It’s actually a lot easier to be popular in Social Networking than you think. However, it does take a little more effort.
You see, in social networking, especially in discussion groups and forums, along with blogs and other types of sites – you have two types of people – leaders and followers.
The real secret is that it’s actually very easy to become a leader because of the 90:10 rule. You see, 90% of the content… the posts, the comments, the content… is created by 10% of the people. Most people are real content to be followers and readers of topics, rather than create them.
You can join a group inside of Facebook, with over 1,000 members, yet there will only be 20 or 30 people actually having any conversations or contributing any content. And those 20 or 30, regardless of their background or experience, by default become the leaders.
So the real key here is that you simply have to be WILLING to take the time and put in a little bit of effort while you’re out there. Did you read a good blog post? Take the time to leave a comment! Did you just join a discussion group? Read some of the posts and leave some of your own.
Let me be clear however, that you WILL NOT become a leader if you just randomly show up, leave some spam comment or post, and never return. People will not click on your links or care about what you have to say.
But if you become a REGULAR and ACTIVE participant in the social communities, you will become a leader quite easily. Not only will you become more popular in those areas, but people will take action on your suggestions. If you’re one of the leaders of a conversation, and you suggest people visit a particular web page, or look at a particular product… they are much more likely to do it.
Always make sure to have as part of your signature, links to your Twitter profile, or your Facebook profile, or Blog. You’re trying to encourage more contact and connection with people.
You don’t need to be forceful about it, people will get the idea. As they read your content and like what you have to say, and they see a simple “Follow me on Twitter” link under your post… don’t worry, they’ll know what to do.
So to summarize, first find the discussion groups, forums, blogs, and other areas that interest you – places that you can add some value to those communities. Second, read some of the conversations that are already going on, and identify who some of the default leaders are. Third, begin responding to discussions, and posting content of your own. Fourth, always have a signature at the bottom of your posts that encourages friendships on other social networks. And finally, make sure to return to these areas again and again and continue to add value to the communities you’ve joined.
You’ll almost sure to be a popular leader in no time!
