Comments on: Social media isn’t enough

By: Social media « DVD Độc - DVD phim tài liệu khoa học bbc, nat geo, discovery; salsa, audio book, mac soft, thương mại điện tử, SEO

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:23:33 +0000

[...] nay đọc bài “Social Media Isn’t Enough” thấy đây là một quan điểm khá hay và đáng suy [...]

By: Marc Sirkin

Marc Sirkin — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:16:34 +0000

Very much agreed here on your points – the content thing is a tough one. For me, it’s capturing the right amount and right level of relevancy to try to drive conversation. It’s super hard to get right from my own experiences – especially on the site I’m working on now – a CIO focused social network.

As for the assertion that you cannot build community – it’s a provocative statement, but one I sort of disagree with a bit. It most certainly doesn’t just happen, it takes the right set of tools, policies and demand for a community to “stand up” and become a living thing. I’ve found that the “host role” is critical in those early days of setting the tone and creating the right atmosphere to create the community. The software is largely irrelevant..

The host has to set the tone, provide early guidance and ensure that the community is moving in the right direction. Without that, I’m afraid that nothing much will happen.
I should really do a blog post on this myself. Ahh well, back to work.

By: Writing Hurts | Social media = good. Job in aforementioned = even better

Writing Hurts | Social media = good. Job in aforementioned = even better — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:02:01 +0000

[...] idea is that we need to implement features to get our readers more involved. It’s not the only tool in the tool box, but giving people a place to come together is a way we can start to help foster [...]

By: Social Media isn’t enough « Random thoughts on Marketing & News

Social Media isn’t enough « Random thoughts on Marketing & News — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:26:20 +0000

[...] nay đọc bài “Social Media Isn’t Enough” thấy đây là một quan điểm khá hay và đáng suy [...]

By: Dale

Dale — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 04:29:08 +0000

Your gig is paying off, Annette. This stuff is really starting to make sense to us soldiers in the trenches — this old one anyway. Keep marching. I’m thinking you’re going to get this done. Thanks.

By: Tish Grier

Tish Grier — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:39:49 +0000

Very good points, Annette! I’ve done a bit of “community development” in the online space for a few journalism-related special projects (Placeblogger, Assignment Zero.) I’ve seen community happen because people have been given a goal, something to do. But the people needed also to be organized by someone, so that the goal was achieved. Without the organizing, people simply drifted.

I’ve also seen communities develop in Forums and Message Boards. These communities also coalesce around a common goal. Sometimes they go astray and get a little strange/dogmatic, but sometimes that’s because of an underlying and unstated “goal” set by the site administrators.

It’s a lot like volunteer co-ordinating.

And even if you give people great cracking software, there’s no guarantee anyone will step up to get things going. You will still need people, and people who can build conversation and relationships, for the community to take hold.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:15:55 +0000

Amen Amen Amen.
Comments are, at best, competeing monologues, not a dialogue. They’re a soapbox.
And also amen to the fact we can’t build communities.
What we can do is give communities a home and then use that information to better serve the readers.
Keep preaching it!

By: Rachel Hape

Rachel Hape — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:49:40 +0000

Hi Annette – this is a great riff and particularly interesting since my husband manages the NECN.com website (New England Cable News). I think journalism is in trouble because while they realized they served a community, they haven’t historically done a lot to enable it. That’s easier/cheaper to do online and I think you are right that news organizations should focus on building communities and bring in content (both their own and others).

David – you are right but I think the point was that people don’t build community around specific content even though you need a lot of content to sustain a community. A community comes together around things like caring about their city or caring about foreign policy, etc….

Nice post and an important topic as news organizations try to figure out how to reinvent themselves.

Rachel

By: Christian DE NEEF

Christian DE NEEF — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:14:35 +0000

No, it’s not about content, it’s about project. It’s about building something (together). Whether it’s a book, a performance, a website, or a campaign to raise awareness for micro financing doesn’t matter. What is required is common purpose, shared values. That creates community, the feeling of belonging…

Christian.

By: David

David — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:55:20 +0000

You said, “You cannot build a community around content”. How do you plan to get them there then? You cant’ just say come over here and socialize. You have to give them an actual reason to be together in the first place.

Like-minded people congregate together for a purpose. Not just because they have nothing better to do. I completely agree with you on the fact that just allowing comments on something does not make a community. It gives them a sounding board. That’s all.

Give them a place and give them a reason.

I find it a shame that the Gazette has not made any progress on this. So much talk yet nothing to show for it.

Ah well.