“You are richer than you think.” I know, I know we have all seen the ads and thought “yeah, I wish.” But in the era of the Connected Consumer we are experiencing a new kind of currency. Our focus and attention becomes a commodity that is sought after by marketers, our friends, our family….
There is a ME in Social MEdia for a reason: It’s because you and I make the world revolve around us. And that’s cool - we just have to live with that ~ Brian Solis (see the whole speech here)
I’m not sure if we can create attention-savings-accounts but we can certainly enjoy spending the attention currency. We can learn to spend it wisely and we can choose consciously where we spend it! How about spending it on your friends, your favourite causes or even your favourite brands?
Let’s explore some ways to use your Social Capital
Ways to help your friends online:
The almighty Google rank measures every single activity on our websites (thanks for spending your time here 🙂 ); it measures how long you stay, where you click and how you interact with a page. Not because of some sick drive to be “Big Brother”but because if you spend more of your social capital the page is likely more interesting to other internet users and search engines are in the business of providing the best sources possible.
Two universal rules: If you suspect that someone has fallen victim to a scam or virus, find a way to point it out to them! Friends don’t let friends be scammed. And remember, if you are sharing content or photos from someone else’s blog or website, it’s simply good etiquette to give credit where credit is due.
To support a Blog or a Website you can:
- Visit often
- Share content on your social networks
- Comment on blog posts
Link to posts and websites from your own blog- Offer to write a guest post
- Make use of the Google+ button!
To support your friends on Facebook:
Facebook’s term for sorting updates is called Edgerank
- Share blog posts to your Facebook wall
- Share Pages with your Facebook friends
- Share Updates directly from a Facebook Page you like
- Comment as often as you can and try to keep conversations public
- Click “like” as often as you can
- Don’t click on your friends’ ads (they pay per click)
To support your tweeps on Twitter:
- Make sure you follow them
- Create a list of your closest friends and make sure you RT their content
- Suggest your friends to others (#FFridays or otherwise)
- Always credit the source of your RTs!
Support your Contacts in LinkedIn:
- Connect your friends to others that may need their services or expertise
- Like and support updates of your friends
- Write recommendations for those contacts you have worked with
- Endorse your friends for the skills you know they perform well
- Mention your friends in projects you are involved in together
Like, share, re-pin….. images on Pinterest, Instagram, Flickr……
- Browse over to your friends’ boards and profiles and comment, like and share your friends’ best images. You may not notice but the more our images are shared, the more people we can connect with
I could go on here but I think you get my drift. We, the connected consumer, have the power to support each other in the digital world just like in the other real life. You might think that your little voice doesn’t count within the sea of billions of Social Media users but why do you think companies spend more and more of their marketing dollars chasing after your attention? It’s worth something and the harder it is to get our attention the better the efforts have to be. Our time and attention is a currency in a new world of social capital.
I would love to hear how you support your friends online!
[hr]
photo credits:
Alan Cleaver via photopin cc
Beneath_B1ue_Skies via photopin cc
@bluebirdbc
Latest posts by Frithjof (see all)
- What is Organic Reach - BlueBird Dictionary - July 5, 2016
- BlueBird Dictionary Posts - July 5, 2016
- My Interview with Sean Smith - June 29, 2016
I absolutely agree with you. Consumers have the power to sway the status quo. And it doesn't take much in social media!
Thanks for stopping by Cendrine!
Very good run down, you never know when a comment or a like is going to change someone's day. It won't always put money in your pocket, but it still has value.
Hi Susan! Thanks for stopping by. Money in your pocket NOW as a goal is probably not the best goal to have anyway. The new economy is built on trust - it takes time and creating value to built trust
This is so cool. I am such a huge fan of their work. I really am impressed with how much you have worked to make this website so enjoyable. <a href