Social Media's Big Three - How effective are they?
75How Often and How Effectively Do You Use The Big Three?
Here is a quick look at some of the results I have had with what I like to call “The Big Three” of Social Networking.
Twitter Bird
Twitter has recently boomed to become a very large part of the social networking world. As a result, it is talked about, blogged about, and generally toted as necessary. So, being ever hopeful of the quick fix, or easy solutions and fearful of being left behind, I too joined the band wagon. I found myself following everyone I knew (and lots I didn’t) and soon had hundreds of “followers” myself. I even have a daily feed from a few blogs on how to use twitter effectively.
Sadly, I think perhaps I might have a “block” with Twitter because I have not found it very useful. With one exception, my contacts on Twitter have been totally without benefit. I have been able to connect with another author I found through my own (now defunct) social networking site, but I find that direct communication with her is much more effective. And since I have her contact information and her blogs etc., I see no point in making that connection through Twitter.
An
interesting article at BBC showed results
from their Twitter research. To recap
for you they found that of their snap shot of Twitter Traffic:
- 40.5% could be classified as pointless babble,
- 37.5% as conversational and
- 8.7% as having pass-along value.
- Self promotion and spam stood at 5.85% and 3.75% respectively. [source BBC]
When you consider the volume of messages that are passed through Twitter - even on a per second basis - the number of value added tweets would be minuscule.
I have even attempted to use Twitter to make money. Again I met with no success. It could very well be that I am doing everything wrong (no surprise there), but as I don’t have anything to sell I’m not going to panic over it. The Day That Twitter Wasn’t – didn’t affect me at all.
How Hubbers Use Twitter
In fairness, I am going to list some other Hubbers who have discussed Twitter in a good way.
The number of potential connections on facebook is staggering - overwhelming even.
How far your facebook connections go is an entirely different scenario.
Unless you pay to advertise, or spend a great deal of time building your friend lists in order to promote whatever it is you have to sell, I’m not certain of the financial benefits. But facebook is BIG and that’s a pretty good reason to keep my facebook account open.
For most of my connections on facebook I have their contact information. I keep facebook alive because many of them travel there and it helps to keep up with what they are doing.
You can find me on facebook but you will quickly come to notice there is no push and I am not selling anything. I use facebook frequently to promote HubPages (my own and others I find interesting), but other than that, I keep in touch with family, friends and others who I have met through Social Networking – well, ok, if I am going to be completely honest, I keep it open to play Lexulous and Wordscraper which are scrabble knockoffs.
Facebook has it's purpose, but I find them mostly for personal reasons - friends and family. I have managed to keep in touch with other women and authors, but I have not found it very beneficial in terms of business or making money.
Of the “Big Three”, I find this site the best. Besides the “social” value of any social network, LinkedIn offers the added bonus of job searches. I have not had the need to use that function, but from observation I believe it would be a good place to go if you were in need of a job.
Perhaps it depends on the groups you join. In my experience, the connections made on LinkedIn are generally more professional. These folk seem to be there for a purpose. Yes, many have their own agenda – one of the benefits of social networking – but even with that you can find some great conversations and some very useful tips.
Hubbers Use Linkedin
- Introduction to Linkedin
- 5 Ways to Use LinkedIn to Drive Traffic to Your Website, Blog or HubPages
- Hubbers Discuss Linkedin
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How to REALLY use LinkedIn
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LinkedIn For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
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Big Three HubPages Benefit
I like the
idea of “sharing” hubs with facebook, twitter, myspace, digg, etc. and HubPages has made this process very easy for us Hubbers. This “sharing” is beneficial to HubPages in general, and to each hubber individually, so I continue to do so.
My favorite way to “share” a hub is by sending an email, because this can be personalized and directed to people I think would be interested in the information I found on your hubs.
My conclusion
To sum it up in just a few brief words, here is my list of the uses for "The Big Three" in social media.
- Social connections
- Staying in touch
- Quickly passing on good information
- Self Promotion
- Easy "share" options on many sites
These points can all be helpful, but I see them all as a long way from actually generating income.
Since writing this hub, I have found some other hubbers talking about Twitter. Check out these hubs to learn their "Tweecrets".
- Useful Twitter Applications
- How To Use Twitter for Business
- How to Find Niche Markets with Twitter
- Ten Twitter Money Making Tips
One of the best I have read to date is how to use Niche Markets and Twitter lists. Check out Jimmy Boyd's excellent lesson on How To Use Twitter To Get Traffic To Hub Pages
Building A Social Network? You Need The Right Provider
- Building a Social Network? You Need the Right Provider
Building a Social Networking community takes much more than just a great idea to be successful. Choosing a service provider for your site or building the site from scratch is one of the most difficult...
Join HubPages
Interested in sharing your stories, your point of view, or your talents?
I invite you to join us, it's one of the best social websites I have seen and offers opportunity to generate revenue. Sign up here.
Once you join, let me know. If you have questions - please feel free to ask me. Just under my profile you will find a question mark in a square box that says "Request a hub from Duchess OBlunt".
Feel free to use that option, and ask your question. I will be able to respond to the question or answer with a Hub.
I look forward to meeting you and doing what I can to help you.
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Comments
My friend, you are my biggest supporter, and the only contact I ever connected with in Twitter (as mentioned above).
AND
you are allowed to disagree with me, I don't mind in the least. In fact, I wondered when I was writing this if I would hear from you. I thought you would have something to offer by way of suggestions.
I'm on my way to check out your article.
Your article is a fair description of my experience on Twitter and Facebook. I use LinkedIn but not often. Great information. I use Facebook to post my articles and stay in touch with friends and family. I enjoy reading the newsfeed occasionally to keep up. I also love farmtown...
Farmtown - never heard of that one, is that like a local paper?
Excellent review. I don't pay any attention to Twitter except to post my Hubs when I publish something new. I was big on Facebook for a while but got bored with it. The most fun I have ever had on the internet is right here: Hub Pages!
:)
Thanks for your feedback James. I admit, my absolute favorite has very quickly become HubPages too. The quality here far surpasses other sites and the feedback from other hubbers is value added in my opinion.
Duchess,
Thanks for the info on these sights. I often wonder how these sites work for other people, as I am still struggling along. I am on facebook, but do not twitter. Hubpages has been good for me, but I do not seem to be generating much traffic, though I keep at it. This article will help me. Thanks again.
R Burow, as PZ Miller stated in her comments, maybe its just that my strategy is all wrong. If I could get that straight, I would employ the big three. Because as you say, my traffic could use improvement. I will check out what she has to say and see if I can learn from an expert.
Thanks for stopping by
Dear Duchess - I love your hubs! Keep 'em coming! You have a unique writing style; and I have learned alot about social networking from you. Thank you, my Friend!
Thanks Jo. I'm glad I can be helpful in some regard. It has certainly been a pleasure working with you over the past couple years. In fact, I should probably use your editing services more often as I keep finding little mistakes you would have caught.
Thanks for the Kudos!
Good morning Duchess! I am still struggling to understand about twittering. I'm on both twitter and facebook myself. LinkedIn? Not yet. I'm still LinkedOut! I enjoyed reading your sharing and experiences with this social networking sites.
I agree that Hubpages is a wonderful site and you will say more when I congratulate you for being a Hubnugget Wannabe! High five! To view the Hubnuggets: http://hubpages.com/_143/hub/How-to-Highlight-New-
Vote okay? And then promote! Have fun!
A Hubnugget Wannabe? Are you kidding? OH MY. I am speechless, on my way over there right now.
oooops forgot to say a Great BIG Thank You!
Well, I was going to comment on how useful I found your review to be, but now I will add Congrats on your nomination as well. :)
Thanks Jen. I'm so excited! I appreciate you dropping in to tell me anyway.
My pleasure, it gave me someone to vote for. :)
Sweet!
I'd say your reactions pretty much parallel mine. I don't see Twitter being a benefit to me, and since I don't have time for everything, that was an easy one to skip. Facebook is for fun and friends. That's where I post things to just keep friends updated, and it's the only site I'm likely to check while traveling. (Though I do have a "Fan Page" on FB, to promote my book; so there's some self-promotion there.) LinkedIn is my business page. There is some overlap with the FB crowd, but lots of business connections that aren't exactly "pals," just people I've worked with and respect. It's a great place to send people if you want them to see who has recommended you. Social Media is not selling many books for me, but it is a good way to stay networked.
And an aside on your comment about the astonishing possibilities of connecting with FB: Last November, while in Japan, I met a woman from Zambia who was there teaching English at the university level. We've stayed in touch, and yesterday, I thought to check to see if she was on FB. She isn't, but I found a notice of someone in Zambia who had lost touch and was looking for her. So I, in Chicago, was able to forward the note to her in Japan from the person in Zambia. How cool is that?
Good analysis, I have found twitter useful for making contacts.
I have to tell you that I had NO IDEA what Twitter was when my programmer said "You have to get on Twitter"....I did and now over 900 people are following me. That perplexes and amazes me. I use it strictly to promote links to my site but I'm going to read the article posted by your FAVORITE FAN (bah humbug - HA) and learn how to use it more effectively. In spite of the fact that I, myself, am the founder of a Social Community....I have so much to learn!
Congrats on the nomination!! :-)
Cynthia, your facebook story is mad cool! On a personal level that must have been exciting and rewarding.
Thank you once again for stoping by and sharing your thoughts with me (us all really). I do appreciate your time and your support.
My Best to you.
Bob, welcome and thank you for reading my hub! A new face (On mine),
Question, the contacts you have made on Twitter, have you followed up with them off of Twitter or is you contact strictly through that site?
Denee my friend! Good to hear from you. Please forgive me, I know you are my Favorite Fan! :). In fact I have so many favorites found on The Twisted Sisterhood, so it was all worth it. If there is anything I can help you will on your social community, you know you only have to ask.
Thanks for your congratulations. (Did you vote?)
Keeping in touch . . .
Great Hub!!
Thanks.
I just got started in creating social network back linking and have only gotten about 3 visitors from those sights to HP where I basically live. I'd like to find more ways to drive traffic however, but I believe that I just have to spend more time on the other networks in order to campaign myself.
Congratulations on your nomination! After reading I can clearly see why you were nominated. Superb information, well documented all in one place. Thanks for a great hub and good luck in promoting your hub!
Great imformation, I used all the social media sites that you mention, and your hub is clear and helpful.
Thanks.
Neil Ashworth
I actually use all of these services. I agree that LinkedIn is the best for professional networking. For me, Facebook is just fun and a way to keep in touch with relatives. Twitter is mainly for telling people about my hubs or re-tweeting articles I like.
LinkedIn is amazing in it's ability to find people that you might know.
@ Nicomp. I agree with you that Llinkedin is an amazing site for finding the "right" people and those you know
@Uninvited Writer - it's good to see another follow Ontarian here. Thanks for stopping by
@ Neil Ashworth, thank you your kind words
@emohealer, thanks for the congratulations! I am excited enough about it that I will be finishing a hub about it tonight.
@dohn121 - I have been using these three sites for some time now and find very little back linking from them. BUT as my first guest advised, I am likely not using them correctly. I need to learn but it takes time. So keep spending the time and I'm sure it will eventually just start to "click"
Thanks for your input
@Egiftscreations - Thank you for stopping by
From the comments it seems apparent that I am not alone in my assessments. I do hope to learn from the experts both here and in other areas. I will be sure to write about it if I do!
Thank you all for stopping by
Very informative. I must say though that I am a facebook-ian =) I have yet to experience the Twittage of Twitter, and have yet to LinkIn with LinkedIn =). I have some friends that use twitter, and I go on their page, but personally I don't see the need for Twitter cause I have facebook. Just means more typing for me. =) LinkedIn sounds cool and I think I should try it out, now that I know a little bit more about it, thanks to you.
Good job on the research Bren!
Thanks for the Kudos Tiffani. You should try Linkedin for sure. Would be good for business *wink. Just make sure you join the right groups for your line of work!
Hi ! I don't know why -but you look very familiar and I felt U did a great job here on a very worthy interesting subject! Thabk You!
Lisa
Congratulations on your hubnugget nomination, Duchess. This is a very informative hub, and well written. I am on Facebook, and have a Twitter account, but don't really use it much (don't really understand it), never heard of LinkedIn, but will check it out. Great work!
@ Lisa Luv
Your profile looks like you are around on the internet, you might have seen me somewhere else, as I am as well. Who knows. Thanks for stopping by and reading my hub.
@DoodleLyn look me up on either of the three and maybe together we can find out how to use them better!
If you check out LinkedIn, make sure to search for writing groups. Some are full of self promotion, but some are really great with good tips and people ready and willing to answer questions.
Thank you ladies for your kind words, maybe we'll see each other around on the "the big three"
Hi there - thanks for the great review of the Big 3! I also love Facebook and LinkedIn.
Best of luck to you!
Thank you Jen for the well wishes. I will be checking out your hubs, they sound very interesting!
I see much better results with Twitter, but Facebook provides more opportunities to get things out to people. I have to admit that I like using Facebook as a social tool more than I like using Twitter, but both are very effective social tools and should be used by businesses.
Affnetseo, you are the second person to say that you see better results with Twitter. I guess like everything else, it's how you use it. I'd be interested in hearing how you get those results. Going to check your profile to see if you have written anything about it in your Hubs. (I love to learn)
Thanks for stopping by.
Check your email and see you made it to TOP 5 of the Hubnuggets! Way to go! Let's celebrate!!! :)
Duchess O' Blunt - I hope you will pardon me for spelling your name slightly differently from the way you've chosen to. The class teacher during my last two years in high school, and probably the most dedicated and admired - may his soul rest in peace - was an Irish Christian Brother, C.F. O' Farrel. So I cannot help but put an apostrophe after the O!
Great hub you've written. I am a member of all three - but rarely visit any of the sites! Am also on Orkut, on which one was a regular for some months, but the initial entusiasm wears off, and pretty fast at that for all this aimless networking. Just as distraction, maybe, they're okay.
I am absolutely thrilled to have spent the last hour of my life reading this Hub and your comments! Duchess, I wholeheartedly agree with your take on Social Media, and before I found myself here today was having a mild crisis regarding all of this.
Thank you so much for your point of view, I believe I feel a new Hub brewing within...:o)...and I must send you my congratulations as well, it appears that you have cracked the top five at this writing.
Enjoy the moment!
And More~
Laurel Rogers
Judging from what I've read so far, nobody at HubPages seems to be making any money using Twitter, et al. Maybe they're simply too big to be useful for such tasks. If you can't "connect" with some folks, even making money on the Internet wouldn't be much fun. Anyway, I'm impressed that the woman who writes the column, PZ Miller, left you a comment. Later!
Yea! Top 5! That's very exciting.
I'm still not sure how that happens when my hub score is only 80? Some of the others are much higher. But the traffic will be appreciated.
Thanks to all for the recognition.
By the Way I still have not received an email?
@ Jaspal - Duchess O'Blunt is actually how I prefer it. I might be wrong, but you cannot us the hyphens in your user name. If that is not correct, I wonder if there is a way to change it? I shall check it out.
Yes, unless you are seeing some results, the initial enthusiasm certainly does wear off. I expect there are things I should be doing that I'm not. I'm just so busy here I can't seem to find the time!
Thanks for stopping by
lorlie6 please, oh please don't have a break down, melt down or even a min crisis over social networking.
If you can't have some fun on them or see some benefits from them, they certainly aren't worth wasting your time over let alone your emotions.
Smile, spend more time on HubPages, they are friendlier here anyway (for the most part)
Thanks for your kind words :)
I think social networking is just that, talking to your family and friends. Its such a shame these days that everything seems to have to have a pound sign attached to it. If a friend came to visit you and started trying to sell you insurance you'd soon show them the door and not invite them back.
I think we need to remember and keep our boundaries between work, home, fun and business. Yes tried Twitter and didn't get it, loads of strangers telling me they were going out for the day or what the weather was like 5000 miles away. Why? Liked the Hub and a good push for the site too.
Kosmo Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to review this Hub. I'm surprised that there are not more people like Phyllis Zimmer who feel compelled to defend them.
By the way, I met Phyllis through my own social networking site and we have kept in touch since it went down.
Just goes to show, when you actually "connect" on these networks, get to know the people, it pays off in ways you don't even think about. I'll have to tell her your comments. She'll get a kick out of that.
Thank you for stopping by too.
@ Jaspal - Duchess O'Blunt is actually how I prefer it. I might be wrong, but you cannot us the apostrophe in your user name. If that is not correct, I wonder if there is a way to change it? I shall check it out.
Yes, unless you are seeing some results, the initial enthusiasm certainly does wear off. I expect there are things I should be doing that I'm not. I'm just so busy here I can't seem to find the time!
Thanks for stopping by
knell63 Maybe it's the loads of strangers talking nonsense that appeals to some, but not me.
I'm sure there's a secret to why it works well for some, but at this point, not sure I'm even interested anymore. It's all so time consuming, which actually takes away from your time with family and friends....so that's not a good thing.
Thank you for taking the time to read and add your comments.
I find linkedin too the best !
Me too. Thanks for stopping by!
Good assessment of the three big social networks. Twitter seems to be good for announcements. I didn't do as much with it till I found out that I could push a button and Tweet my latest hubs, which got them into the hands of people I already knew and seems to often get me new readers. Facebook's good for staying in touch with people I met in forums and other groups. LinkedIn is so business oriented that I don't use it as much since I'm neither looking for a job nor employing anyone.
Thanks robertsloan2: Most of the comments so far tend to agree with you (and me). I find that very interesting. There is so much hype out there about them. I wonder why?
I've been down these roads too, and found little value. Especially w/ Twitter. I know it's all the rage, but there is just too much to say and too few characters. Although I must confess to "stalking" a few celebs. It's interesting to hear their real voice, assuming it's not a publicist posting on their behalf. Nice hub.
Oh you haven't read the Hubpages newsletter? In your profile, go to EDIT profile button. Be sure to check the box that says "allow hubpages to contact you." Also, check on your SPAM folder, sometimes the emails go there.
Excellent article. These social media especially Twitter is an excellent service for online marketing and get people actually keep attracted to your business.
@Joye, what an interesting idea. I never thought of stalking the celebrities. Sounds harmless and fun!
@Ripplemaker. Thank you for the hints...I'll follow through ASAP
@Create a Website. I think if I had something to sell, or a business, I might try harder to find ways to use it. Good luck!
Useful info...
Thanks!!
I personally have had great luck with Linkedin and Facebook but Twitter is doing nothing for me. It is nice for keeping those I deal with updated but that is about it.
Thank you Sarah and Erick. I appreciate you stopping by and adding your comments.
I think all three sites can be used for generating income if you do it the right way, but it's not easy to do as many would have you believe. Furthermore, too heavy of a reliance on one or the other could lead to disastrous effects should something happen to one of those services. I think it might be best to use these services in combination with other services to maximize your benefit, but that can become very time-consuming.
In short, making income takes work, no matter how you do it! ^_^
I do beleive that money can be made on the internet with lots of work. It's definately not a get rich quick idea like some have claimed. And I do beleive that a person can build their network through social networking sites on the web, but again, it takes time and work.
I was hoping that more people would argue with me, show me their ideas, and provide their success stories. I will just have to keep searching for ways to use the big three effectively, with "effectively" being the operative word. I do use them but I'm sure there are many opportunities I am missing because I don't know enough.
Thank you Steve for your input and reminder that it takes work, and lots of it.
I use twitter and facebook but have not used LinkedIn so far. Now that i have read this writeup i am going to use it too. Thanks for sharing!
My Pleasure Anamika. Thanks for stopping by
Hi Duchess! I just joined your fan club. Thank you for sharing your experiences with Twitter. I'm not finding it too useful, but then I didn't have too many concrete expections; what I really like are Hub & Digg...I think I'm gonna stick with Hub, Digg & Facebook, and just let the rest go...though there also seems to be some potential in Reddit, enough is enough already.
Thanks for joining my fan club! Never heard of Reddit, off to check it out. Thanks for the tip
Wow! Great HUB here. I am on Twitter and I do think it is challenging to engage people in our writing. I met you on The Book Marketing Network. Best wishes for your success. Hope you will visit some my work about emotional healing and recovery. Sincerely: Gary Eby, author and therapist.
Thank you glcoach. I will indeed go and check out some of your work. Thank you for dropping in.
PZ Miller says:
3 months ago
Brenda --
I read this article with interest. And while I don't believe Twitter is for everyone, I do believe that most people do not understand how to use it strategically -- a subject I write about often at my Examiner.com column http://www.InternetBizBlogger.com
And I think my article today may be of special interest regarding this subject -- http://budurl.com/minirant
For Twitter to be effective you need to chart and follow a strategy that promotes your brand, book or business. And I don't mean you promote all the time. On the contrary, you share info that is on what I call the spine of your brand, book or business.
You know that I always wish you well, so I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm only adding to the conversation.
Phyllis