For the September, 2009 Social Media Breakfast NH (#smbnh) at the Manchester, NH Public Library I gave this talk about my rules for community. I call it ‘Kev’s Rules for Community’.
I try to live these rules every day–whether I’m engaging online via twitter, blogs, or any other tools. The rules are simple:
- Be Real (don’t be a bot)
- Address the Need (not just the explicit ones)
- Be the Gatekeeper (never be the roadblock)
These rules are part of a project I’m working on to get the Dimdim support team on Twitter, directly engaging with customers. My goal was to go beyond just teaching the tools. Anyone can create a Twitter account and jump into the conversation. I wanted to make sure we are consistent in our approach.
I personally have a hard time following rules if there are too many to remember. What are your rules? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter (@kevinmic)
-k
[Special thanks to Matt Turner (@onmatt, www.onmatt.com) for helping to pull all the examples together for this talk, and Leslie Poston (@geechee_girl, www.uptownuncorked.com) for the opportunity to speak. I do so love to talk.]