Punters Choice

People think that social media is a quick way to make money, drive traffic, and become rich. We are getting this notion from the so called "Social Media Gurus' who are bragging to deliver thousands of dollars on our pockets provided we pay them the right price!

The reality though is a bit grim, i.e., the top 20% of blog get 80% of the traffic. This is because these blogs have been around day in and day out. They have built a solid community around their expertise - etching their mark and wisdom on every blog.

Lets face the hard truth - your social networking campaign won't be established for at least 6 months; and this is 6 months of constant engagement and hard work. It would be disheartening at the onset as you see - [I]or don't see[/I]- few readers on your blogs. No one might even leave a pat on the back comment on your blog for months. But it will happen; all you have to do is keep being persistent.

Generally, for those who don't have the time and resources to devote 8-10 hours a day developing their online community, spending 2 hours a day should be enough to make your community stay. Spend these two hours on blogs, Twitter, forums (such as GPWA), and on Facebook building your community, talking to your networks and consumers, and establishing a lasting relationship with them.

But two hours maybe a short time so I suggest you focus your energy on the Big Three: Wordpress blog, Facebook and Twitter. No matter what your business, no matter what your company, these three sites will help you generate more leads and convert more sales. Get comfortable using these tools because you will be using them for 2 hours a day. As you get yourself accustomed, you can take on other sites like Squidoo, a Wikipedia page, LinkedIn, Ning, Stumble, Digg and Delicious.

Lastly, make sure you have fun doing it! That's what social media is about! It's not about doing two - eight hours of grueling work. It's about connecting to people and enriching each other with what you have to offer.

While I am about to conclude, I would appreciate if you can join me on some of my social media campaigns. Here is the short list where we can connect and help each other in the industry:

Facebook
Linkedin
Twitter
Blogs
GPWA Forum
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