Engage

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Imagine you’re standing in a room full of people. Some of these people know that the first thing you do in the morning is brush your teeth. The rest of them have simply seen you somewhere before, and know that you look pretty good in a B&W photograph.

They begin approaching you, hoping to engage you in conversation. You listen. You look. And you say nothing.

Many people do the same with social networking and social media. They say nothing. You might have accounts in as many places as TR, Facebook, Twitter (follow me!), FohBoh, Linkedin, Jaiku, Pownce (until Dec. 15 anyway), and Plaxo. However, no matter how easy it might be to see that photo from your last vacation, find out where you spend forty hours every week, or see how many people you may or may not know, you don’t exist if you’re not actually engaged.

What does “engaged” mean in the world of social media? It means comments are made on blogs, replies are contributed to discussions, messages are left on the profile pages of members, you share your expertise, as well as doing any number of other things that actually require signing in and proclaiming your existence. If you know Debra Straka, you know what engaged is.

“But…I’m lame.” I thought the same thing (not about you). Somebody else always said what I wanted to say. And not only did they say it first, they said it better.

And then, something changed.

In January, I wrote an article for work. I thought it was good, even good enough to post on the company’s intranet. I was asked to reduce the length of my article before posting it. It went from a tree to a stump and my axe was the delete key. Me…not happy.

That was the inspiration I needed to get engaged.

I posted the full-length director’s cut of my article on a social network where, until that moment, I had been cheating myself by not being engaged. That’s the moment I truly understood what it meant to be connected. Simply, my network has led and inspired me to where I am today.

Looking for a new career? Get engaged. Looking for knowledge? Get engaged. Looking for feedback? Get engaged. Looking for inspiration? Get engaged.

If you’re not engaged, there has never been a better time to begin, especially with the multitude of very cool niche sites. For those that need a kick start, I present this list of not-so-challenging challenges:

1. Introduce yourself to a complete stranger. Leave a comment on their profile page and, if they respond (I say “if” because they may not be engaged), send them a friend request.
2. For one week, welcome all new members by leaving a comment on their profile page.
3. Find a group that interests you, join the group, and reply to a discussion.
4. After reading a blog you enjoyed, leave a comment on the blog. Send a friend request to the author.
5. Share a relevant video on the site. “Evolution of Dance” does not count.

Social media/networking can occupy a great deal of your time. But if you want ROI, you must be engaged.

Tags: career, comments, discussions, engage, facebook, fohboh, media, network, networking, profile

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Comment by Chris Reed on December 5, 2008 at 12:32am: @Keith...thanks so much, as always. It's good to have you back!

Comment by Keith Bernhardt on December 4, 2008 at 4:40pm: Chris,

I've been out of town, but I wanted to say what an impressive and yes, "engaging" piece
this really is. It has a lot of great ideas and a lot of flair. i look forward to reading
what you write. i enjoy the posts immensely.

Comment by Chris Reed on December 4, 2008 at 9:07am: @Kami...thank you! And yes, "Evolution of Dance" is brilliant.

@Andy...thanks for breaking the rules!

Comment by Andy Swingley on December 3, 2008 at 10:41am: I have to do it....freakin' hysterical.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg

Comment by Kami Woodworth on December 3, 2008 at 10:31am: Thanks for another great post Chris. I get overwhelmed sometimes with so many great SN sites, I try to pop in on alot of them but don't necessarily get engaged, thanks for the tips.
Ok, so "Evolution of the Dance" may not be relevant, but you gotta love it!

Comment by Chris Reed on December 3, 2008 at 8:56am: @Shawna...thank you! If I can be of any help, please don't hesitate to let me know. However, after reading some of your contributions, I think you are a natural at SN.

Comment by Shawna Katz on December 2, 2008 at 6:20pm: great blog! Thank you for sharing and inspiring and reminding me to get in gear when it comes to social networking. Thx!

Comment by Chris Reed on December 2, 2008 at 5:55pm: @Mark...thanks for the comment! I know from experience that you have much to share. I hope you continue engaging.

@Debra...you are absolutely right about many of the rules being our own. Our own personal standards are often much harder to satisfy than those of others. Thank you, as always!

@Andy...I'll be thinking about that term. I think it may apply to more than a couple of us! Thanks for the comments...now, back to Twitter :)

@Amanda...it's funny how the fear factor works with social media, and how many of us have been in the same social networking boat. Thank you!

Comment by Amanda on December 2, 2008 at 5:23pm: Chris another great post from someone who was afraid to 'engage' earlier this year...

Comment by Andy Swingley on December 2, 2008 at 5:13pm: Another Chris Reed winner!

Great stuff and thanks for the reminder. I have this "obsession" problem where I find myself doing only the things I really like, especially social network engagement. I have had to limit myself to a couple of hours a day or I wouldn't get anything else done....I am looking for a word for overengagement.....keyboardalotism, maybe....on to my RSS feeds