Are You a Social Media Believer?

Those who find success using social media are the ones that truly believe in the medium. They're out there using it consistently, and they're constantly making new contacts. They know how to play the game. It's not just a marketing trend to them. It's a way of life. A successful life.

The legitimacy of social media is often cite things like the slowing of productivity and the lack of benefit measurement strategies as reasons not to. These are certainly valid concerns in some instances, but people continue to prove time and time again that there are benefits there. I think the LinkedIn user I Chris Brogan, the President of New Marketing Labs, a social media agency and education company. He's clearly a social media "believer." People like Robert Scoble, Jason Calacanis, Danny Sullivan, and Steve Rubel are social media believers.

Murdok readers recognize the names mentioned above. They are big, well-respected names that lend credibility to their own respective businesses. How often do offline businesses attract customer attention based on their founders', presidents', or CEOs' names alone. Customers tend to flock to businesses because of the products they offer, but these guys have names. They have products too, but their names are a good part of their brands. Why is this? Could it be that they've spent a considerable amount of time networking online? Blogging? I think these things play a pretty big role.

These guys make use of the medium frequently. They are constantly tweeting and communicating with their respective networks. They are frequently making new connections and relationships. Brogan for example over 500 connections on LinkedIn. They also managing their reputations.

They blog frequently. They write topical posts that readers find interesting, and respond to. Communities are often built from this alone, which is why I consider blogging to be very much a part of social media. When they don't have time (or sometimes even when they do), they have guest authors make relevant posts too. When they blog themselves, they sometimes get personal. This helps them convey that they are human and not just cold lifeless, business entities. They're regular people that others can identify with, and find it easier to trust.

Most of All, They Care.

The most important thing to note about these social media believers is that they care about what they're doing. They're not just blatantly marketing their products. They're communicating and enjoying doing it. They're discussing things. They're helping people. They're learning themselves. They're staying informed. Watch this recent video from Chris Brogan.

He cares so much that while he is clearly very busy, he encourages people who want to talk to him in person to meet him and stresses the wants to meet them no matter what. It doesn't sound incredibly remarkable, but the enthusiasm he shows about just wanting to reach out to the community speaks volumes about how seriously he takes it.

"If ever we’re in the same place at the same time for some kind of event, would you be willing to help me with something? It’s this: Please never ever ever ever think that I don’t want to meet you, or that I’m too busy, or that you’re not important," he
Additional Tips

A big part of caring about social media, is caring about your own online persona. This means keeping your profiles updated. Brogan even

Facebook Connect and