Where and When to Engage

Lately, I’m finding it especially difficult to keep up with all of the different social networks and applications that are available on the Internet. Having so many options available is both exciting and overwhelming. If you are new to social networking, I can understand how this may deter you from participating in a forum or from using an application, if you think it’s too confusing or just doesn’t appear to be easy. For instance, on many occasions, I’ve heard people say that they’ve tried Twitter, but they just don’t get it or they don’t give the community enough time to feel involved enough to want to continue with their participation.

With all of the social networking we do, jumping from community to community, socializing with different sets of “friends” we spread ourselves very thin. Remember it’s always quality rather than quantity. That goes for everything in life and it’s one of our most important lessons to learn, even in the social networking world.

I guess I try to keep the quality over quantity by staying focused on the networks that provide me with the most satisfaction, interaction and information. For me, it’s no secret that Twitter is my #1 favorite place to be. Then I would say that Facebook is a close second. Then, there are also those networks that I go back to and check on regular basis but I’m not participating daily. These include MyRagan.com, MyManagersNetwork.com and LinkedIn. I also have my favorite blogs which are PR 2.0 (www.briansolis.com), Communications Overtones (http://overtonecomm.blogspot.com) and Web-Stategist.com (http://www.web-strategist.com/blog).

Lastly there are those social forums that I find interesting and I hope to increase my participation because I do see value in their communities. But, unfortunately, right now I just can’t find another minute in the day to participate. And, keeping the quality over quantity approach in mind, I will continue to peruse these sites and engage when I have more time to devote to them.

So here’s a list of interesting forums that provide value. Check out when you have some time:

Pitch Engine (www.pitchengine.com): PR pros sharing ideas, discovering tricks and finding practical ways to implement a strong social media PR campaign for agencies and in-house pitchers.

FamZam (www.famzam.com): Start connecting with family and friends in your own unique private secure network.

BriteKite (www.britekite.com): Meet real world friends. Reveal your location, befriend, and chat with people around you.