In our consumer driven society we have lost our focus on the importance of quality over quantity. I have personally applied a new concept to my life. For four years I have waited to make a purchase until I can buy a top quality item. I have fewer things in my life, but what I do have works and is excellent quality. I find this concept a cheaper way to live even though it takes me a little longer to have something. Things don’t break down as often and I don’t spend a lot of time making another purchase. Being selective and frugal can apply to all our interests and activities, particularly, social networking.
For some reason, many blog administrators are often following the old formula of mass numbers somehow, magically, generating quality users. This is absolutely not true. The times have changed! Vast numbers of users won’t create a successful blog.
Winning at Social Networking for Administrators:
1.) The site administrator MUST be very active and usually on a daily basis.
2.) You need to grab the attention of users with interesting concepts. “Junk in” is not going to amount to “quality out.” If you are not interested in a subject your posting then it is very likely your users won’t be inspired.
3.) As the site administrator you must exercise a diplomatic tone and always treat users with the utmost integrity. YOU set the tone of the entire site. If you are on a network that allows “banning” or “suspending” or “deleting” of members then you need to exercise this power carefully. Word DOES get around because many of the same users are the ones active on most sites. Suspending someone who might be a close friend of someone else is not a good move no matter how you look at it. Except in the case of flagrant abuse like adding pornography, profanity and overt spamming you should use caution when removing a person. You should also explain, in a kind way, why you are removing or suspending a member. Human beings deserve respect even when not behaving correctly. When suggesting these concepts, I have heard a few blog administrators announce that they are the “boss” and they can do whatever the heck they want. This is true. They can. They are also going to end up with the results of all tyrants and that is eventual, and inevitable, anarchy.
4.) The cyber world is smaller than you think. Many bloggers travel in the same circles and the active ones are active through many blogs, particularly of the same subject.
5.) Quantity of members does NOT create quality of response. First, you should realize the statistically the people who actively participate online is very smaller, perhaps 5%, which means, 5 people in every 100 actively participate. This is very normal. The number of people on a blog does NOT mean that they are active. I am on a blog that has 75,000 people. It is basically garbage content and activity. Everyone is playing with their own navel and not doing much else except broadcasting their own interests. If everyone is “selling” and no one is “buying” then you have a supply demand ratio that is tanking in the negative. This type of blog does not create positive results. For example; I am on a blog that has 1000 people and it far surpasses in quality the 75,000 member blog. There is a term called, “viral networking.” I do not buy this concept! The goal is to get a few really good contributors. Don’t be concerned to take the time and effort to grow your numbers.
6.) Social networking is ALL about relationship! You must take the time to develop interesting and enduring relationships with and among members.
7.) Depending on the subject of the blog you are going to get various types of communication flow. If you are providing information then you are going to see a lot of users who are reading the information and not really participating. If you have a music blog you’ll have members downloading. An artist’s blog consists of members who don’t write a lot, but who paint and create visual art. A mom blog is going to have many more active users because the information is fluid and interactive. Political based blog sites contain members who sign up and then take part during various, sporadic events. The point being that you shouldn’t expect the same participation on all type blog sites. The content of the blog is going to decide the level of active participation.
I’ll be adding to these thoughts, so please check back. Contact me with any questions you might have. ~ Ninette
Strategic Win 
