Social Media Requires Participation Not Registration

I met with a colleague in marketing last night and we chatted about why business people sit on the sidelines when it comes to social media, and then wonder why nothing happens when they set up their social network profiles.

Really there's not really anything new about social media, the technology is new yes, but the method for making something happen is just the same today as it was a one hundred years ago. If you are in business, you have to actually participate.

If you join a professional organization, you shouldn't expect things to happen for you simply by joining, rather to succeed in reaching your goals, be they sales, learning a new skill or building relationships you actually have to get involved, participate, volunteer and help out the community.  And if you take on a leadership role in a business organization or professional organization, pretty soon enough people begin to see you as a leader, and you start to acheive your goals.

It's the same in social media, you have to participate, get involved, even volunteer in the community. That's about as simple a way to explain how social media works, its not about technology, but building relationships with people. And often its not about building virtual relationships with colleagues but rather meeting people in person, and then continuing those same conversations online.