jdesignlab.com » Social Networking

If you’re reading those comments, then say so

jyoti — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:06:00 +0000

Enough is being said about engaging audiences through social media channels to create friends and followers. My experience of Twitter even shows me that users are vigilant of feedback to their tweets in that space and making an effort to revert in real time. They don’t always succeed but where a DM (direct message) is possible, it usually gets one a quick reaction.

In LinkedIn group conversations too, where groups are moderated well and don’t see noise in the form of job postings or ‘invite me’ posts, discussions are being read, valued and considered relationship-forming. Facebook being a ground mostly for bonding with friends, family and fans also sees a reasonable degree of promptness in feedback.

However, the social media channel that is suffering due to neglect by some is my long-time favourite online conversation tool – a blog. My concern isn’t so much that many erstwhile active bloggers aren’t blogging regularly anymore. But it is that many bloggers were always sluggish about responding to their commenters, and even now when avenues of information for online readers are multiplying at a breakneck speed and comments on their posts have dwindled, these advocates of social networking DO NOT respond to feedback coming in as comments to their posts. And, I wonder why they believe that despite that attitude, they’ll maintain their fan-following. For, as the online reader gets more mature, s/he would shun those spaces that are not civilised enough!

So, if you’re reading those comments to your blog posts—as I believe most bloggers enjoy doing whether they’re negative or positive—please consider them precious and connect with your readers by responding to their feedback. This case study of Boeing has many interesting elements to it, but I’d draw your attention to the second last paragraph on the blogger’s advice on interacting with one’s readers to create useful conversations.

Social Networking: What to NOT do to excel at it!

jyoti — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:47:42 +0000

A recent read on twitter-etiquettes leads me to share my own pet peeves on behaviour I come across, in the hope that it reforms some attitudes. I find that as we’re forming digital communities, it’s only fair that we adopt the right etiquette in our interaction on them, as we do in our life otherwise, so here’s my 3-point list on what we could avoid on 3 popular social networking channels:

LinkedIn

Use the single sentence template offered by LinkedIn to invite people. Some individuals have amazed me by saying that they use the impersonal single sentence invite instead of personalising their request because they fear the latter would bother people! Unless people have no idea of objectives of professional networking or they completely mistrust their ability to write two personalised sentences, I’d like to know how it’d disturb anyone to know why this individual is interested in connecting? The sole purpose of forming connections on this professional forum can’t be as mindless as seeing one’s network get populated superficially, so I’d say it makes every sense to use the invite to highlight how directions are aligning hence a request for connection.
Keep sketchy data on one’s profile. I realise that it can be time-consuming to complete one’s profile on LinkedIn—especially arranging recommendations for it. But please do not open a LinkedIn account just to put your name, a vaguely worded professional interest full of typing errors, and expect that people should know you enough from it to accept your invite. At least desist from sending invites to people till you fill your school/college education, work history and a few lines as your profile summary. It can remain work-in-progress after that but would still convey some basic background data on you for broadening your network.
Missing photo. I don’t plan to judge my professional connections on the basis of their looks nor do I want to be judged on mine, but I consider it plain bad manners for people to leave a gaping hole in place of their profile photo and reach out to all and sundry to make connections. The LinkedIn profile is like an identity document on an individual and built in to support the virtual handshake one is attempting with several people so please ‘paste’ your photo on this ID.

Twitter

Tweet and RT (retweet) quotes on a regular basis. While one or two inspiring quotes can have an uplifting effect on one’s thought process, I come across individuals tweeting them as if their life depends on that exercise! Don’t they realise that the Net is bursting at its seams with resources of that kind and they’re just irking their followers with those tweets?
Tweet Jokes. Same sentiment applies as above. Please use the tool to connect with people but why fill their timeline with untimely humour repeatedly? If you do not have an original view to share, please wait till you do for reading of myriad viewpoints and blog posts is sure to bring in thoughts of your own to tweet. In any case, responding to tweeted questions is a great way to add value to interaction on Twitter and do that till you get fresh ideas of your own.
Tweet your meal and bodily routines. This one really gets me to unfollow individuals, and makes for a reason for my low ‘following’ number! Really, who’s interested to see a crowded timeline with tweets on when one is sleeping or having lunch…unless one is broadcasting a great eating place or food item. When you’re awake, inform your followers of your wakeful state by tweeting coherent and helpful bits of information, and that would help everyone’s cause.

Facebook

Friends writing on a friend’s wall instead of sending a private message. To educate friends on using the two mediums sensibly has not been easy for me. Most just feel inclined to fill the visible empty box of Wall than seek out the option of ‘send a message to friend’.
Friends sending invites to frivolous applications. I can appreciate a friend’s need to reinforce common characteristics but new users of Facebook get too enthusiastic about all the colourful applications they come across and not only get stuck with them, they also get other friends trapped into them. Please exercise self-control when you’re prompted to send an invite to the last quiz you attempted.
Individuals putting their family photos as their profile photo. Why do people do that? To ward off unsolicited advances? Why don’t they just mention their relationship status appropriately to send the right message? I can’t think of another reason for putting the whole family or a couple’s photo as one’s own. Everyone has a unique face and should be represented through his/her own here too.

I can think of a couple more things but I promised to stick to a 3-point list so over to you to share yours on making social networking a pleasant experience

Exercise self-regulation at work

jyoti — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:49:28 +0000

There is much being said about how as an employee, you could add value to your job by doing some more and making your inputs more tangible. In a way, I’m glad that the economic slowdown is reducing complacency among people, encouraging them to appreciate what they have and pushing them to frequently assess their output. I used to come across many high earners who’d it easy just by the virtue of their long tenure. On the other hand, I’ve always met many for whom striking a work-life balance has remained a concept discussed in office retreats as they have always put in 12+ hours of work per day, worked 6 days a week and in the present times are returning home only when exhaustion doesn’t allow them any more wakefulness.

So, is it justified to ‘live it up’ at work because one is mostly at work? Is it alright to make one’s social phone calls from work or, these days, complete one’s social obligations by constantly checking and responding to the goings on in their friends’ lives on Facebook or IM? Or, for that matter, intersperse one’s work day with regular reads of RSS feeds?

I don’t think so.

I believe that a work place is for making your contribution towards your organisation’s business and productivity, and reading for self-development or relaxation is best kept for hours when you ought to be relaxing. With myriad avenues for social networking through the Net, there is a higher need for us to exercise self-regulation rather than have the HR and IT devote their resources into analysing employee usage of IM or entertainment sites from work. I also believe that regular self-development is essential and employees must be encouraged to leave their work place early enough to read, blog, tweet and generally do what they must to refuel for the next day. And, if employees find their supervisor’s watching over (MBWA) demeaning, they must exercise self-regulation and, while at work, use social networking to advance their company’s interests.

Here’s some more from Steve Tobak and his commenters on the subject.