In Chris Garrett’s latest article, he asks: Do you deserve your social media followers?
Here is my response:
This seems to be the way of the current state of the WWW. A billion voices attempting to shout louder than the next, all asking for something yet giving very little in return. We are all guilty of it to some degree. The advent of the blog-age has helped to exacerbate this style of online communication.
Which is why I agree that sometimes we don’t deserve our SocNet followers! We really need to take a moment to read what they are saying, then do something for any of them!
When we registered with Twitter, Plurk, Facebook, Ning, etc etc, presumably we did so because we wanted to connect with people (and organisations), bringing them into our social networks. So it’s about time we took a few moments to answer a question, give a binary hug or smile, or engage in banter. It should be easy. After all, isn’t that why we all chose to connect?
Yet, I know how difficult it can be to start or join into online topic-of-interest. Jumping into an already flowing conversation can be fatal if your facts are not straight. Anyone who has chatted on Twitter will know this.
Chatting on Plurk, on the other hand, is far easier: The whole conversation is available to read from start to current-update, not just the most recent response. Plurk has a more community feel to it. And once you have established yourself with a regular group of readers (~people whom you also read), chatting gets easier. When you ask a question, people can keep coming back to answer your query any-old-time because the conversation has its own page!
When we respond without want, people are more inclined to listen. Maybe even come back for more. Thus giving you a better way to attract regular traffic to your online journal, website, SocNet group or eBusiness.
That’s my two cents. Feel free to respond.
Creativity & Artwork of Stephen Mitchell 
Like it, loathe it, love it? Leave a message.