BOOM! "Blow Up" Your Social Networking (in a Good Way) with Some "Social C-4"

[MichaelDortch]

If you're going to be an effective champion, for ServiceNow, for yourself as a thought leader, or for anything else, you need to invest some time and effort into social networking. There are a variety of reasons, but for now, we'll stick with the fact that social networking is faster, easier, and less expensive than flying and driving everywhere to meet and talk with everyone.

Fortunately, you can kick-start your social networking efforts pretty vigorously without spending a lot of time, effort, or money. Specifically, there are four things you can do immediately and at no cost (beyond whatever you pay for Internet access), all of which start with the letter "C." Hence the analogy to C-4, a moldable, shelf-stable explosive popular in action-adventure movies and TV shows.

If you haven't already done so, sign up for Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Select user names that are easy for you and others to remember. If you can also pick names that convey something about you or your area(s) of focus, so much the better.

Once your accounts are in place, follow these steps. A tool that consolidates your ability to read, follow, and post to multiple social networks, such as Hootsuite, can make following these steps easier and more fun, but is not a prerequisite for doing so.

Connect. Find people you already know and people who already know you, and connect with them via at least one social network. LinkedIn is a great place to start, since it's focused primarily on work and professional contacts. LinkedIn also makes it easy to search for individuals and companies by their real, plain-language names. But don't forget Facebook, Google+, Instagram, or Twitter. If the person or company you're looking for has a presence on any or all of these, you can usually find links to that presence at the Web or blog site of that person or company.

Once you've connected with a few people and companies that interest you, follow them. Not literally—there are laws against stalking, after all. Follow them online, and note the most interesting things they say and post. This will help to prepare you for your next step.

Comment. As those people and companies with which you've connected say and post interesting things, comment on those things. Try to say more than "great post," though. Say things that extend and build upon their original posts, and that convey hints about the things you know and are passionate about. Others who also follow the people and companies you're following will take note of your best comments. Some might even begin to follow you online. Let them. In fact, thank each of them for doing so as soon as possible after you receive notification that they've started following you.

Curate. Here is where you start taking your efforts up a notch or two. When those you follow say things that interest you, it's likely that those things will interest others as well. But don't just share or redistribute everything that interests you. Be a curator. Select what you think are the most noteworthy items, and add your thoughts about why they're noteworthy. Over time, you'll develop a distinctive voice and track record that attracts and retains the attention of others. Some of them will probably even start to share and redistribute your efforts as well, creating a ready, willing, and eager audience for the next phase of your social evolution.

Create. You've identified and connected with some people and companies. You've started to comment on and curate their most interesting posts, statements, and activities. You've even started to attract your own audience. Now, it's time to take the next big social networking leap: creation of your own original content. The good news here is that you can create interesting content by using items you've curated as inspiration and foundations. More good news: this is an approach you can repeat indefinitely, as long as others continue to post and do interesting, relevant things. Just strive always to tell a good story.

Don't be misled by this admittedly brief tour of the "C-4" approach. It will work, but each step is more challenging than its immediate predecessor. The creation of compelling social networking content is like playing checkers or guitar. It's something even beginners can often do fairly well, but you can spend an entire lifetime getting better at it. If you become sufficiently engaged, you can even take courses designed to make you a top-notch content creator and social networking maven.

But you don't need a course or credentials to get started. All you need is the will, desire, and motivation to connect and share with others about something meaningful to you.

By the way, if you've read this far, you're already on the path—just keep going.