In a post at MarketingProfs' Daily Fix blog, Mack Collier started an interesting conversation about a potentially problematic trend in social media—one that seems to manifest most obviously on Twitter. "What I'm noticing," he says, "is that some well-known and established players … are using these tools not as ways to interact and be 'social,' but instead as channels to 'broadcast' the media they are creating."

In other words, they're doing the equivalent of an online ding-dong-ditch by appearing at Twitter once or twice a week to announce a new post at their blog, then promptly disappearing from the conversation. Or ignoring attempts by readers to discuss the touted post in the blog's comment section. While Collier allows that anyone can use interactive forums however they like, he does worry that these social media experts might advise businesses like yours to use the tools in the same way—and thereby weaken the effectiveness of their "social" element.

It's a good reminder that cultivating relationships with those who follow your tweets or comment at your blog is an important part of maintaining interest in what you have to say; you'll notice that Collier leads by example. And the spirited debate at his post can help you decide if your current approach to social media like Twitter is right for you.

The Po!nt: "If you are using social sites and tools as one-way channels to promote your content," he argues, "you aren't practicing social media, you are in broadcast media."

Source: Daily Fix. Click here to read the full post.

→ end article preview
Read the Full Article