Getting to Know You
Well, I guess everyone had fun this weekend, as you might be able to tell from the comment-fest. I didn’t get a whole lot of work done, but it was a welcome break of sorts from sitting in front of the computer doing real work stuff.
And, on Twitter, you can meet a lot of interesting people. I hope to do a more of an in-depth post on social networking using Twitter, but I just wanted to share a few thoughts here and now.
You hear a lot of people talk about social networking. You see a lot of the “gurus” talking about it too. They tell you how important it is to interact with your customers or potential customers.
But, I think they largely forget about the social part of it!
For a long time, I couldn’t figure Speedcat out. Seriously. I had to consider the possibility that he was some poor guy that wasn’t taking the medications he’s supposed to. And, if I interacted with him too much, was I just encouraging him? So, for a long time, I’d just pop in here and there, just to stay in touch, especially since so many other people I know (and don’t know) hang out there. He’s a mini-celebrity of sorts! But, I tended to keep at arms-length.
But, interacting over the past couple weeks, I think I finally “get” him. And, after interacting with him this weekend on Twitter, it only confirmed that understanding. In short, and I hope I’m not spilling his secrets, I don’t think he’s an escapee from his local looney bin, but that he just gets online when he has free time and just has fun with things!
Between all the SEO and PR and all that stuff we worry about (we being those of us trying in some way to make money online), it’s also important to just have fun sometimes.
But, how many of the gurus would get to know their customers or potential customers like that? Look at some gurus on Twitter. You’ll see them brag about having several thousand followers, but if you look at their accounts, they’re only following a few dozen people, or less. How is it “social” networking if the communication is one-way? That’s not social. That’s just a new-fangled mailing list where you send out your catalog or newsletter or whatever, and maybe you’ll answer a few reader comments in something like a letter to the editor section.
Puh-lease.
Running a largely one way mailing list (or “following” or whatever you want to call it) isn’t social networking. They may call it that because it’s the current buzz word, but it’s really not social networking or social marketing.
They’re like those slick people you’ll meet in real life networking opportunities. You’ll see the ones that go around and work the room and introduce themselves to everyone. That’s okay. Some people will listen to you and try to get to know you a bit. But these slick ones will just introduce themselves and ignore you. They’ll ask how you’re doing and, when you answer, completely ignore you and say “That’s great!” Maybe you said a loved one was sick in the hospital. But, they just replied, “Hey, that’s great! Nice seeing you again!”
You don’t buy from those people, do you? So, why should you treat their online equivalents any differently?
BoInG!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! BoInG!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! BoInG!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! G!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! BoInG!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! BoInG!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! G!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! BoInG!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! BoInG!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! G!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! BoInG!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! BoInG!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!!G!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! BoInG!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! BoInG!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!!G!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! BoInG!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! BoInG!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!!G!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! BoInG!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! BoInG!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!!G!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! BoInG!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!! BoInG!!!! Boioing .. BOING! bOiNgboinG BOING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Speedy is not a mini-celebrity. He is a big time MAXI celebrity….with cool cowboy jammies! And he makes me *smile* A LOT!
… and I am still in the lead
Speedy also wears COOL cowboy jammies….and he makes me SMILE…a LOT!
of course…..anyone wearing those jammies MUST be a leader!
Where are all my comments going?!?!?
HI OLga!!!!!!!!!
My favorite bra no doubt. We go way back, and have spent a day in the city together. One of my all time favorite posts is from Olga’s stay in Hollydale. She is World Famous you know.
Goodnight Olga!
See you later DCR!
…. don’t forget, I have a blog too (smile)
^^^^^^Speedcat^^^^^^
Sounds like a promise to me!
Good morning Ladies & Gentlemen.
I hope you all are doing your civic duty today.
Ding, ding, ding as usual you hit the nail on the head.
The gurus have lost site of the fun in blogging and there are those of us that starting out blogging only reading their take on things. This weekend I had a load of fun in the comment war with the Catman. I too thought his site was a weird place to hang out, but I now noticed he has a really cool swingin’ pad man.
I got an opportunity to re-eval and look forward to loosening up and letting it ride….can yo dig it man…
I cannot stand being on one of those mailing lists. Sure, some Internet marketers have made money doing it, but it’s not a great way. I don’t read the “gurus” blogs anymore. They offer nothing I don’t already know, and there will always be sheep out there chasing their crumbs.
I know how to bulid niche sites and know seo pretty well, but I am simply not interested in it. I have a successful home based business teaching guitar lessons for over 20 years and have never spent any money advertising - it’s all word of mouth and referrals. One of the better Internet marketers in my opinion is Court Tuttle. His Motorola niche site makes a killing with only one link on it!!! He just scores for the keywords and most of that was achieved through the site Article Marketer and other solid key word strengthening techniques. I think writing about how to make money is the worst way to actually make money - and very few marketers make real money doing it - most blatantly lie about their earnings. Hell, I don’t believe there’s a such thing as a “guru” or “expert”. An “expert” is merely someone who has convinced you they know something you need to learn - and you become their “money sheep”…LOL!!!! They are expert con-men or con-women! B.S. artists!!! Besides, search engine traffic is the only real money traffic.
I just blog to have fun and write my short stories. I like my friends too. I feel so much better since I quit writing about politics too. But I think you have the right idea Dan. You have your other sites to make money, and this one is your fun friend blog. I like how you keep it seperated to a certain degree
My take ….
My favorite blogs are “alive”. They are not just words and ads, they have a person and a personality behind them. You can feel and sense a personality behind some blogs, and comments are more of a communication than dropped phrases in the hopes of a returned visit out of “blogging”duty.
The comment festival was fun! Debo Hobo?? … LOVE her blog. She does some of the best videos I have seen bar none. I think she should have a TV show
Hi Greeneyezz!
She helped me out with a new template for my “I am Grampa” blog. How nice is that??
Bobby??? …. This man is smart, and helpful to all. I am sometimes taken off gaurd by his open flowing thoughts and candor, but at the same time have great admiration for his belief in truth. When I was first starting out as a blogger, he made a badge for me with a text box for code. At that point, I had no idea how to create one myself. I have tried to emulate that genorosity in blogging to this day.
Thanks Eric! Last year I spent most of my time helping newbie bloggers get started and helped with whatever they needed. Now, they are far exceeding and teaching me!!!! You are a great guy and a great friend
So are you Dan!!!!
Olga ?? A great friend that I talk to about everything. I have laughed for at least 10,000 hours in past blogging vollyball games.
Dan, I enjoyed reading this post. You are absolutely right. You hear them, but they are not listening. They do not know how to have fun with their affilliates/customers
I am following 4: Mike Dilliard, Rich Schren, Yaro Starak, Yanik Silver. They have 5 more days left to follow or I will unfollow & unsubscribe. Well, not BN. I love that social site. But I will unsubscribe from the newsletters which all READ the same thing:BUY ME
I was surprised that Willie Crawford followed. All though, his annoying scheduled tweet outburst about his blog…I feel a rant. I’m thinking about unfollowing him as well.
I like the community that we have built on twitter, without them.
If YOU try start a new Twitter page, I will haunt you down! ( I do not know where that came from?!?!) I like following you:-) You’re fun, supportive & you make my work day fly by!
I am sooo tired. Good night.