SOCIAL IMPRESSIONS

Every time I publish a post, I excitedly wait for the comments to start rolling in. One of my favorite aspects of blogging is learning what my readers think about my recent updates. Although blogs serve as a way to share information, they encourage two-way conversations between the bloggers and blog readers. You are no longer just pushing your messages out there to people, you are encouraging the recipients to get involved. By commenting, readers share their opinion and provide you with instantaneous feedback.

At the same time, I understand that the value of my blog is not only measured by the number of comments, but the amount of traffic that I get on my site. This prompted me to ask my fellow Twitterers: “What do you like more on your site: Comments or Traffic?” Rex White’s tweet summed up the majority of the responses:

According to the Twitterers, comments have the following value to your blog:

Adds more substance to the post

Direct interaction with the blog readers builds loyalty

Allows you to receive feedback on your post

Comments beget more traffic

Proves the quality of your content to your readers

Allows you to measure the level of engagement that exists on your blog

Builds a community around your blog

Reveals the type of reader who visits your site

A few of the tweets I received raised their hands for traffic. According to them, traffic introduces your blog to new readers who will eventually comment and provide their feedback.

Traffic also can show tangible numbers that prove the success of an online campaign.

Which one is more important to you and why?

Thank you for the responses to Rex White, ScreenRant, J. Pollack Photography, Scott Spradlin, Alex Friedman, Mark Carras, Steaprok, Jason Butler, Jeff Flowers, Melanie Phung, Christoc, JD Wade, JONxBLAZE, MaxyRO, typropearl and Mark Salinas.

I was invited to speak at the St. Louis .Net User Group meeting two weeks ago. They requested that I give a presentation about how social media can have a strong impact on business. I was looking forward to the opportunity to talk about a topic I am extremely passionate about. However, my excitement was short-lived since I received an e-mail disparaging my knowledge and professional capabilities.

Five minutes before heading out to the venue, an organization member sent the following e-mail to the event coordinator regarding my presentation:

Are you out of your mind. She is a left wing loon. No way am I attending this event. Her praise of Olbermann is enough to tell me she is way out in left field. How can I trust anyone’s expertise who is so misguided? Furthermore, this particular event is pretty useless for most if not all of us serious Engineers. Next time please get a topic that is more relevant and a bit more intellectual. Also more of a heads up would be appreciated.

I will not disclose this person’s name or information. I had hoped he added me to the e-mail by mistake. However, the evidence seems to indicate that this individual searched for my e-mail address and intentionally included me on the mailing list.

I respect this person’s honesty, but I didn’t understand what my presentation had to do with my political views. It left me with two major questions — Does my support of this video really indicate how professional and knowledgeable I am? Is social media a petty topic for web developers? Please let me know your thoughts.

Bloggers, seasoned and new, often find themselves in an idea rut. They stare at blank post pages wondering what to write about. Many go through the same “type a sentence and delete it” process. Bloggers are committed to their readers and subscribers, so they consistently and desperately rummage through the idea boxes stored in their minds for that thought-provoking and mind-shattering post. Unfortunately, they usually find a lack of remarkable material. The first alternatives are to settle on recycling an old topic discussed months ago, or just wait to publish a post – for weeks or even months.

Why do some bloggers find themselves in this predicament? Busy schedules are often the culprit. They find themselves living in virtual bubbles where their exposure to the thoughts of others is limited.

So what’s the remedy? I personally find myself in this situation often. I’ve brainstormed ways to break out of “bloggger’s block” that I’ve found helpful and would like to share them.

Read other blogs

In order to get out of your virtual bubble, read other bloggers’ opinions. Reading blogs outside your niche will introduce you to many new concepts and ideas. Additionally, if you read a post that you agree or disagree with, publish your opinion and support it with personal experiences. Provide attribution to the original and invite the blogger to a friendly debate about the topic at hand.

Read a variety of books

Although we are in the Web 2.0 era where most of our reading happens online, it is still a good idea to purchase or borrow books that discuss topics outside your expertise. Get out of your comfort zone and read books that don’t directly relate to your interests. This will help inspire new ideas. You can reference concepts learned and tie them in with the core themes of your blog. For example, if you are a mommy blogger, it isn’t far-fetched to relate the topic back to a sociology concept you’ve studied. You can even discuss how a key character in a non-fictional novel corresponds to the specific topic you are discussing.

Write down your ideas

One of the best investments I have made is buying a moleskine. I carry it with me everywhere I go and write down all my ideas, regardless of how good or bad I think they are. It is important to carry with you a notebook to document your ideas, before you forget them. Also, if you are confused or have questions about a specific topic, write it down as an idea. There is a strong possibility that there are several other people pondering on the same questions. When you look back at your ideas, you will start flushing out the main points you will discuss in the post.

Conversations with other people

While hanging out with your friends, pay attention to your conversations. They are often the source of really interesting points that could fit very well into your blog. Ask your buddies questions about their thoughts on a specific topic and what direction they would take if faced with XYZ.

Interviews or Guest Bloggers

It is common to meet people you respect or whose points of view you enjoy. Ask them to guest blog for you or request a short interview. When interviewing these individuals, you provide your readers with unique perspectives and expert opinions. You can also add your own commentary or save it for later posts.

Use traditional media to your advantage

You may find inspiration in news stories you read in you favorite newspaper. You can either reference the news story as an example in your post, or just discuss it in general. Many readers connect with current issues and actively seek different perspectives.

Thanks to Cayusa for the image.

Active participants in social media have different reasons for interaction. Some enjoy the friendly banter exchanged with fellow users, while others are attempting to increase the traffic on their own sites. A perfect site is a harmonious blend of the features mentioned below. Since we don’t live in a perfect world, sites tend to showcase only two or three items. Below are some of the features that I have identified important to users. Please feel free to additional ones in the comments and participate in the poll.

Site Focus

Many social news aggregators are topic-based; therefore they appeal to users who are interested in a specific niche. There are also several sites that have a broad set of subjects that appeal to a larger audience.

Content

Users believe that content is king. Anything that seems too commercial, manipulative, subpar or poorly written doesn’t gain traction on the popular social aggregators. Users are looking to learn new perspectives, issues around the world, business-related news, and technology innovations. Site members are the first ones to call out poor content.

Community

The culture of a site can determine whether a person signs up or not. When selecting a site to participate in, users research the dynamic amongst the members. They ask themselves: “Are the members here friendly or are they just assholes?” Some sites have sociable, helpful and supportive members. Other sites have wimpy kids who miraculously grow muscles while sitting behind a computer screen. Despite the attitude of the users, many of the community members are invested in the growth of the site. They will provide input and constructive criticism to see the site evolve into its full potential.

Traffic

One of the benefits of social news aggregators is that they can send a significant number of visitors to a site. Users participate with the major goal of accumulating as many eyeballs as possible over a long period of time. After all, traffic can help monetize a blog, increase the number of subscribers, establish reader loyalty, and build engagement on the site.

Competition

Making a site challenging can actually entice people to continue participating. The desire to become a top user will obviously encourage members to invest a significant amount of time engaging on the site. Sites can retain those users by making it hard to reach front page, and setting a high bar for them to reach.

Comments

Comments are the online version of a dialogue. They serve as the interchange amongst users to share their opinion. Some site members are more into the comments than the submission itself. On many social news aggregators, you will find insightful POVs about the topic or just pure comedy. Some users actually enjoy the obscene feedback that other members provide to a submission.

Customer Service

Many social news aggregators have lost members mainly due to the site managers’ unresponsiveness and general disinterest in the community. Users can make or break a site. If a large portion of the users decide to leave, the site will ultimately fall. The site managers should listen and reply to their users.

Features

Users want to go to a site that has multiple features and gives them the flexibility to easily interact on the site through adding items, sharing digital media and corresponding via site mail. Launching features on a regular basis will keep the users intrigued and interested.

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