How To Be Relevant In Social Web

There are many voices in social web and the internet, to be relevant, one must offer value adding options to life’s miseries.

In this post, allow me to share my online philosophy, maybe this led to being recognized as the top blogger for 2010, in the field of advocacy by the Philippine Blog Awards.  This is also to answer the Qs being sent as to my blogging philosophy.

For the benefit of the new converts to social web, allow me to start my discussion from the basics.

The Brand

As an individual, whether you’re a blogger, freelance service provider, a professional looking for better opportunities or newly grads looking for a job- you are THE brand.

In an enterprise setting, the product [services, goods, experience or facilities] is the brand. In the corporate setting, you and your department’s performance is THE brand.

What is social web?

It is a “state” when use of the web becomes social. One maybe using twitter but if there is no interaction, no new relationships formed and no value is created,  then the use of the web is not social. The proliferation of social networking sites are meant to make the web more  social.

The platform

Very popular in the PH are social networking sites with Facebook on top of the list, Multiply, which evolved to be an ecommerce site, twitter and other sites meant for sharing stuffs like music, ringtones and professional networking.

Online Reputation Management

This is the 1-2 punch of social web marketing and online brand positioning. 1] The offense- using social web to position and enhance your brand, and 2] The defense- using social web to get feedbacks, monitor and protect your brand

By having the right framework of social web as tool and you as the brand, looking at my online philosophy below will make sense.

My Social Web Mantra

1. Add Value – Since I started my online journey, “adding value” has been my purpose. The reason I started a Yahoo group way back in 2005 is to share my learning experiences as a newly promoted manager. From e-group, to blogspot then to wordpress. After iblog2,  my wordpress blog was find value adding, thus, I was awarded by enthropia and ploghost my own domain [this site] and hosting for free, since 2006.  At present, Adding Value is still the guiding light of my  online presence. Social web is best use for lifting the morale of others and/or building communities
2. Purpose Driven – I am certain of my purpose of existence in real life, this mirrors my digital life. You seek and appreciate yours too.
3. End In Mind – Know your product(s) and objective(s). Remember, you are just one of the voices on the web, so why should online users pay attention to you?  Give them good reasons why they should listen and follow you.
4. Appropriate tool – You don’t have to open an account for every social web platform out there, just pick those that will best reach your intended audience or market, integrate these and synergize. I only use blog, facebook, twitter, youtube, linkedin and ning.
5. Connect – there will always be people out there, who shares the same values and aspirations as you. search for them and if you found any, keep the connection.
6. Convert not Proselyte – One marketing approach is to proselyte. To eat each other’s share of the pie. This is also true the social web, online marketers are trying eat each others share of the “online pie”. While this is the nature of the competition, the online penetration rate in PH is relatively small at 30%, but this is bound to grow. Thus, my approach is to go to the untapped 70% and influence them. This is the reason why I still use “list groups” in my campaign because the other 70% may not have Facebook yet, but certainly at least 70-80% of them have an email address. That’s my entry point in converting non believers and building a tribe.
7. Online to offline – the virtual relationships you built should become real. Bring into real life your campaign, and make a difference.
8. Collaborate not Compete – learn the art of sharing glory. Give credit to where credits are due

My approach is not a “flash in the pan” or an instant recipe for success. Building relationships and influence is not a popularity contest.  Strangers will connect with us not because we are popular, but because we are relevant.

Stick to the basics and let your character reflect your online activities. If we pursue diligently and wholeheartedly what we set our hands for, it’ll solicit support from people you don’t even know, and together it can make an impact to the society.