on other posts although I read lot of them. I just link others blogs from mine so people who read my posts will also read those one.
One thing I like about website is the number of other blogs I can access. It’s just wonderful!
Thank so much!
Regards,
Flore

“Think of a network as the meeting place – a community house, a bar on a Friday night, the lunchroom at work, whatever. Your blog, in contrast, is your home. ”

Best. Analogy. Ever.

No, it’s a lousy analogy, unless your home has no walls and you invite winos and future bosses to come stare at you and your friends, and occasionally wander in to sample the dip.

I’ve fired people on the basis of blogs, myspaces, and facebook photos, because either they were exposing themselves as someone not fit for the job, or they were proving themselves incapable of discretion.

Blogs are public. Homes are private.

Historically, whenever we have a new technology (of any sort, in any century) that has gained attention because some have found it useful, inevitably there will be complaint and badmouthing.

It strikes me that the growth of the blog and blogging satisfy a cultural need, or creates a cultural need. We used to have the church and the community center, but in today’s mobile world, those two get short shrift. Instead, the local coffee shop or bar–and the weblog–satisfy some of those needs.

I think that a person that ignores what’s going on in social networking has got his/her head in the sand.

I like the “bar on a Friday night” analogy. In the bar there are people who just talk and talk and talk and never listen. They have to be extremely entertaining to keep it up. Someone who listens and talks is much more fun to hang out with.

I found this post really interesting. I like the way you explain a blog network as “a bar on Friday night” or “a lunchroom” and your personal blog as your “home.” It’s interesting how you compel readers to “be found” by exploring blog communities rather than just, shall i say, sit on their couch eating a tub of Chubby Hubby watching Sex and the City reruns.

I also like how you pointed out that even though blogs are personal, “it’s not all about you.” Its true that we self-centered millenials think that “by giving away permission to our soul, great things should happen,” but it’s true that “that’s not how it works.” You compel your readers to think beyond themselves and attempt to become more active bloggers in the community.

Dan – I have just come from the community center with my daughter, and in two days will be at the synagogue. I don’t know what you’re talking about with their “going by the wayside”. You may not be visiting, but they’re certainly there. Busy, too. I expect they’ll get busier as the economy gets worse, because live people are much better at bringing things in paper bags and covered dishes than correspondents on a blog or social network site are.

I defacebooked this week; saw no point to staying on there.

I don’t think there’s any need, by the way, to characterize comments that point out the limited utility of social networks as “complaining and badmouthing”. I think it’s probably just more accurate to say that blogs and social networks online are useful to a much narrower set of people than you might imagine.

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