Guest Post- How to Keep Your Conversations From Turning Into Broadcasts

October 31, 2008 · Comments

Jacob Morgan brings us today’s post. It’s a good one, too!

How to Keep Your Conversations From Turning Into Broadcasts

A conversation is a dialogue that occurs between two or more people, it involves the continuous flow of information from party A to party B and vice versa.  As a company executive, leader, blogger, etc. it is part of your responsibility to make sure that these conversations don’t turn into broadcasts.  What do I mean by broadcasts?

If you continuously push out content on twitter or on your blog (or other platform) while ignoring the comments and emails that you receive from your users or customers then you are not having a conversation, you are broadcasting a message.

A broadcast is the one way flow of information.  A broadcast is a commercial or a flyer on your car.  If you are seeking to become an active contributor in the social media space then you need to make sure that your conversations don’t turn into broadcasts (unless of course you want them to).  The conversations are where the value is, learning from your users, sharing ideas/information, getting feedback, and building relationships.

So how do you make sure that your conversations don’t turn into broadcasts?

  • Respond to all of your comments and emails, and when I say respond, I mean put some thought into it, add value where you can.
  • Facilitate conversations and discussions by asking your readers and customer’s questions, ask for feedback, ask how you can improve, and ask what your readers and customers think of a particular topic/issue/tool.
  • Thank your customers and readers for the time they are spending on interacting with you; show them that you care and that you appreciate them.
  • Respect your customers and your readers by not sending out spam or unsolicited communication.
  • Get to know your customers/readers, who are the active ones, who aren’t?
  • Encourage new members to comment and interact again.  When I receive a new comment/email from someone, I thank them and then tell them that I look forward to hearing more from them.
  • Offer your customers/readers the opportunity to become a part of your brand, let them share their expertise; perhaps let them write a guest post.  If you want to write a guest post on my blog, just let me know.
  • Participate in other discussions and communities that are outside of your blog.  Find other industry related blogs and comment on them, ask questions, get feedback, encourage dialogue.  Don’t be shy!

What are some of your ideas on making sure that your conversations don’t turn into broadcasts?

Jacob Morgan runs a team of “technical seo consultants” and is the CMO of a startup in the social media space.  He is also a “social media consultant” (site redesign coming soon!) and avid blogger on all things social media and marketing related.  Jacob loves meeting and building relationships with new people so make sure you say hello and let him know if he can help you!

You can find Jacob on:
Twitter        (link: http://www.twitter.com/jacob)
Facebook    (link: http://www.facebook.com/people/Jacob_Morgan/6701092)
Linkedin    (link: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jmorganmarketing)

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  • You raise some excellent points. A biggie is Thank You. We forget to thank people for their time and effort - that is HUGE and an underestimated part of the conversation.

    I often wonder how people keep track of all their conversations when they have 5,000 connections on Twitter. When does it just become noise?
  • websuccessdiva
    These are excellent points. Broadcasting does nothing for a social media strategy that you ultimately hope will translate into better relationships with your audience. It's one of the biggest killers to success in social media marketing. Great stuff!
  • I don't really comment back on one of my blogs (it gets thousands of comments per week - many contest entries to contests we hold), but I try to comment back more on all of my other blogs. These allow for more conversation.

    I always start my comments out with (name of person), thanks so much for sharing your thoughts/commenting/posting on my blog. Even if I don't agree with their POV, I'm glad they've shared their thoughts. I also answer all of my email, which can take some time, but I think it is worth it.

    I'm interested in finding out more about getting guest posters though. I'd like to have some people guest post, but not exactly sure how to get people willing to share on my blogs.

    Any tips?

    As for avoiding broadcasting, I try not to stray from the topic of the comment. If I answer their question or post with my own POV, I'm not going to be sales pitching anything. I think that my blog does a good enough job of broadcasting its purpose on its own and twitter feed does help by broadcasting when I post on twitter (as do many of the other social media outlets). Beyond that, I try not to scream at people too much about reading my blog unless the topic is so very important to me.
  • I just want to say that Jacob practices what he is recommending. He has responded to me every time I have contacted him - on twitter, via his blog, etc. And not only is Jacob responsive but once he builds up a relationship with you he often starts spreading the good word about you too. So, listen to what he is saying - he totally knows what he's talking about :-)
  • @Melissa

    In my case I try not to follow everyone. I mean it's great that I have almost 800 followers but there's just no way for me to keep up with the "stream" if I follow all of them. I do respond to every @ and dm that I get and every once in a while I mix up the group of people that I am following. thanks for the comment

    @Maria

    thank you for the kind words, im glad you enjoyed it. i consider broadcasting synonymous with traditional media and conversations synonymous with social media. when people start treating social media like traditional media- you are correct- it kills! thanks for the comment

    @Dominick

    I would suggest adding a little more than just a thank you. It's great that you are receiving all these comments and I know it's tough to respond to all of them, but if there is another little tidbit or piece of value you can add while responding to comments, then you should add it.
    To encourage guest posts, just ask. write a post on your blog offering the guest post opportunity, tell people about it on twitter. etc. Even if you get one (which is what I started with) go for it, eventually you will get two, then 4. In fact, since you're running promotions, why not create a contest around guest posts on your blog? You'd be surprised how much people want to share...just ask :)
  • uhoh, Kim = troublemaker, look Kim, I told you I don't have your money ok?

    thanks for commenting kim and glad you have such a positive impression of me, means a lot! thanks for stopping by :)
  • FYI The twitter link above points to @Jacob which is incorrect, if you want to follow me on twitter it's @JacobM, Chris will fix this shortly :)

    my twitter:
    http://www.twitter.com/jacobm
  • Solid post Jacob thanks so much for the insight. I really liked your thoughts on adding value by responding to comments and email inquiries thoughtfully instead of just "getting by" with generic feedback. That can be difficult depending on how much email you get but in my experience it's definitely worth it.
  • Great article, the point about learning who your audience is is important. If you have someone who always leaves you valuable comments, look them up on twitter and facebook and add them. People will be very excited that their favorite blogger (who is a VIP in their eyes) took the time to find them.
  • Excellent points! I really enjoyed reading your bullet points as sometimes its easy to get lost in the "broadcast world".

    Elizabeth Hannan
    @Elizabethhannan
  • Jacob:

    Great post! These are excellent tribe building tactics. Tighten up an inner circle of your tribe using these tactics and you're on your way to scaling your conversations.
  • Jacob
    don't forget the additional 'seeding' conversations when you introduce two people who start from a position of talking with you - and they go off and have their own conversation. Started by you.

    The indirect conversation. A new category?
    Rebecca Caroe
  • Dawn Carter
    Jacob:

    Very wise advice and so darn practical. In social media relationships (as in life) it really is about the little things that mean a lot.

    Thanks for the great post.

    Dawn
    @decart
  • These are a sort of literacy skill set for students to be successful contributors and collaborators in the networked digital world. Students need to taught how to do this and why it is important. Fortunately, many students who have grown up digital are more predisposed to these skills, but never the less, it is important to know. Think of it as digital character education.
  • Jacob,

    Brilliant post, one that speaks greatly to the "social" aspect of "social" media.
    I simply have one point for clarification. Blogs do facilitate conversation, but, from where I am sitting, that conversation occurs elsewhere, and frequently not on the actual blog. It causes responses from other blogs, retweets, and renewed conversation.
    This is even in bloggeries that receive multitudes of comments, they a) only represent a small percentage of the actual readership and b) by the time it gets past a certain number (x), the comments cease being a followable conversation.
    Broadcasts are important as they become fodder, or a lingua franca, for everyone to discuss. That is important as well, I would imagine.
    I realize that I *am* nitpicking, but some modicum of broadcasting is necessary to enlarge your target audience. Additionally, if the broadcast is well-thought out, it can provide data for other people to engage separately ABOUT the broadcast.
    You focus on the terminology of dialogue, while I am trying to focus on that of social.
    An interesting companion piece for this bloggery would be, therefore, "how to turn your broadcasts into conversations (with or without you)".

    Again, amazing piece, well written and analyzed. Please do not take this response as indication of anything else.

    ez

    @ezrabutler
  • Amen!!! Excellent post, Jacob.

    I like to send thank you @ tweets to peeps who comment on my blog posts, &/or write on their Facebook wall, for example.

    And, asking simple "you" written questions on Twitter is often a great way to spark engagement.

    It's all about the relationship!

    Cheers,
    Mari
    @marismith
  • The first thing I thought of when I read this post was a certain celebrity twitterer. Reading it is like those annoying political ads that never seem to go away. She doesn't care about my life. She cares about selling her product, and apparently her handlers think that twitter is a good move for her. While this certain celebrity is far more famous and her product is much more well-known than your average person selling online, it's the same horrible concept. People are turned off by it. People know the seller doesn't care because he broadcasts information about himself and his product non-stop.
  • Jacob- Well said. I'd also like to add that broadcasting, especially when it gets spammy, is just as nasty online, as it would be offline. Golly the rules are the same - play nice and be interested in other people. People still want to connect with PEOPLE not advertisers.

    Great job!
    Karen
    @karenMhurd
  • Great post about dialogue and interaction, which are staples of social marketing both for attorneys and non-attorneys. My one concern is that at some point, the dialogue can become overwhelming. Attorneys are incredibly busy. Is it really realistic to respond to all blog comments if a blogger is receiving dozens of comments on her blog? That being said, social media is about contributing and giving, and the more one can interact, the better.

    Bentley Tolk
  • Thanks for this post. This is exactly what I've been trying to communicate at social meetups. There are quite a few marketers, consultants and "experts" who are taking the broadcast/advertising route without really engaging their audience.
  • That is exactly my opinion also. Pay attention to the suggestions of your readers and they'll pay attention to you.
    Respect and you'll be respected.

    Thank you for the article.
  • Reading Dominick's comment and Jacob's response, I'd like to point out that is a clear example of the importance of responding to a commenter.

    By comparison, imagine if every on-air radio contest that received 100 phone calls enabled the person to leave a 30 second voicemail message and that the DJ or a member of the staff either responded by subsequent call or an on-air shout out to the callers by name? That would help build brand loyalty much more than having contests.
  • Jacob,

    This is a super valuable and informative blog post.

    Another way to avoid sounding like you are broadcasting is to edify and promote other friends' stuff.

    I also like to share super informative blog posts - like this one. Deserves to be transmitted on ping.fm :-)

    I appreciate you, Jacob. I look forward to following your work.
    Dali Burgado
  • Great post! thank You!
    Social media has changed my field as well in the best way possible.As a speaking and presentations skills coach I say virtually the same things to people who need to be authentic, transparent and present with groups of people they are having a conversation with and engaging with from the stage. The speaking days of talking heads are long gone and this is such great news for coaches , authors, and healing/helping professionals who now can create a meaningful experience and market and grow thier business in a new way. Thaks for the great distinctions!
  • kathryn
    all great info - thanks Jacob, on thing I might add is that in order to really respond and to really ad value - you have to listen - REALLY listen.
  • @Brett

    ya it can be difficult but let's be honest, in order for social media to work you have to spend the time and effort it takes to interact and talk with everyone. You really need to work hard, you can;t just create a twitter account or a facebook profile and expect that everyone is going to flock to you. you MUST provide value and YOU must interact with everyone that is willing to interact with you. some people arent willing to put in the time, and they fail.

    @Laura

    oh absolutely, I mean I can tell you who the top commenters are on my blog and I can tell you what they do. I have visited their sites, left them feedback and have always encouraged more interaction. I just spent 15 mins thanking all my new twitter followers and I am going to spend however long it takes to respond to all these comments and hopefully i will get to know you too. Knowing my audience also benefits the audience because in my line of work i come across people who are looking for different things all the time, i just recommended a designer to a new company because i knew the designer. if i dont know the audience i cant interact with them and i can help promote them.

    @Elizabeth

    ya the broadcast world is easy to get lost in. social media and in fact conversations in general can be overwhelming, it's a good thing I like to talk a lot :)

    @Ed

    Yep, you can;t build a tribe if you don't know who you're tribe is. Of course there are always going to be some people who dont interact or who remain on the sidelines and that's fine. However there are always going to be people who have something to say, and you have to get to know them!

    @Rebecca

    great point. acting as a fascilitor and "connector" is also key. I just introduced one of twitter followers "a designer" to another twitter follower "who runs a company." I made the introduction and now they are off chatting about working together. The indirect conversation is also very important. As I have been monitoring the feedback on this post I have noticed a lot of the conversation spread, which is fantastic! great point rebecca!

    @Dawn

    yes the little things to mean quite a lot. the big things are easy to take care of but in order for social media to really work in your favor you have to look at the little things as well.

    @Rob

    I agree with you and I wish schools taught the importance of online brand building and creating a presence. instead educators scoff at platforms like twitter and many even condemn their use saying it's a waste of time. I would love to see a social media program in schools!

    @Ezra

    Good points, essentially your social media platforms, your posts, tweets, etc, starts out as broadcasts BUT they turn into conversations as people begin to respond to you. neglecting these conversations is not a smart thing to do. A broadcast does reach a large audience but is also easily ignored. think of television, car flyers, spam advertising. it takes 1 second for me to switch channels or hit the back button. blogs do facilitate conversation indeed but if YOU as the creator of the work are unaware of these conversations then that is a big oversight. that is why it is important to foster/create/grow conversations/communities whenever possible.
    thanks for the kind words!

    @Mari

    the relationship is where it's at. It's funny because when we take them for granted. for example companies think of ways to squeeze money out of social media, well what if nobody ever talked about their brand or product? all of a sudden the perspective changes and it becomes "how can we get our users to talk to us" instead of "how can we make money from our users."

    @Sarah

    I agree, the whole "celebrity" issues is far too overrated. there are plenty of contacts I have that I would pick over the "marketing or twitter celebs" any day. by building a relationship you are selling yourself and selling yourself is more important then selling any type of product

    @Karen

    good point, the first things that comes to mind are the people that have their business cards flying at you out of a holster, i hate those guys. you might as well walk around with a megaphone!!

    @Internet marketing for attorneys

    oh absolutely. it is a lot of hard work and people don't realize it. i mean i just responded to every single comment i received on here right? now you can also run through a self filtering process, whereby you encourage people who post stuff like "great post thanks" to dive deeper into what it is they liked about it. this is the best source of data/information/feedback you can get and to neglect it is probably not the best idea. if you are receiving dozens of comments it will only take you an hour or so to respond. sure attorneys are busy, but then again so are the people who are commenting on your blog, and if they have taken the time to comment on your blog then you should reciprocate by commenting back to them.

    @jbrotherlove

    it will never work without the conversations, we're not build that way. humans desire contact/interaction/feedback. if we didn't care about this stuff then we would still be creating static sites in web 1.0

    @Toma

    you're very welcome. it's all about respect. you can't expect to succeed if you don't show respect, you are dealing with people not with dollar signs.

    @Ari

    hey great to see you on here as well :) that is a good point that you made. great idea for dj's and radio stations...anyone know any disk jokeys?

    @Dali

    thank you the kind words. i;m all about promoting people (and the content they write) when there is value in it. I'm more interested in connecting people together though and forming business relationships as that is usually more meaningful (for most people). For me, the best way to promote myself is to build relationships and to pump out valuable content.

    @Dianne

    you are very welcome. as a coach you are in a very powerful position to build relationships and connections. you are also on the forefront of helping educate businesses and individuals on social media. coaches are usually very relationship oriented people so social media provides a new unique outlet for them to connect.



    PHEW!!!! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS, THEY MEAN A LOT. I HOPE TO CONNECT WITH ALL OF YOU AND GET TO KNOW YOU. IF I CAN HELP YOU PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!

    Jacob
  • Great post! Couldn't say it better myself, that's for sure!
    It's all about pull. Gone with the shotgun approach of marketing where all that matters is critical mass and reaching as many eyeballs as possible (even if those eyes are all rolling!)
    At YellowstonePark.com, which won the Webby Award for best tourism site 2 times, our entire site redesign started by closing reviewing over 6,000 extensive surveys our customers completed. We drilled down on what they told us and worked with our information architect to build/create a user experience, and content, that our customers indicated they wanted and needed when they filled out our surveys. Although this isn't an example of a real-time conversation, it's a case of asking our customers for input, and then listening and responding.
    Your post is SPOT-ON. Great work and thanks for the terrific resource your blog, etc., provides for people like me who choose to live out in the middle of the frontier surrounded by as few people as possible. : >
    Thanks again
    @yellowstoneshel
  • scott
    Jacob,

    I must say, I'm impressed with the quality of this post. spot on, my friend. Additionally, you seem to live it by responding to your reader's comments.

    You are now on my googl reader :o)

    - Scott from http://venturedig.com
  • Thanks, Jacob! Well said. I'm going to look for you on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

    Judy
  • @Shelli

    wow congrats on the awards, i have yet to go to yellowstone! im glad that you acted on the feedback that you received. a lot of people believe that listening is the key, but if you only listen and don't respond, then what's the point?

    thanks for the comment!
  • @scott

    glad i am now on your reader. i absolutely have to live up to everything i talk about. it's the practice what you preach approach and it's the only way to do business. glad you found the post valuable!

    @Judy

    you are very welcome and I look forward to connecting with you on all of the places you mentioned!



    thanks again everyone!
  • hey Jacob ... thanks for sharing

    Chris ... thanks for bringing in other people to share their insight.

    All the pointers are very useful .. but on that sticks out to me is:

    "Participate in other discussions and communities that are outside of your blog"


    The reason I like this is coming from the 'visitor' perspective. The people who's blogs i read most are those that participate in conversation with me in other places (mainly Twitter for me personally) ... meaning the blogger comes and talks to me on sites like Twitter just because ... not only because i'm talking to them through their blog.

    To me ... this show's they are going the extra mile and connecting with me on a more personal & human level.


    --
    http://twitter.com/franswaa
  • LOVED this post, Jacob! I had included a similar train of thought in my blog's Service Level Agreement I've put together (an expectations/level-setting for my new blog, so my readers know what to expect & what's expected of them).

    The people reading are an awesome mix of techies, out-of-touch business folks, fellow social media geeks and - my favorites - friends of my mom who have never read a blog before. Because of that, part of my initial posts are a bit of an initiation into blogging for some folks, so I want them to feel comfortable engaging in the conversation.

    Overall, I've set the expectations for a blog that ROCKs - one that's tone is:
    * Respectful
    * Open
    * Collaborative (also Community/Conversation)
    * Kind

    I linked to this post for the third bullet. Thanks again for an excellent read!

    Best,
    Faryl
  • @Frank

    thanks so much for the kinds words, im glad you found the post valuable. it's very important to go outside of your community to comment and interact with people on other blogs, that's how you grow. i think a lot of folks are focusing all of their efforts on their own blog when in fact outreach is crucial.

    @Faryl

    thanks for the kind words! just checked out your blog, love the little graphic of you (or whoever it is) parachuting down, you should give her a laptop! or a "twitter gun" :)
    You set out some great expectations and im sure your readers appreciate that. i like that you mentioned respect, which of course is very important. respecting your audience is what makes them come back and tell their friends, kudos to you!

    thanks for reading and for commenting Frank and Faryl!
  • Jacob, this post distills many important concepts, thank you. Online, like life, dialogues involve several parties, not just one. Yes, you call it broadcast, I call it boring and selfish.
    LuluMom
    Tweet...http://twitter.com/lulugo
  • you are very very welcome. selfish is a great way of putting as well :)

    glad you found the information useful.

    thanks for reading and commenting!
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