I make a valiant effort to read and plus one a good portions of the comments I get on G+.. Contributing to the conversation where i see fit.. I usually die at about 250 of 500 comments… If people take the time to comment I should take the time to acknowledge that. I also respond to most @mentions on twitter.. all tags on facebook and interact on the mentions I manage to actually get on G+… I take time every day to comment on peoples posts on G+ too… Not just major huge posts.. but their " i went to the store today" ones too. It takes me 5 minutes to scroll up and down and add a comment or two to the posts of people I follow.
The comments reading and plussing take the most amount of time… but all in all I say it takes me less than 1/2 an hour to do all of the above. So why do so many pros at "social media" fail to even +1 your comments on G+? Why do they never bother to come to your page and say Awesome post? G+ more than any other social network I've been on is a two way street. You must talk *with*, not at. Other sites still accept the monologue idea…. but G+ is a passionate community of people who invest time and except you to invest some back in them… At least in SOME way.
Perhaps because some new people can't be bothered to actually be social is one of the reasons G+ gets the Ghost Town Meme. "But but but my cut and paste sales message that was RT 4 times on Twitter got NOTHING on G+" or the "I got 50 likes from people (but only one sale) on my latest FB fan page post"… when was the last time you saw a brand page comment on your stuff on facebook? Or a major company follow you on twitter and @mention you? This "you have to actually be social" idea is a foreign concept currently in social media…. But its How G+ works. And yeah.. sorry media people… it does indeed take some work.
Engaging…
only 500? WIMP! 😀
Love it. It's hard to find those who actually engage anymore.
I guess it's their Ego, Attitude or they take followers for granted or simply Damn care. They think they are the only special one's.
I argue this same point all the time. And when a brand actually posts to me or my comment, Likes one of my posts or +1s I make a point of thanking them. Some are good about commenting back on their own posts I've posted on, but none, to my knowledge, have ever commented on a post unsolicited. Put the social back in social media.
Engaging…
+100000 I get so frustrated when I read some people talk about how G+ is empty. Most of these people are tech bloggers that don't bother engaging the 99.9% of plussers that are just ordinary folk. They also post and run. So, of course their experience is limited.
You getting married?? Congrats!
And, shocking, people CAN disagree and still be engaging and social!
Take us out of here number one. Engage!
It's perhaps a daunting task when you have hundreds of thousands of followers. Then again, some are just here for validation. The more respect to those that actually take part, interact and engage.
ok.
I have found that from all of the networks to which I belong, I have felt the most directly connected to the larger companies/individuals via G+.
This was most apparent to me early on when +Graham Linehan set up a specific circle to do research. It was a great use of G+ and I think, great use of social media.
We all appreciate that you read and reply to comments Amanda
Where do you get the time? :p
I couldn't agree more!
I'm still on engaging more and posting content other people would want to engage in…man it's kind of a lot of work but also fun. As someone who stutters I love interacting on G+
I'm not one of the big names on G+, but I've been saying this for a year now. It's why people like Jeri Ryan, Wil Wheaton, Felicia Day, and Sergei Brin are so popular, and why I don't bother following people like Hugh Jackman whose posts consist entirely of publicity shots and a quote in quotes. Generic broadcasting can work on a medium like Twitter, where interaction is limited. But on G+, you have to spend some time being social and interacting with people if you want them to spend their time on your posts.
It has been my experience that people "hit and run", meaning they stop long enough to see what you're offering and quickly click off somewhere else – as if they are afraid to "engage", as you say. Knowing that we post and wait for responses, chances are when we check our responses, the others aren't online at that time; therefore, monologue. Those of us who stop, offer our comments (hopefully being supportive and constructive), move ahead never really expecting a response and are, quite frankly, taken aback when we get one. Its odd, but that's what seems to happen.
Do we comment because we appreciate content shared? Do we comment in order to meet someone with an interesting point of view? Do we comment because we feel motivated to do so – perhaps sharing the same thoughts at that given moment? Or do we comment as if to say, "that's nice" and carry on.
Keep posting as you desire and respond where you desire. I think, if anything, that is the spirit of WWW posting venues. All the best to you and yours. Sincerely,
I agree, we should get envolved in the conversation. Great Point.
Couldn't agree more. The nail is rubbing its noggin cause you hit it square in the head! 🙂
Great post. I need to try harder, both as a circler and a circled.
Totally agree!
They are "Machine men with machine minds and machine hearts" (quote by amazing Charlie Chaplin)
Heard the saying about Twitter being Conversation not Dictation and it carries over to all. Like the Photo:)
Completely agree with everything you've said, Amanda. You are an example of what drive and a love of technology can do. <3
Social media is all about bringing people together, and that is your life, so kudos.
Excellent post, Amanda.
You are so right, it can be hard work engaging, thinking out suitable replies and generally trying to create a conversation without the aid of gestures and facial expressions.
Think about many of the men in your personal life who, under the best of circumstances, can barely squeeze out a grunt or two when spoken to – well, this (social media) simply amplifies that by, around, ten, I'd say.
My understanding is this, most men are on social media sites simply for the entertainment, as such, we sit quietly and let the shit that unfolds on our screens entertain us. Television taught us that, well.
However, I'm thinking that in ten years time this won't be the case, as the newer generations coming through have been engaging since the moment they could, so it's second nature to them. So, given the fullness of time I'd venture to say that men and women well be equally as engaging on this, and other sites like it.
Let's hope so, anyway.
As i mentioned above… i generally set aside half an hour a day to comment up and down the stream or plus one my comments. sometimes it takes an hour… I usually set a timer to keep it under control (You can easily loose track of time in this space) but seriously? i think its worth it… ?
+Clint Fudge that was beautiful bro
internet allows us to bring all those tv circles and make them interact with the world
really the internet gives everyone the opportunity to move to a time before technology existed
beautifully ironic
do you mind if i share your comment as a post on http://www.spaceking.net ? it's a link to my g+ stream and i would like to put it down in an easily findable history of beautiful words one day
Listen to the lil fella with the big head, he is so right "engagement is where its at"
That is an excellent thing to do because I go into any type of thing that involves internet. So I like the tip you just posted. 🙂 Haha I think I will get a timer.
Path of least resistance. Engagement takes time, broadcasting doesn't really.
Excellent post +Clint Fudge …. many many things are into play of the "why"… i was hoping with this post to get to the… "meh why ..JUST DO IT!!" 🙂
It ends up being a monologue for the majority of the people who do not have 1000+ followers.
+Judith Barbosa the answer to that… Show interest in others… focus less on producing content in the start and more on paying attention to others… in time they will pay attention to you.. and THEN you can start broadcasting more…
Takes some time.. but not too much 🙂
I agree that is the truth
Certainly have to show signs of life if you want anyone to know there's life there. I'm deaf, so talking is a challenge, but messages are my strongest conversational means. So G+ works out great that way. Makes communicating much more enjoyable for me.
I feel sorry for you dude but God will watch and help you.
Thats just amazing +Lee Forest I guess we take for granted things we can do, great to know that G+ and the internet in general is more than just shopping.
It takes a village! Some or most just do not get it.
I am one of those guys who can barely string three words together when talking to someone in meatspace. I am, however, able to formulate complete and coherent responses here, and actually be an active participant on the discussion, thanks in large part to the fact that I can actually take the time to do so.
And I really appreciate the way that +Amanda Blain takes the time to do be an active participant!
+Marc Belley by all means you may use that posting up there^^ somewhere, on space king. I'd be most pleased.
I'll check out the site when I get back from work.
Ru following me?
+Marc Jansen you got more then three words in you last comment.
I was getting very good engagement when I only had a few hundred followers… now I can't keep up, but I do my best to involve myself in other people's stuff, and respond to comments. I didn't come here with a sense of entitlement. This wasn't just another place for me to drop a link.
Very well said +Amanda Blain People should remember this philosophy. We're not saying be active on *EVERYTHING* that occurs on G+, but when people leave comments on posts you've made, do please acknowledge as best you can.
+Sean J Connolly I guess everyone takes something for granted. The internet certainly provides a lot of means for many people.
Time is fleeting, keeping up on all social sites is almost a job. Wish it paid.
But sharing knowledge and news in a compact form is still good.
Learn most NEW news from social media before it hits "mainstream" and that is a good thing, right?
Enjoy.
I'm well below the 250 mark, so this will be noticed! Yes, G+ is very different. Also, it's rightly called 'stream', and it flows fast. So noobs need to know if they're not getting many responses, it's also because it's not being noticed. Keep engaging – there's a ton of good stuff, it's fun, and in no time you'll lose sleep. Nice post. Reiterating the classic G+ mantra.
+Amanda Blain. Every you make a post, it seems there are hundreds of post on your comment. However I agree, people start to dialog not monolog. 🙂 I completely left FB for this very reason and others also. 🙂