5 Steps To Creating a “Roar” By Utilizing Social Networks

This post is, at its core, about the power of linked people who, when acting together, can roar. “Obscure” social communities can exercise their influence in a powerful way by creating culture in their own space. This “linked” influence has the potential for effective change.

“A linked group of users can also create a positive feedback loop. Passionate online fans famously helped revive TV’s Family Guy after it was initially canceled by Fox, while Arrested Development may get a second life as a movie because of Internet fan support. Earlier this year, one ardent fan of Betty White, David Mathews of San Antonio, launched a campaign on Facebook to get the octogenarian actress invited to host Saturday Night Live. Hundreds of thousands of people joined in with their support. ‘I didn’t know what Facebook was,’ White said during her monologue on May 8. ‘Now that I do know what it is, I have to say, it seems like a huge waste of time,’” so says Fast Company’s fascinating article “The New Faces of Social Media” in the November 2011 issue.

Just as businesses have historically paid heed to industry trade publications and newsletters, so too must they now familiarize themselves with the bloggers that intersect their industry. Michael Hyatt, Seth Godin, Jason Fried, Tim Ferriss, Freakonomics, and Techdirt are but a tiny sample of the new social voices, when linked together, create a roar.

Mark Borden says, “Perhaps the most influential specialists are the sites and bloggers that cover social media itself. Often described as the Brad Pitt of social media, 25-year-old Pete Cashmore is the founder and CEO of the website Mashable. That position led to the Scotsman’s being declared the world’s most influential person on Twitter in a 2009 poll.

As a blogger and editor, Cashmore has an intuitive understanding for online storytelling that not only attracts more than 30 million monthly page views for Mashable but has also made the site profitable. What he believes sets Mashable apart from traditional news outlets: ‘Social media is about engagement and interaction,’ he says. ‘It’s more about community and posing the question, rather than having all the answers.’”

So, in the spirit of not having all the answers, and sincerely wanting to engage you (my social community), I  posit these initial 5 steps to creating a “roar” by utilizing social networks. Please add clarification, correction, conversation and most importantly community to make these 5 steps better and also feel free to add more steps as needed.

5 Steps To Creating a “Roar” By Utilizing Social Networks

1. Make the message clear. A message that focuses on the diversity of the objective rather than the value it can bring to your network is not the way to be heard. Make sure your message clearly states the purpose and what makes you unique.

2. Analyze your network response. Which of your blog posts are most popular? Why? Which of your Tweets are retweeted most? Why? Which of your Facebook updates are most commented upon? Why? Before long, a composite picture begins to emerge. What does your raving fans and supporters look like? Who are they? What do they like? What do they hate? What are they passionate to talk about?

3. Understand the rhythm of your social networks. It is imperative to understand the natural ebb and flow and attention span of your social networks. For example, I have learned that weekends are not the time to unveil a new objective. Monday mornings seem dead as everyone is frantically trying to catch up. Friday is a slow day in my network. What is the rhythm of your social network? Analyze and use this data to sense when networks are ready to make something spread. Look at how people are engaging with your content and then send them to the stuff that inspires more action and more sharing.

4. Become a curator. The web is a world of radical discontinuity. In other words, it is changing so fast, most of us can’t keep up. There is so much information—and conflicting points of view—that curators who spotlight what’s important have a particularly strong impact. Rose, the Digg founder, created a system where the most-read content is pushed to the top of the Internet news cycle. Kawasaki’s Alltop is what he calls an “online magazine rack” of selected topics on the web. Jack Dorsey’s Twitter platform allows users to communicate in both a one-to-one fashion and one-to-many. In the process, Twitter creates a world of everyday curators.

5. React quickly. When you feel that “second-sense,” that “intuition,” that “hunch,” that something is a big deal. It probably is. Act on it. Decisively and promptly. You don’t necessarily have to be the first person in the world to react—but you should be the first person in your social network. As the old adage goes, “Timing is everything.”

Thoughts?

19 responses to “5 Steps To Creating a “Roar” By Utilizing Social Networks”

  1. James Cohen Avatar

    Now this is what I call a roar- Blog went from 3 comments to over 4K in 2 days RT @rachelrandolph Get noticed. @nerdyapple’s Write quality content http://bit.ly/aYGz3o

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @James Cohen, Yes, indeed. and very well written.

  2. Jeff Goins Avatar

    Good stuff. If I understand what you’re saying correctly, then I would add that leveraging existing social (sometimes offline) relationships is very important to creating a social “roar.” I’ve seen how asking a network of like-minded people (all with decent followings, but nothing huge) to share the same message can have an amazing impact.

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Jeff Goins, That is a GREAT point, Jeff. And very important.

      Thanks.

  3. Chris Jeub Avatar

    Typo: “In other words, it is changing so fast, mot of us can’t keep up.”
    On the other hand, it’s sort of poetic. We are all tying to keep up!

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Chris Jeub, Ha! Thanks. One of the huge advantages of a blog. Corrected immediately.

  4. Henway Avatar

    I find most communication in social networks are 1-way, perhaps people should try to actually respond to other people’s posts in facebook and twitter before broadcasting their message?

  5. Carol Avatar

    What a timely post. Recently I used twitter to get my linkedin profile seen by others. Jim Gray gave me some great advice and so did Lindsey Nobles. I kept up the direct twitters for about two hours when the PR rep from Linkedin picked it up and worked hard to get others to RT it including The Ellen Show. It was RT’d a lot but we did not succeed with Ellen or getting me a job. But what fun it was to try. I’m also apart of the community who started posting a year ago about Kate McRae asking people to pray. The McRae’s are apart of my church family and I go to spend that day seeing how her story spread like wild fire. So now I have lived and seen the power of social media and truly believe in it. I am thankful for what you just taught me. Now if we can just get Brian Wurzell to attend Recreate I would be thrilled. I could then go pick his brain. Thanks for sharing this Randy. Back to the job hunt. #HireCarol

    1. Randy Avatar

      @Carol, Thanks so much, Carol. Do you have a Twitter msg about you, your qualifications, and your specific need for a job?

      1. Carol Avatar

        @Randy, I sure do. Every Friday is hire Friday so this is what I am tweeting.

        IT manager with PM, OSHA, SharePoint, CRM experience: a quadruple-threat! http://ow.ly/2Tyyc #HireFriday #HireCarol

        1. Carol Avatar

          @Carol, I just saw your tweet. Thank you. Your my hero today.

          1. Randy Elrod Avatar

            @Carol, You are very welcome!

  6. Keith Jennings Avatar

    Your post is a curated creation in and of itself! Nice.

    To add a hue to #3, seasons are a rhythm. I’ve begun experimenting with themes aligned to what I call “emotional seasons,” which deal with how we feel at specific times of the year. For example, people tend to feel impatient and cranky at summer’s end, so I write about the feelings that come from the tensions of the back-to-school rush and summer’s smothering heat. And I try to be a cathartic agent for those tensions.

    Regarding #5, my friend David Meerman Scott has just published his latest book, “Real-Time Marketing & PR.” It’s about how to build and manage an infrastructure for real-time conversations using social media. I had the privilege of reading and reviewing it early, and it’s as applicable to creatives as it is to Fortune 100 companies.

    Always enjoy your thinking and work, Randy. Anytime you want to “link up,” count me (and my little social community) in!

    1. Randy Elrod Avatar

      @Keith Jennings, Thanks, Keith. Likewise. Very intriguing, your thoughts on seasons. Very, very intriguing. I will be sure to pick up David’s book as well.

      As always, it is a pleasure to have you join (and add) to the conversation.

  7. Kyle Reed Avatar

    All great stuff.

    number 2 has become a big one for me. I had never paid attention to my stats or what people were liking and what keywords were being searched.

    Lately I have been really following my analytics and seeing exactly what people are reading.

    I usually do that on Sunday afternoon. Its a good down time for me to analyze and then plan out the rest of my week.

    1. Randy Avatar
      Randy

      @Kyle Reed, Great, Kyle. Yes, it is a big deal to know analytics.

  8. The Music Gardener Avatar

    just wanted to be the first to react promptly & quickly :) Great info!

    1. Randy Avatar
      Randy

      @The Music Gardener, Ha!! Thanks, Keith.