Do you blog about technology? Feel like a drop in the ocean? I don’t blame you, it’s a pretty crowded field. One way to stand out is to live at the bleeding edge of social media. Sure, having a huge profile on Digg is great, but participating in the latest social media fad might be even better.
After all, what do geeks love more than shiny new tech? Not much, that’s for sure. The farther ahead you can get on the early adoption timeline, the more of a leader you appear to be. If you get the beta invite and then invite your friends to the newest service, who is leading and who is following in that scenario?
As a tech blogger, the other people who are using the newest of the new in social media (or anything with a profile page) are your prime audience members or at least your peers. Consider this: most people don’t know what a blog is (still! I know, I know). Fewer ever leave comments on blogs. Fewer still are on Facebook or Twitter. Of those people, even fewer are on the newest of the new services, like Plurk.
These are the people who get the beta invites before anyone else (and they usually can then invite others). These are the people who write the first posts on this stuff, which get linked to and echoed throughout the blogosphere. These are the people everybody friends and follows (yes, I used “friend” as a verb–get used to it).
Tech people love new tech, so if you’re blogging about tech, you need to live at the thin leading edge of social media, because blogging at its core is social.
And talk about topic material! You could write a post at least once a week reviewing some new service or other. If the service is new enough, your post just might be the one that gets linked to and inspires other posts.
Even if you’re not a tech blogger (I’m not) you may find it worthwhile to play this particular game, simply because there are always the same highly influential people to be found in these places. Rubbing shoulders with them is certainly not a bad thing. In fact, you will find that many people using these brand new services are not tech bloggers themselves, but the tech culture is very important to them. This is highly beneficial for tech bloggers, sure, but it can be great for not-so-tech bloggers, too.
So is this some secret society of the elite, where only certain people are allowed? Heck, no. You just have to know what news sources to pay attention to, and then when they announce that beta invites are available, you pounce on them. Here are some links you should know about to keep you at the edge of tech social media:
- TechCrunch, but even better: follow Arrington on Twitter, where news often breaks first, before posting on the blog
- Plurk, one of the newest of the new social media spaces
- FriendFeed, a life-streaming all-in-one social media feed service
If you’re thinking that’s a really short list, well, it is. But that’s the point. This is the bleeding edge, after all. Using these will expose you to other new sources all the time. You want more signal and less noise. No doubt there are a few more I don’t know about. All suggestions are welcome in the comments.
Michael, great post. It pays to stay alert and informed and get selfish when it comes to those invites – just like a real journalist.
@Joel – Thanks! It becomes a self-accelerating process that really shoots you to the head of the line. The benefits are self-reinforcing.
We started a dedicated niche site last November centered on Google’s Android and the Open Handset Alliance. Although a few “competitors” have sprouted up, we’re considered more of the authority since we were first. It’s also helped to stay consistent, on-target, and interactive.
It’s true that as time has gone, we’ve become more self-sufficient and traffic continues to build on itself.
Great article!
I will echo the “excellent article” sentiment. You have nailed it. One of the things that holds people back (and occasionally myself) is thinking one has to be the recognised expert to have a worthy say, to write a review blog on a cutting edge service. Bottom line, it doesn’t hurt to be A list before you opine, but a lot of people want to hear early reports from users, all users.
It’s a self fullfilling approach to becoming “recognised”.
ReCap:
Be there early
Do it
Blog it
Be seen.
Be consistant
Be Rich.
Ok, that last one is a bit of a stretch
I’m saving this post for inspiration. Nice.
@Scott – that’s great to hear! Keep up the good work.
@Isle – Let’s think of “rich” in terms of information, shall we?
I like your succinct list.
I saw Plurk On Dosh Dosh for the first time a few days ago. Plurk. Kind of a catchy little name. I am the opposite of tech, but I love to know what’s going on.
@Janice – Curiosity may kill cats, but it also never fails to educate!
Good post. It pays to be an early adopter. Key is to back projects you truly love because if not no point in being an early adopter. Chances are others will enjoy or dislike the service for the same reasons you do. I love plurk and fully immersed myself. Do I hope / think it goes huge? Absolutely. If it doesn’t I’m still cool as I enjoy it the way it is now.
Totally agree. I came to this article via one of your plurks if that tells you anything …
@Rob – I agree: choose what you like or it’s not going to be much use. I see you are doing very well on Plurk. Lots of conversation around your plurks!
@Eric – That’s awesome! I’m having a lot of fun on Plurk.
Well, I signed up for Twitter today, so I guess now I have two to go (Plurk and Friendfeed). “More signal and less noise”, that’s a really good point.