Graham Jones reports on the latest research findings from Harvard University which shows that the more you blog and post on social networking sites, the more successful you will be online because your social group of customers and suppliers will act much more co-operatively with you. Reduce the frequency of your updates, the study concludes, and you will also reduce your levels of co-operatively working with your network.
I am not sure I would agree with Jones when he says you should blog several times a day and tweet once an hour, but I do agree that you need to blog and tweet far more than once a week (read my recent post on how often you should blog).
I also find merit in his statement that “no longer can you think of the Internet as just one marketing channel which you “do” when you get the time after finishing your “real work”. What this study suggests is that if you want to benefit from the online social world, it is activity in this world which is your “real work” nowadays.”
What has been your experience of online engagement? Would you agree with the Harvard study findings? Or does all of this make you groan in despair at the thoughts of all the work and effort it would require? Do share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Marie Ennis-O’Connor BA, MIAPR, holds an Honours degree in History from University College Dublin. She is a graduate of the Irish Academy of Public Relations and has worked in a variety of PR roles over the past 12 years. Marie is editor of several award-winning blogs ranging from life sciences to health to business. She is a panel member of the newly established Bloggers International and is a regular contributor to Health Works Collective, an online community for thought leaders in international healthcare. She is a featured blogger on Webicina, an online service that provides curated medical social media resources in over 80 medical topics and over 17 languages, and has been awarded a top blogger accolade by Empowered Doctor.com and most inspiring writer by WegoHealth. Marie is also in demand as a trainer in social media marketing and travels the country teaching small business owners how to get online and maximise their online presence.
