It’s hard for many people, yours truly included, to find an effective way to shorten an online message to something manageable. In person, I am a talker! Online, like many of my clients, I sometimes find it difficult to condense my thoughts into a short story.
So what is the best advice I can offer to anyone looking to get their feet wet with social media and do it effectively?
Keep it short, maybe to 500 words or less. Force yourself to make a well thought out point with an opening statement that frames the post for the reader so they can determine if they would like to read further. Then make your case with a few key arguments that support your initial statement.
Social media is about engagement more than anything else. In order to engage others, you need to be clear, concise and most of all interesting. Sure, this seems obvious, but visit a few random blogs and you may find just how many bloggers tend to be wordy and stray from their point. Readers are less likely to participate if you ramble on and on.
Present your story or pose a conversation-provoking question in a short format. Give your readers a chance to digest it with a clear vision for the conversation or topic and give them a clear opportunity to respond. Once the conversation starts the real topic will present itself. You never know where a story or question will lead. That’s the fun in blogging and micro-blogging.
So jump in and start to converse with people. You will meet new interesting folks that have something say, just like you.
How many words does it take to start a conversation? How long was your most commented on blog post? I want to know. Share your stories in the comments below.
This post = 310 words!
Photo courtesy of Procsilas
