Engagement doesn't always require some sort of social interaction to be validated. Really? That sounds rather odd, doesn't it. So are you saying that even though someone doesn't "Like", Tweet, +1, Stumble, Share, Send, or Comment, that they could still be engaged? That's exactly what I'm saying.
Avinash Kaushik describes it best (on Jason Fall's blog) when he said, "Engagement is not a metric that anyone understands and even when used it rarely drives the action / improvement on the website. Why? Because it is not really a metric, it is an excuse." Bold statement, but I have to agree for the most part.
To understand what I mean, let's take this offline. I'll let you in on a little secret about me. I'm a listener and observer....I always have been. I'm that guy at a party that sits on the couch listening and observing others behaviours.
Some classify me as the Introvert (albeit I'm very comfortable around others), but more specifically, I'm an INFP. I typically don't jump in the conversation. Everyday I work hard and make a conscious effort to become more well rounded online and offline. And I can assure you, it doesn't come easily.
So why don't I always hop in on the conversation? Mainly because most of it is small talk. And honestly, I've never been one for small talk. I've always been of the belief that if I can't conduct a substance filled conversation, I'm better off not saying anything at all. Sounds harsh, I know, but it is what it is. I'm not saying small talk doesn't have it's place, just not so much with me.
What does this have to do with engagement? A heck of alot. As bloggers, I find we tend to forget that our readers come from a variety of different personality traits. For the sake of brevity I'm not going to get into the 16 different personality traits (Myer's & Briggs), but rather, let's say sum them up into two different groups (like at that party). Some readers are the "small talkers", and others like myself are the "listeners and observers". Both are equally as important, but both react differently.
For example, I read numerous blog posts throughout the course of a week for a variety of reasons:
- I want to learn something new that I know absolutely nothing about
- I like to hear a different perspective on a topic
- I want to stay abreast of recent trends
- I read to take my mind off other things
"But if I'm engaged" you ask, "why wouldn't I take a moment as a courtesy to leave a comment or share it?" Good question.
Well, here are a fews reasons:
- I may not want to share or leave a comment about something I know nothing about.
- I may not want to leave a generic comment that says "Great post", (which I admittedly have done in the past) because I feel the author deserves more.
- I don't always want to share my opinion publicly on the topic
- I sometimes want to "listen and observe" first before sharing
- I'm limited for time and can't leave a comment right away
With that said, lets not get caught in the trap of only "measuring engagement" or the success of a blog post by the amount of interactions we have, or how many times it has been shared out. These are absolutely viable means to measure, but what about the "listener's and observers"?
Make sure to listen to what analytics are saying. These may be the fundamentals or basics of blogging, but we can even neglect the basics at times. And if you're not tracking with Google Analytics, Kristi Hines has written an excellent how-to on getting set-up called Measuring Social Media ROI & Goal Conversions with Google Analytics 5.
There, I'm done my rant ;) .
Now, how do you track your "listener's and observers"?
I love a good rant. And honestly, given how little time I (and everyone else) have on my hands - I was more actively engaged in bothering to read the post *because* you said it was a rant - and I was in the mood for reading a rant. Just reinforces the importance of clarity in the opening of a blog post about what you will get if you read on.
ReplyDeletePart of me wanted to somehow make my comment without it registering as a counted engagement ;) But then you'd need to be a mind reader.
See, now I was expecting someone to say something like that. :P. Actually, if no one would have left a comment or shared it out, it would just told me that all my friends are "listeners and observers" :) . Or then again, maybe I'm just in denial, and this post is a way for me to cope...lol.
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, I know there are others out there like me. The numbers tell me so :)
Well said, Dave. I like this type of post as it gives me more of an insight into who you are. This helps put all of your "how to's" and "lists" posts in context.
ReplyDeleteI love it when people leave comments yet, I don't always and for the same reasons you give.
A lot of times I read through the comments and feel a bit intimidated by the expertise expressed; So, I give the post a "like" or a "+1" and share on Twitter.
As writers and "sensitive" types, validation is important. We just have to learn to not be so dependant on it, I guess.Thanks for the link to Myer's & Briggs. Now I can finally put my existential quest to find me to rest. ;-)
Congratulations on one of the politest rants I've read in a long time! When I rant my face goes red, my hair sticks up & those around me back away (& that's just for an online rant!). You made a great point though - I'm often 'engaged' when reading blogs but then struggle to come up with anything meaningful to add to the discussion so like you I back away. Being a somewhat less polite ranter I also have to sometimes just walk away as I'm concerned my Aussie straight talking may offend some. Then there are the times I do comment and then on reflection - press delete. Maybe it could be interesting to track the 'almost comments'. ;-)
ReplyDeleteHaha...I try to remain civil when ranting, but I do have my moments. Fortunately I'm behind the computer when writing them, instead of have a face to face conversation. I "try" to think before I speak :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post..
Definitely check out your personality type on the Myer's & Briggs. I first started reading their stuff at 14, and I used to be an INFJ. DISC assessments are great too.
ReplyDeleteI guess my biggest pet peeve right now, is this expectation of reciprocation. I'm not saying it's not better to give then receive, but we shouldn't feel obliged to do so, and we shouldn't expect it. We just came out of the entitlement era, let's not fall back into it.
I agree with Judy, this "rant" was extremely polite.
ReplyDeleteLike you, Dave, I relish the opportunity to listen and observe in a crowd. Also, like you, unless I find a conversation that is deeper than a puddle after a short rain, I tend to keep my mouth shut. That may seem somewhat condescending, even though I do not mean it to be. I just want my conversational contributions to be more meaningful than most I observe.
On topic, we are addicted to metrics. How else can we know whether our efforts are truly benefiting anyone. So, if you ever stumble over to my blog and read, please comment. Why? Because I am sure that your comment will be thoughtful and actually contribute to the conversation.
Hi James,
ReplyDeleteYes, some may think it is somewhat condescending. This is one of the reasons I felt compelled to write this post; to shed some like and help bring a bit of understanding.
The best quote I heard was for a friend of mine. He overheard a conversation between two individuals, look over and said " I've seen puddles deeper than those too"...LOL.
In regards to metrics, I have to agree. But I believe not all metrics are created equally. I actually think half of the public is interested in the "easily accessible" metrics (Klout, RT's, Comments) and the other half is interested in the "hard" metrics ( traffic, bounce rates, referring urls, conversions rates). Both are important, it just seems that many folks flock to the past of least resistance.
I'd be interested in seeing a study that shows what percentage of bloggers/social media folks really use Google Analytics.
I will definitely leave a comment when reading your post James. :)
And thanks for the comment! :)
Great post!
ReplyDelete(Haha, Dave.. You know I had to give you a hard time.)
All joking aside, I'm with you here. I rather have high-value comments or none at all. I mean, the words of encouragement are nice but only if they are sincere. I think sometimes we in the blogosphere focus TOO much on reciprocal exchange.
Don't get me wrong, sharing is a beautiful thing.. but our interactions should be genuine, not forced. I don't want a friend to feel obliged to leave a comment on my blog. If they enjoyed my content and got something out of it, cool beans. That's all that really matters and the rest is icing on the cake (but icing is nice). 8)
Oh, about the Google analytics stuff... Did I mention ongoing SEO work is terrific for listening purposes? Well, it is! ;o)
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting because some folks won't comment on a blog until you have massive traffic or others take the first step. I find that many bloggers go to the biggest blogs just to get some link juice and exposure going. That's just the sort of insincerity I think you and I both dislike.
On the flip side, we sometimes have avid fans that return to our content often but don't feel they can add any value via comments, so they support us in other ways. I've seen people I never even chatted with on Twitter or anything link to my articles from their sites.. So it goes to show you that you have to actively search the web, set up alerts, and check the analytics to see what is REALLY going on.
Great stuff here, bro... It's so good I had to comment twice!
I found your blog via your comment on Yomar Lopez's blog.
ReplyDeleteSpecifically, your comment was here: http://yogizilla.wordpress.com/2011/09/12/support-a-thon-evaluating-social-currency-and-re-humanizing-online-experiences
I'm sympathetic to your point of view. No, really. We have some defects in common. [laughing] I don't want to get into any kind of Meyer's Briggs, Jungian, or Maslow-esque thumbnails about personality, but the whole point of those scores is to help you understand what you need to develop to become a more whole person - if such a thing is possible or even worthwhile.
I'm sympathetic to your excuses too.
Like you, I listen. I read. I listen and read between the lines. I observe. Beyond that, I put together a bigger picture of what is being said/written via abstract logic. But that is just what I'm fairly good at doing. Do you follow? It doesn't complete the equation of a human relationship. Because without any direct interaction, it just ain't a relationship.
And I'll go further and suggest that there are long-standing metrics that gauge the success of a human relations - metrics that pre-date the internet by two to four thousand years.
Waiver
My purpose of commenting is not to put you off me. [laughing] Nor is it to deride your meditation. I'm trying to interact with you from a place full of heart, honesty and authenticity. I also know that I really fuck it up sometimes. Because my good will may not be obvious when all you may be reading is my apparent contradiction. I need help with this - and I don't have a problem putting this request out there.
Anyone who can: feel free to help me improve my communication style. [warm smile]
Back to my point:
I make faux pas. I make mistakes. I may forget to give someone a business card. I may forget to tell someone that I appreciate them. I may miss the opportunity to properly express my sympathy for someone's loss. These are mistakes. It's not my way of doing things. It's not how I want to do things. I do not define my self by my mistakes and defects.
Maybe I should. That's the take away from my first reading of your post. That I should define myself mostly by my mistakes and defects. [grin]
Stan
Recently on my blog: Do you love strongly? And other social media DOHs. http://wp.me/pbg0R-nY
Hi Stan,
ReplyDeleteI take your comment as a well thought out, honest response, which I genuinely appreciate.
This is why I wrote this post. I realize that we all may have different perspectives on this. So I wanted to respond to each point.
Just wanted to respond to a few points you made:
"I'm sympathetic to your point of view. No, really. We have some defects in common. [laughing] I don't want to get into any kind of Meyer's Briggs, Jungian, or Maslow-esque thumbnails about personality, but the whole point of those scores is to help you understand what you need to develop to become a more whole person - if such a thing is possible or even worthwhile. "
Me: I believe that these personality assessments serve two purposes. Yes, one is to help us develop new areas of our personality, and become a well rounded individual.
The other purpose is to help us accept who we innately are. Sure, there are places that we can improve on, but do we really need to improve all those areas? Are they defects? If I'm an introvert, do I need to become the extrovert? No, I need to be able to handle extroverted situations, but deep down I am who I am.
"I'm sympathetic to your excuses too. "
Me: I like this, even though I don't totally agree :) . I see this as a realization. For myself, I work hard at engaging others, but sometimes I just can't. I think is more of a reason than an excuse :P
"Like you, I listen. I read. I listen and read between the lines. I observe. Beyond that, I put together a bigger picture of what is being said/written via abstract logic. But that is just what I'm fairly good at doing. Do you follow? It doesn't complete the equation of a human relationship. Because without any direct interaction, it just ain't a relationship. "
Me: I absolutely agree that human relationships rely on direct interactions. There's absolutely no disputing that. The point I'm trying to convey is the excessive dependance on these interactions. I see other's get so absolutely wrapped up in these interactions, that they don't think they are achieving success without them.
I love the comment Stan. And absolutely welcome future comments from as well!
Thank you!
I know this is an older post, Dave. But this one struck me to respond and put a few words. This post really struck me because I know so many like you, you are not alone. I take the time to read blogs and comment where I feel I have a strong opinion. I take the engagement factor very seriously within social platforms. I feel engagement should be real, it should come a place where you are being authentic - which is a word that is over used - but it is applicable. Comments for the sake of commenting isn't real. Having a real input to the discussion and moving it forward should be the reason you comment. I felt compelled by commenting on this blog in particular because it spoke to me with your feelings on the subject of listening and gaining knowledge within your POV. I don't want someone to feel they should comment on anything I write out of sake of reciprocity, rather, because I wrote a piece that spoke to them and they want to further the discussion. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Comments should not feel forced, but something that flows naturally.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jen.
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