Banking on Your Blogging

Social networking sites offer people online a gathering spot to casually share their opinions and interests with other like-minded participants. Recent events however have indicated how effective these online communities are for breaking news on a national and international level.

Although interest or opinions may vary from group to group there still remains a common interest in national or world news. Considering these social platforms connect people from all over the world on a 24/7 basis you’re looking at their considerable potential as information sources.

What we’re focusing on here is the ability of these social sites to gather and circulate late breaking news. Compared with the more traditional syndicated news networks it can be argued that social network sites are in fact can be more efficient and expedient in delivering news to the public.

Take that CNN!

By passing information along through word of mouth using the speed of the internet news that travels this fast is hard to beat.

Let’s examine 5 reasons why a social network online can outperform the more traditional news broadcasting networks.

News Collected as it Occurs

Social platforms do not ‘assign’ people to gather news or information but instead are merely designed to share information or interests. Site members do however possess an insatiable and natural curiosity. Just through sheer numbers members combine to create a catch basin of global proportions. As a result they are capable of collecting information of little or great consequence anywhere in the world on a 24/7 basis.

Information Transmitted Fast

Any information picked up either through heresy or observation is usually immediately ‘released’ on the internet. To date there is no more efficient means with which to dispense information to the general public quicker than the net.

As is often said in basketball, ‘Nothing but Net!’

Syndicated networks for the most part still have certain ‘hoops’ thru which they must ‘jump’ before releasing information. This may tend to slow their process.

No ‘Red Tape’ or Protocol

Without the traditional ‘red tape’ or protocol that syndicated news networks contend with online communities hold an unfair advantage. The legalese involving fair play, accuracy, and ethics do encumber syndicated networks. The lack of such restraints however concerning online communities does ‘allow’ for information to be dispensed much faster to the general public.

Word Gets Out Quicker

News tends to flow from person to person and often time is simply broadcast to the masses. The net result is that information spreads virally and this word of mouth effect should not be overlook for its efficiency and speed. There is no ‘formal’ channel through which information is directed which means word is spread continuously, not at scheduled intervals. This process ‘increases’ both speed and just as importantly exposure.

No Regulated Responsibilities

Within any social network community there is no delegation of duties, responsibilities or authority. You are looking at a world-wide community with the capability of filling any role that may seem appropriate at any given time. From observing an event or translating its meaning to distributing the information this flexibility and spontaneity enables news to be collected and spread like a wild fire.

This lack of structure is built for speed but on the other hand can lead to occasional inaccuracies in reporting the facts.

Social networking sites have both the channels and the manpower to deliver late breaking news at lightning speed. Using word of mouth to spread information social sites possess the ability to transmit news unencumbered by any red tape further accelerating the transfer of this information. It is not suggested that online communities replace syndicated news networks as news source but merely that they can compliment them if needed. Social network sites based upon their prominence on the internet possess the potential to be much more than they were designed for and this should not be ignored.

Social networking sites are intended to be online communities where you can ‘let your hair down’ while socializing with others. The lack of formality and anything goes mentality is meant to create a casual atmosphere at these social sites for participants. Online social networking has in fact become so popular that it has become a breeding ground for certain predators. The fact that these sites are open to the public for anyone to join also makes it easy to access and view the conversations at any of the social network sites.

In essence what we have are private conversations that can be viewed by just about anybody. It is therefore wise for members of any of these social sites to practice a little discretion when leaving comments or information since you can’t be sure who may view it.

Let’s look at 3 types of risks you may expose yourself to if you’re not careful when posting any comments or information on any of the social network sites.

Professional Risks

Although socially intermingling does encourage you to relax and ‘let your hair down’ be aware that many companies or organizations have access to these same sites. It has become a common practice for any information or comments left on a site to be used to ‘profile’ that person. So personal opinions, preferences, or interests could potentially damage you or your career if they fall into the hands of the wrong ‘professional’ sources. If your interests are more professional in nature you may want to consider building a business blog. Go here to see how!

Online Criminal Risks

Phishers, bots, or other elements with less then pure intentions literally troll the social networks in search of any personal information they can find. Their intentions could range from stealing a password to your email to much more sensitive financial information with far greater potential to do damage to you. Extortion, identity theft, or even black mail could be the result so exercise caution and realize that you NEVER know who may be ‘listening’ to your conversations.

Offline Asset or Property Risk

Risks on a more ‘physical’ level are quite possible when releasing the ‘wrong’ information on any online community. Comments that indicate your home address, marital status, or even vacation or work schedule could be used by predators to locate and pilfer your habitat or worse. It is always wise to routinely exercise caution at any of these sites. If people you’re already conversing with are your friends they already know these intricate details about you or your life. There’s otherwise no need to restate any sensitive details online since this poses a potentially harmful risk to you.

The idea behind social networking sites is terrific and obviously a huge hit with the masses. Making available online communities in which you can discuss interest or events with like minded people was something needed online. It is however wise for anyone using these social sites to exercise a little caution when posting comments or information. Online social networking sites are easy access to the general public therefore assume that all your posted information will be on display. By not posting anything you wouldn’t want the general public to see you’ve taken great strides towards protecting yourself online. If you’re interested in online socializing in a more protected environment while also earning an income check this out!

Online social networking sites have absolutely exploded in popularity with all age groups on the internet. The ease of use and navigating of these social sites has opened the door to even the technically timid. Facebook has even recently reported that baby boomers outnumber high school age users at their site. Connecting with others at various online communities has become as common as watching TV. The advent of online social marketing has helped to further boost the overall use of social sites. Currently there seems to be no limit to the growth of online social networking.

The booming popularity of these online communities was initially started by blogs. The ability to interact with others online was recognized and immediately embraced by users.
Wanting to further personalize the online experience many flocked in droves to blogs.

From this evolved blog marketing which quickly became the accepted blueprint for what was perceived to be the future of online marketing. All told blogs became the popular choice of internet users for both socializing and marketing. Then along came online social networking.

Now the question is whether blogs are in danger of fading into oblivion in the face of the growing acceptance of social network sites?

On the surface it would appear so and here are 3 reasons why:

Established Traffic at Social Network Sites

With the popularity of many social network sites it is easy to find an already established flow of traffic at the site. The need to invest time and energy to generate traffic for your site is not necessary as would be the case for individual blogs.

Site Optimization is Not Necessary

Capitalizing on the traffic you find at any social site allows you to circumvent the need for various forms of site optimization.

A social site allows you direct contact with others making it easier for you to deliver your message. Site optimization techniques such as keyword usage, quality content, and backlinks are necessary in order to increase your rank with search engines. A higher ranking is needed so that you may then gain direct contact with prospects in order to deliver your message.

In a nut shell gaining access to prospects is quicker and easier using social networking traffic.

Ease and Speed

The ease of leaving quick and casual promotional comments or posts is attractive to many marketers online. Within any of these online communities communications are generally highly unstructured and informal thus allowing promoters to speak on a more personal level with site members.

Online social networking sites no doubt have gained a tremendous following. As noted above there are some very compelling reasons for the popularity of social networks sites. Addressing the idea that blogs could fade into oblivion due to this popularity, well that’s not likely. Blogs still offer tremendous flexibility to the site owner along with the opportunity to put a personalized stamp on the site itself. This is a huge benefit that can’t be overlooked. Both these sites serve similar yet different purposes which should allow them both to coexist and flourish online for some time to come. So don’t kick your blog to the curb since it remains a uniquely effective platform for making money online!