Independant Web Consultants

What is the value of maintaining a healthy social garden? At some point it will bear fruit.

How many social networks do you belong to? MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Jaiku, Virb, BestPartyEver, Linkedin, Digg, Purevolume, Last.FM, Pownce, Flickr, Threadless… are we tired yet? At one time or another you may have joined one of these or one of the 1000’s of other social networks out there. You built a little group of friends, and then lost interest and moved on. You left that garden to whither and die in cyberspace.

Yet there may be 1 or 2 networks that you use consistently. Here you have created a quality social graph, participate on a semi regular basis, and are making a “name for yourself”: in these networks you maintain a lush garden.

You Reap What You Sow
Linkedin is a great example. I think one could easily draw a semi-straight line between the energy invested in making new contacts on LinkedIn, and the quality and direct benefit to you these new contacts provide. Your social garden bears fruit, as long as you maintain it.

Here is another great example. My wife Sally (BizGirl) is an avid Twitter user. She has invested much time in tending her social garden that has already born fruit. She has created many useful connections with other professionals, landed a interview with Robert Scoble, and opened dialog with a few VC’s (which is a good thing, since she is seeking funding for her startup).

The Green thumb
While some may see time spent on social networks a waste, it really can be a productive endeavour. The name recognition, branding reinforcement, and personal connections you can make can prove valuable in tangible and intrinsic ways down the line. Tending your social garden is as important to business today as the trade show was 15 years ago.

From an SEO perspective it is a vital part for building links. The content that you push to these networks may generate backlinks to your site which in the long run will help your rankings.

Don’t over fertilize

There is a fine but clearly defined line between being a schmuck that spouts noise all day, and gently finessing your contacts with targeted messaging and marketing. Don’t be the guy that twits 400x a day as you will quickly lose your followers, on the flipside though don’t be afraid to share your ideas and things you find helpful with your network. These nuggets that you pass on may be of help to someone who may return the favor later in the form of a new contact, lead, or personal recommendation.

Bottom line: dedicate some time every week to tending your social garden, it will mature over time and generate ample fruit to your benefit.

Thoughts? How do you utilize Social Networks?

Tags: , facebook, social garden, social networks