In web speak, a lurker is a person who reads discussions on a message board, newsgroup, chatroom, file sharing or other interactive site, but rarely or never participates actively. Research indicates that "lurkers make up over 90 percent of online groups."
It may sound strange that I recommend to my clients that the best way to learn their way around an online site like Twitter or Facebook is by lurking first. That means reading and watching, but not participating until you are sure you're not going to make a mistake.
Most companies that venture into the social media space are initially sidetracked by information they are distributing, rarely taking the necessary time to see what's going on around them. Social media is called "social" for a reason. The goal is interaction, and you can't interact without listening and following others no matter how loud you scream. Below are a few tips for paying attention to enhance and improve your digital experience.
Pick Some Blogs. Then Read Them. You'll be amazed how much you learn about your company, industry and competitors by reading blogs. Curious why a competitor seems to attract more funding? Read their CEO's blog. Want to know why your company hasn't been featured in the New York Times? Follow their green blog, Green Inc., then ask yourself why if you would be a good fit.
One month of following a blog isn't enough. Understanding what your competitors or target audiences are doing day-to-day is a great way to gauge what's working for them and what isn't. If it's something you can fit into your business model, maybe it's worth some consideration. If competitors burned through cash on a failed venture, maybe there's a lesson to be learned from that too. Becoming knowledgeable about various media outlets has less to do with social media and more to do with knowing and understanding your trade.
Follow/Fan/Subscribe. As with blogging, learning from others is fantastic way to improve one's own social media skills. If a company runs a successful campaign that triples their sales for a quarter, will you be aware of that? If a competitor makes a colossal and public mistake using social media, do you think you'll make the same one? Hopefully not, but you might if you're not paying attention to what others are doing.
Many consumer product marketing reps were paying careful attention to the successful social media Old Spice Guy campaign that ran this past summer. Where did Old Spice get that idea? They weren't the originator, that's for sure. The "Most Interesting Man" from Dos Equis came first, but who came before him? Social media success can be cyclical, so sign up to follow a company on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook and subscribe to their YouTube channel. You never know when the next big idea might hit you, and what might trigger it.
What Are Your Fans Saying? Last, but not least, what are your fans, followers, members, etc. saying about your company? Yes, it's great that you distribute two releases a week, tweet three company profiles and hold a contest every Friday. But sometimes you just need to shut up and listen!
If one displeased stockholder is vocal about your shareholder letter... that might not be a big deal. However, if you're finding tweets/Facebook posts from 5, 10, 50, 100, etc., displeased shareholders...that might be an issue. Remember, with social media, small numbers can become large numbers and molehills can become mountains VERY fast. You should spend more time listening to your existing followers/fans than outputting your content.
It's also important to gauge reaction to your content and to alter your approach based on results. It doesn't do any good to have 10,000 Facebook fans when half of them don't view the page and the other half post negative content. Quantity is important, but quality is everything. Make sure you remember that every time you log-in that social media is used to better engage your audience.
Lurking and listening is a guaranteed way to keep your finger on the pulse of your industry and up-to-date with what your competitors are doing.
Follow me on Twitter @efisch
