Social media helps grow your blog in several important ways. With all the social media hoopla (and in some cases, backlash), I wanted to write a clear explanation for you about the relationship between social media and blogging. If you’ve just recently discovered blogging, and are still puzzled by social media, this post is for you. If you’re a blogging and social media veteran, I suggest you send the link for this post to your struggling friends and family. Now, on with the show…
What is Social Media?
I could get into trouble for this, but to hell with that. I’m going to define social media my own way:
Social media is generally internet and mobile communications services that provide a platform for messaging and other interactions between people in a selected group.
Let’s break that down, shall we?
Generally internet and mobile communications services: Most social media comes in the form of a service provided by a website and/or a mobile phone service. StumbleUpon is on the web, but Twitter is used heavily both on the web and by mobile device.
Provide a platform for messaging and other interactions: One chief component of all social media is messaging in various forms. Messaging can be time-delayed, like how comments can only be left one at a time. You can’t respond to a comment at the same time the other person is writing it. Messaging can also be live, with everyone conversing at the same time, like chat or a shared whiteboard on the web. Any social media service you look at will provide at least one or more forms of messaging. The different ways in which messaging is done are numerous.
Between people in a selected group: Social media nearly always requires that you associate yourself with a limited group. Groups are defined by users selecting other users as friends and by keywords, like robotics or Coldplay. In some cases, the entire social media network may be designed to appeal only to people of a certain group, such as gardeners. So you have friends/followers/buddy list and a series of keywords/tags/categories that you use to identify and associate yourself.
Social Media Extends Your Internet Presence
By engaging in social media, your presence online is not limited to your own website. I consider blogs with commenting as a form of social media. When you leave a comment at another blog, you’ve just created a new outlet for others to see you. If you create a StumbleUpon or Facebook account, you’ve just generated more exposure for yourself.
The recluse who stays hidden at home is never known or cared about by anyone, but the social gadfly who hangs out with friends and attends social events around the town is well-known and liked by everyone.
Social Media Provides Links to Your Blog
Not only does social media extend your brand online, each new social media profile page, post, tweet, whatever, is a link back to you. Social media is more than just putting yourself in front of others to gain exposure, it’s a portal for others to click through to you. Social media is also a lot of fun and, well, social… but we’re specifically talking about how social media helps your blog, so let’s stay on track (but you see, that’s an important difference between social media and other forms of marketing–fiddling with AdWords isn’t most people’s idea of fun).
Each interaction with others on social media gives them an opportunity to click through to your profile page you have with that social media service. On that profile page, invariably, is a link back to your website. If what you’re doing in the social media space is valuable and intriguing to others, they will click through and visit your blog. And if your blog is then providing valuable content, they will subscribe. See how that works? Pretty cool.
StumbleUpon and Twitter are two of the highest sources of traffic for Remarkablogger, as seen below in this Google Analytics screenshot from March of this year to the present:
Social Media Puts You Where the Action Is
The conversation is taking place, with or without you. Which do you prefer? Social media (along with blogs) is where the people are online. If you’re not at the party, you are missing out. You are missing opportunities to put yourself in front of others, provide links back to yourself, and have interactions with others that could lead to opportunities. In many ways it’s a lot like in-person networking events.
Criticisms fired at people heavily involved in social media include: ” it’s just a popularity contest” and “all those thousands of friends aren’t your real friends.” There is some truth to those criticisms, but like much of life, it’s not that simple. What is simple and irrefutable is this: if you’re seen, known, and provide value wherever you go online, you (and your blog) will benefit in visitors, subscribers, links, and opportunities.
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While I agree that social media can be a great source of communication it also has its drawbacks.
1.) It is very time consuming. Especially if we want to do it right. Whether we converse on Twitter, stumble other people’s posts, digg, or vote with other platforms it takes time.
2.) SM can also be very over powering. The need to be part of every new SM platform that surfaces online is sometimes overwhelming. I think the secret lies in keeping control by keeping active membership to a couple of platforms max.
The easiest way to use SM is by doing it naturally without having to feel the pressure of “having to do it today because everybody else is”.
That way it is also way more fun.
Great explanation, Michael! I’ve been steadily getting more and more into social media (I’m somewhat addicted to Twitter at the moment, LOL).
I admit I have quite a ways to go, but I’m learning the ropes and using social media both for fun and to network. I’ve had some good inquiries come of it, and I hope it won’t be long before it turns into actual work.
Either way, my social networking has most definitely increased the amount of visitors I receive to my site and subscribers to my blog.
One of the hardest things to do effectively is manage the balance between being “out there” and being totally present in one’s own work. There has to be a sweet spot here, a balancing point. Haven’t found it yet. Michael, thank you for a concise and clarifying summary once again. You may overcome my reclusiveness. Hard to do all this with a brush in my hand, but this is one spot, I am glad to visit.
Jan
As a Twitter newbie, I do feel that SM is important for exposure, but can also potentially be a black hole for productivity. I have intentionally refrained from getting too attached to tweeting, simply because right now it’s not manageable. It’s the same reason I don’t IM. I have too many things on my plate that have to be front an center, and IM destroys my focus.
For now, I’m lurking, watching, reading. When I feel like I have a better handle on the whole SM scene, I’ll wade in a little deeper.
“The conversation is taking place, with or without you. Which do you prefer?”
Nice way to stick it to us
Michael, how do you manage your time while on SM sites?
Nice post. Most of Copyblogger’s content assumes people know this. I know now that a lot of people don’t.
I guess I’m gonna have to link to this.
Although I steadily maintain that blogs *are* social media. When did this disconnect occur?
@Monika – Social media is indeed time-consuming. Much of that time is front-loaded. I don’t post as much on Twitter as I did at first, because I don’t really need to. My followers continue to grow. I still make sure I provide as much value as I can when I’m on there and I love chatting with others.
I limit my participation in social media to only a few sites: LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, and Twitter. I have accounts at other places but I almost never use them. If I can’t enjoy it, I’m not going to get anywhere with it.
@Selene – It does increase visitors, and not in an artificial way. People click through because they’re intrigued. StumbleUpon in particular has a low bounce rate (percentage of people who leave immediately upon “landing”). I have gotten paying clients through social media. I have received and given opportunities through it as well.
@Lisa – I almost never leave IM open so anyone can chat for the same reason. There’s a time to get your work done, and there’s a time to rub shoulders with others.
@Dave – That’s why business and companies need to be there. Zappos and Gary Vaynerchuk are great examples. Even Comcast is on Twitter.
For time management, see what I wrote in response to Monika.
@Brain – Thanks! And… I’ve said several times that blogging is social media (having comments turned on helps). There’s no disconnect.
When blogging first hit the scene, it wasn’t viewed so much that way, even though without it I doubt social media would be what it is today (a frenzy).
It seems only in retrospect can we now say blogging is social media. Back in the year 2000, I know I wasn’t thinking of it as social media. In the minds of many, there is a disconnect. My goal with this post was to help show the connection.
That is great info. We just spent a lot of time talking about this last night. Thanks!!!
I’ve built most of my readership and online network of contacts via social media, so I can definitely attest to its power. Like Monika says above, it does take a lot of time, so it can be quite hard to make a presence in the bookmarking/news realms while producing content, but it definitely helps establish yourself in the blogosphere. I’d even go so far as to say that it’s the contacts that you make in social media that are the most important things, not having your submissions become popular.
Although social media do help in growing your blog, but one must also be prepared to invest quality time into it.
Social media is a necessity of this age.
Yes that’s true orkut and facebook type networks also contribute.
Very inspiring to compare how a social network grows like a flower. The article is very well written, i enjoyed reading it.
Thanks for giving so much light in the issue, these social medias and blogs meant simply words for me, I was always intrigued by it. Your article is really informative and interesting.