I am sitting at my desk this Monday after Thanksgiving weekend struggling to come up with a topic for what I have promised will be a weekly blog. Do I write a “how to” article on some topic of interest to entrepreneurs getting started, should I discuss the lack of start-up capital for a certain industry sector or geography or should I talk to the larger policy issues affecting entrepreneurial development in Iowa and other Midwestern states? Does it matter? Is anyone reading what I write?
I was at a social media conference not long ago where a speaker discussed the roles played by people signed up on social media sites. This person related that approximately 90 percent of those going to a social media site limit their activity to that of an observer they only read what others have written. They write nothing nor do they comment on what others write. Approximately 10% are writers. They both read others posts and write their own but do not comment on what others have written. Finally about one percent are readers, writers and editors, taking full advantage to interact with others on the site.
If one is to take this same metric to a blog post, one needs at least 100 people reading the post to get one comment back. This is fine if the objective of the blogger is to express his or her view with little concern about others position on an issue. What I am trying to accomplish with much of what I write is to get a discussion going among those interested in developing entrepreneurism and in a broader sense economic growth in the Midwest. I am trying to identify a few people in each locality or region of Iowa and neighboring states that want to lead a grass roots effort to get things moving in their area.
I want to find people that understand that we cannot have a half-dozen organizations in one metropolitan area working on different aspects of entrepreneurial assistance - People that know that we must develop regional efforts that have enough mass to produce meaningful results - People that understand that the state must provide guidance and resources but sub-state regions must design and operate initiatives that make sense for their particular circumstances.
So I’m not going discuss a specific issue, problem or resource today. Instead I ask that anyone reading this post respond. Please let me know if you are interested in working in your community or region or tell me you think I’m nuts. Let me know if you would like me to call or visit with you about what can be done. Finally, if you would rather not express your views publicly and do not wish to volunteer just let me know that you read the article so I have some measure of readership. Thank you.
Ode’ to Cecil!
4 years ago
4 comments:
I'm reading! Interesting post, thanks. A few thoughts come to mind:
1.I agree, if you really want to engage in discussion, it can be frustrating to feel like you could be writing to your cat. I think many people read but don't comment unless they're prompted. If I tweet a blog post and ask people to share their ideas they're more likely to. Some people still remain silent but the invitation to answer a question seems to get results. (Like you did in your post today!) Some will just answer me on Twitter and that's fine too.
2. I fall into category three but I still comment only occasionally compared to the volume of blog posts that I read.
3. I tend to answer questions on Facebook posed by bloggers but I don't necessarily go to a site off of there. I am curious about what others find here.
I'm always interested in meeting other like-minded central Iowans and having a centralized sort of network would be helpful!
There are most certainly people out here, including myself. I am a user that falls into the top tier of user activity on the web. I have my own personal blog, I write for my employer's blog, and I comment on other blogs.
However, that being said, I'll be the first to admit that I am also oversubscribed online. I am constantly trimming my RSS feed subscriptions, the people I follow on Twitter, and the blogs I visit on a regular basis. There is just so much content out there it is hard to stay on top of everything. If I were to read and comment on everything that was interesting to me, it could be a full-time job in itself.
I think the idea behind a lack of comments is part of a much larger equation. The equation involves the quality, frequency, and relevance of content, plus the size and interest of the audience.
What you are attempting with this blog (developing entrepreneurism in the Midwest) is indeed a noble cause, and one many people probably believe in, but the key is to find and activate those believers. If they aren't commenting today, you need to find out why they aren't. Already you've got two explanations on this post as to how/why your readers do what they do. Now you need to talk to all the others.
Social media is definitely a powerful tool, but it also takes a lot of time, dedication, and hard work - just like any other effort you might engage in.
I say keep your head up and keep driving towards your goal of uniting entrepreneurs and entrepreneur-leading groups in the Midwest. As your message continues you will see more people gravitating to you and latching on. You just need the right strategy in place to listen for, locate, and activate that audience.
Hey Jude, I think that a lot of the efforts you're talking about are happening in hidden channels throughout the community. Both a positive/negative about us Iowans is that we are a humble bunch and aren't good about tooting our own horn at times. I know that a handful of economic development groups are rethinking their strategy/role and I hope they can emerge better.
We would love to have Foundry Coworking act as a real-world hub for many of the interactions you are striving for. We've got a good mix of freelancers, entrepreneurs, and startups that have opened our eyes to the resources/needs in our community. Many people are expressing the same thing you are. I think if we can keep people interacting in meaningful, purpose-driven ways then we all can win.
Look for more stuff from us in the coming weeks event-wise and we would love to have you down to chat again.
I agree, but there are so many groups going in different directions. There needs to be a cohesive strategy and some leadership not only at the metro level but statewide.
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