Last updated: 21^st July 2009

Think about the last time you had a conversation – were you the only one talking?

Just because publishing is now (relatively) so easy it doesn’t mean the social web is all about writing.

5 things to do that makes the web social:

1. Read/listen
   Find out what is going on already – use Google to search and then use an RSS reader subscribe to feeds from blogs so that you can be notified when they are updated without having to go back to the individual sites. You can also set up searches to notify you when specific words or phrases are mentioned on sites you’re not already subscribed to. You can search services like Twitter to get a snapshot of the chatter – the recommendations, the short comments
2. Link and share
   In fact link, link and link again – these links between blogs and comments are at the heart of the social web. Invisible bits of code called pings and trackbacks automatically notify authors of references making the conversation two-way and enabling you to join in.
3. Comment and feedback
   How do you join in? By commenting: adding, agreeing, disagreeing, refining, polishing arguing and praising. Some blog posts may generate many more times the amount of information in their comments than their original content. They also bring together every commenter into a small community around a particular subject or idea presented in the post – no matter how right or wrong it is.
4. Say thank you
   If someone holds a door open for you, you’d say thank you. The social web is no different. If someone writes something amazingly useful, or introduces you to someone you might never have met otherwise – say thank you. It is much more about relationships and people than technology and headlines
5. Be helpful
   Every time you help someone you’re building up a relationship partly online (in the case of links, posts etc) or offline (trust and confidence) with the person or groups you’re helping. This is incredibly valuable and the web helps it to happen faster and with more people than is possible just face-to-face

5 things not to do

Don’t:

1. Worry that it’s not finished
   Unlike a printed book that can’t be changed once it hits the presses, things are never really finished on the web. A paragraph with a half-formed idea is sometimes more valuable and can inspire more creativity in finding a solution than presenting the definitive solution to a dumbstruck audience (they will probably tell you if you’re wrong anyway).
2. Pretend to be something you’re not
   Even if you are representing an organisation, the social web is to a greater or lesser extent about personal relationships. Think about your network – it’s people you know, not positions or job titles and if lose your voice trying to ‘spin’ or move away from being genuine, you will be found out sooner or later
3. Worry you’re in a vaccum
   The technology behind blogs and social media means that if you follow a few tips (reading, tagging, linking, commenting) you will start to connect with others on the web. The ultimate judge of what you do online are your peers, so if you put in the hard work to find out who is out there and communicate with them and what you do is worth reading and commenting on – they will and everyone benefits.
4. Measure success just by the numbers
   When you start out and write your first post probably no-one will know it’s there. But it will be findable, searchable and you’ll tell people that you wrote it. And they will read it and the might comment on it and link to it and subscribe to it so when you next post something, you have some interested engaged people looking forward to what you have to say. If you’re reaching the right people with your blog, you don’t have to play the numbers game – it’s quality of people and relationships that count
5. Ignore people
   They’ve gone to the effort of reading what you’re written and maybe left a comment – they’ve invested time and thought into responding so reward that with response.

Above all – be generous.

More info

• A real story about how the social web really works – Citizensheep
• Beth Kanter on Generosity
• Video: Masterclass from Steve Bridger on social media

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