Are You a Social (Media) Butterfly?

What are your Intentions as you engage in Social Media Networks? Put another way how many plates can you spin well? And in terms of Levels of Engagement are you a Wallflower? A Selective? A Butterfly or a Master/Maven?

Written Jul 06, 2010, read 2774 times since then.

Last summer, yes, last summer, as I was researching “deeply” all things Social Media Networks, I came upon and downloaded a white paper that offered an easy to digest matrix of analogies for how we participate in social networks (or don’t). I responded enthusiastically then and still, to the idea of Four Quadrants of Engagement as being comprised of Mavens, Butterflies, Selectives and Wallflowers (downloadable pdf here).

And it got me thinking, really thinking: just how many virtual places can I be a vibrant, consistent and meaningful participant? What is a healthy mix of engagement for me that is manageable and helps me achieve (over time) my business goals? And what are my intentions for utilizing the literal plethora of Social Media Channels and Networks and Communities? So many options, so little time!

Biznik is but one of “many social network sites” AND many new communities are being created daily by individuals seeking to attract their unique Tribe. Do you know who your Tribe is? Or better still do you know who your Big Tribe is and who are your sub-Tribes? Are you a Woman Business Owner, as well as a hand-made craftsperson, for example? Whom do you identify best with and do business with?

Where is it easiest for you to hang out online? Offline? Or a bit of both?

And how do we as members use our social media profiles across networks to:

engage with others,
make “meaningful” connections,
be found and discovered by members and non-members,
and attract clients, collaborators and champions

…be they within the Network or outside of it?

Specifically, do you use your Biznik profile, presence and participation intentionally,consistently, and congruently with who you are and what you do and what you seek to attract?

Biznik as the Social Network and Community that meets both online and offline is extraordinary. Why? Several main reasons occur to me.

March 29th of this year on the Biznik Blog, co-founder Lara Feltin, modestly shared that Biznik ranked 2nd after LinkedIn with this brief blog post:

“LinkedIn’s US traffic rank on Alexa.com is 17. Biznik’s is 4,726. It’d be a bit of an oversight if LinkedIn didn’t get no. 1 for Professional Organization in any online awards. So when Biznik is placed second next to LinkedIn, it kind of feels like first!

Biznik was awarded 2nd place in the Professional Organizations category of eLearner’s Mindshare Awards. The Mindshare Awards recognize innovative websites in 25 categories that support life-long learning, creativity, professional skills, or social responsibility. Thanks, eLearners! Congratulations to Professional on the Web who placed third; and to the honorable mentions: Naymz and Xing.

eLearners.com connects prospective students with higher education programs that fit their needs, and has earned a reputation for championing the causes of adult learners and higher ed students, sponsoring nationwide initiatives like Project Working Mom and the Career Stimulus Package scholarship plan.”

I’m guessing that Biznik with its smaller membership compared to LinkedIn with its 70,000,000+ members earned this accolade for the QUALITY and QUANTITY of the participation of its member base and the ABUNDANCE of FRESH CONTENT, provided by its members, weekly, daily, hourly, at all hours.

It’s comparable to going to a party with the intention of making new friends, while being one’s self and staying engaged while at the party. Or if we are talking about a weekly meet up, it’s about making an effort to get to know the community, and not be a wallflower. Why go if you don’t intend to talk to anyone or participate?

We must strive to behave in the virtual realm as we do in the physical realm. Or the initial connections fall flat and are less effective and memorable. And ultimately don’t you gravitate toward working with or recommending someone you like, trust and respect? Which means you need to have a deeper sense of who they are?

What is a Healthy Mix for Engagement? Biznik and other network sites like LinkedIn, Xing and Naymz offer professional channels to establish ourselves by way of engagement that can be:

Educational/Informational (exposes your level of service and interest, area of interest and expertise)
Inspirational (exposes your attitude)
Promotional (exposes your level of interest, level of service to others)
Self-promotional (exposes your level of expertise)

What are your Intentions as you engage in Social Media Networks? Put another way how many plates can you spin well?

“The ENGAGEMENTdb study goes a long way towards validating the importance of social media for business,” said Ben Elowitz, CEO of Wetpaint. “The closer any company is to its customers, the better, and it’s hard to argue with the ability for social media to create such proximity. In this day and age, companies should feel much more comfortable investing in social media — the correlation to results is so clear.”

And I suggest, this also applies entirely to individuals in business, building up their personal brand.

Four Quadrants of Engagement
The ENGAGEMENTdb study revealed that companies fell into four specific categories in terms of their breadth and depth of investment in social media channels — Mavens, Butterflies, Selectives, and Wallflowers.

Mavens – brands that have made social media a core part of their go-to-market strategies and are very active in many channels; usually driven by dedicated teams assisted by company-wide awareness and participation.
Butterflies — brands that recognize the need to be in many channels but have only met with real success in a subset of their activities; these companies are usually spread a bit too thin.
Selectives – brands that focus on just a few channels and excel in those; these efforts are usually initiated by an internal evangelist.
Wallflowers — brands present in only a few channels and very lightly in those; these brands are sitting on the sidelines and are wary of the risks. They are still trying to figure out the best next steps and investments in social media.

So relative to Biznik what is a Wallflower, a Selective, a Butterfly and a Maven/Master? Here is a suggested list of discernment based on conversations had with more than myself.

Wallflower – Have no photo, a barebones profile, no one in the network, and don’t attend events. Why did you join if you haven’t done anything since opening your account? We get it; you don’t make the time perhaps because you don’t understand the value of participating? (Care to be educated?)

Selective – You have a “limited” profile/presence, are not using keywords, do articles but events or vice versa, you are going half way in, not cross-pollinating physically and virtually, as the introvert you are you might participate virtually, as the extrovert you might participate physically, but your level of involvement and commitment is limited to one plane more than another. You don’t necessarily hostevents or have an idea for one. (Care to learn a few strategies you could focus on?)

Butterflies – Engage actively and proactively, virtually and in-person but in a limited way, comment often, post articles seldom, attend a lot of events but do not yet host, don’t commit to a lot of time, but they seem to have a well-known presence, you know their name and their face. Focus on ½ of what they could do to build their personal brand and reputation, are focused on quantity over quality, establishes many relationships but not necessarily deep. (Care to participate more for your benefit?)

Mavens/Master – Actively engage and their involvement establishes them as leader, spend more time on the quality, involved virtually and physically, well-known in the community as a builder of community, as a service provider, established a brand and reputation with the community, that precedes them with new contacts, establish solid relationships with rapport, virtually and physically. (Care to capitalize on that participation?)

As I see it, the Four Quadrants of Engagement are defined by Level of Participation, Quality of Relationships, and Quality of Reputation.

What is the quality of your engagement; where you do participate? Is your profile complete? Are you willing to organize and expand your participation just a little? There are many different ways to participate?

Hosting or attending events
Commenting on events or articles
Discussions and Comments on BizTalk
Inviting new members
Complimenting and referring members
Expanding your network
Joining and participating in Groups

Which appeal to you? And given how “visible” Biznik is to Google, would you invest in learning how best to participate effectively?

Learn more about the author, Deborah Drake.

Posted by Will Sugg, Seattle, Washington | Jul 07, 2010

By this definition I think I am butterfly, fluttering, but would like to flap wings with more strength. I need to sit down and stratigize ways to be a more effective butterfly and someday realize my potential as a Maven.

Got me thinking!
Posted by Norma Maxwell, Minot, North Dakota | Jul 07, 2010

Deborah - love this piece and all the thoughts it has provoked. Indeed these are questions that we will need to continue to ask ourselves and reassess moving forward. Thanks for sharing your insight and asking such good questions!
Posted by Judy Dunn, Seattle, Washington | Jul 07, 2010

Many interesting ideas here, Deborah.

Bob and I are a little more difficult to peg because we have the luxury of "spreading the duties"—hosting events, which Bob does a lot, publishing articles, participating in forums , blogging, tweeting etc.—that are relevant to creating and maintaining a strong brand.

One company, two people.

Many of my Biznik colleagues, being solo's, are not as lucky.

These four quadrants of engagement are fun to think about. I really have parts of all of them in me. (How's that for not wanting to be labeled?) : )

If I had to choose one, it might be Selective, although I don't think my online presence is "limited." I like that word—selective—because it implies that you have a strategy. You are not just dabbling, but, rather, participating where you think you can have the biggest impact.

You have given us all so much food for thought. Your articles always do. Thank you for that.
Posted by Michael Hartzell, Seattle, Washington | Jul 07, 2010

The word Deborah is NOT Selective... It is "Guerrilla".

Specific target, everything with a a purpose.

I know a few mavens. They fly too high for my liking but certainly will applaud their maveness.

I wonder if someone claiming themselves to be a maven would be similar to a person calling themselves: "humble", "expert", "guru", "generous".

I am a very humble, generous, expert guru maven". hmmm. Nope. Can't say as I could trust someone who talked like that.

That being the case, I will not share my opinion of who I believe are mavens. I will stand humbly in their shadow and appreciate their excellence. (there I go again... humble. Sorry!) :)

Very, very serious time and consideration put into this. thank you!

Mike @michaelhartzell

Guerrilla Marketing Ideas that Rock!
Posted by Andre Kahr, Seattle, Washington | Jul 08, 2010

Deborah, excellent article. This is very thorough, provocative and persuasive. Although I'm barely a selective caterpillar, I would love to emerge from my cocoon and into full butterfly status. Thank you for your insights!
Posted by Deborah Drake, Bellevue, Washington | Jul 08, 2010

Gentle Readers,

Thanks you for your thoughtful comments. I myself think of myself as more akin to a Butterfly and if I want to be a Maven remains to be determined.

I recommend reading the whitepaper that I found fascinating last year and still so.

What is appropriate is the question ask myself.

@Will - So you size yourself up as a Butterfly? Is that working for you? If so, why fix what isn't broken?

@Norma- I have Biznik to thank for directing me to your Facebook page and look forward to further "offline" conversations and collaborating, for that is how I strive to us Social Networks well.

@Judy - You know I value what you and Bob due as a duo. Writer to writer your kudos mean a great deal to me. I too don't like to be labeled but will consider what quadrant I am playing in.

@Michael - Given what you do, your feedback is also golden. I could say this article has been in chrysalis since last summer. And it was time, so I put my best foot forward to elaborate on how this model specifically applies to Biznik as the UNIQUE social site that is more Hybrid than any I have come across.

That Biznik encourages face to face first and online also makes it SHINE...the name of the film Biznik made...Yes?

Thank you all for your comments.

Deborah Drake

Authentic Writing Provokes

http://deborahdrake.wordpress.com
Posted by Deborah Drake, Bellevue, Washington | Jul 08, 2010

@Andre

Thank you for finding some value in this article that works for you. As the enterpreneur you are, I want only the best for you and your business and participating in Social Media is simply a valuable part of the mix for more success. If participating at some level works for you, then it will work to enhance your business as well as help the others in business you also care about!

Deborah!
Posted by Robyn M Fritz MA MBA, Seattle, Washington | Jul 09, 2010

Deborah!

Your amazing mind is coupled with an articulate voice. Congratulations! Much food for thought. I love how the Biznik people are so generous with their time, their skills, and their fun attitudes, and applaud their success. I'm exploring the social media bit, and will be delving further as I promote my new book and my evolving business. Interesting, though, that other media still work as well. For example, I've had a wonderful response from radio shows where the hosts are eager to explore my topic and open and friendly, and from book signings, and even from just stopping to talk with people. We all need to connect better with social media as it helps to meet more people. As you say, that's what's good about organizations like Biznik: you can meet on many levels. Thanks for the great article!

Robyn M Fritz Alchemy West
Posted by Christine Dreier, Portland, Oregon | Jul 09, 2010

Your article gave me a lot to think about. So far I've been hesitant to engage in more ways as I didn't quite know how to and I still have questions around that. For example, who meaningfully hosts an event. For the most part I see business coaches hosting events and few others. Nevertheless, your articles is helping a lot by guiding my thinking into where and for what reason do I want to get involved or not. Thanks for a great article.
Posted by Deborah Drake, Bellevue, Washington | Jul 10, 2010

Christine,

Thank you for your kind words and if you have questions about how to engage more here and on other Networks, feel free to ask them and I wonder what the Biznik community will suggest.

Biznik offers many paths to becoming known....

What guides my level of engagement is what feels authentic to me and what I have energy for. I've picked three or so areas I can be consistent in.

My weekly group for Writer's who identify with being Reticent Bloggers/Writers...lots of great people arriving weekly...

I like writing articles and commenting.

I attend events selectively.

I reach out and expand my network as I am called.

I introduce people and offer referrals/strong recommendations when I detect a match.

I try to be responsive to emails received through Biznik.

And most importantly I visit a little bit each day. Not a lot. But a little each day is not overwhelming to my psyche.

If you ask the attendees of my Writer's Support Group for Reticent Bloggers, do I host a meaningful event, I believe the answer is, yes...for in an Appreciative Inquiry way we all contribute and tease each other out...helping each other to mastermind and better understand our roadblocks. At least they tell me so. Our time for talking one to one is always at the end. The theme is the focus for the most part.

So when I see people engaging more with articles or comments or blogs...I smile. Mission Accomplished!

Authentic self-expression is what I champion and in the medium of your choice!

Got a blog or a book you really want to see birthed? I say find support in some way...

Social Media works best for me when the conversation that started online..goes offline and even beyond a Biznik or other network event.

Did we connect beyond the virtual comments box? Did we pursue a conversation after the event we met at? Did we discuss how we might collaborate and help each other? Did we determine we had business or friendship or both to cultivate...

What I love about Social Media Networks is how they broaden my circles of peers and friends and compatriots. And for me, I search worldwide for like-minded folks...the world is available to us...

Drop me an email or pose your questions here and see what help comes your way.

And if it appears that coaches are the ones hosting events I have a theory around that; coaches are trained to encourage dialogue to incite awareness...so that actions are easy to commit to that results are produced over time...That is my motivation!

To be a Butterfly may be all I ever choose to be. And I will be the best Butterfly I can be...

I couldn't have written this article without the input of Pete DiSantis. We hashed out what the various quadrants of engagement a la Biznik, for example "looked like" to us. Others may agree or not...point is there are many different ways to behave at the party...how do you do it by default?

What is a stretch for you? And what is too much?

I like writing and dialoguing with people to be fun (ideally) and inspiring and engaging.

Glad you found this article thought provoking...it provoked me for weeks as I was considering the material daily...then the day came it said, "Okay, time to write me up!

So I did.
Posted by Deborah Drake, Bellevue, Washington | Jul 10, 2010

@Robyn

Thank you for your kind words. Fellow writer that you are, it's meaningful to me. And by all means embrace and explore social media to augment your fine and varied marketing strategies that are working for you. Wise to be engaged wholistically, I say.

You are welcome!
Posted by Thomas Nielsen, Seattle, Washington | Jul 19, 2010

Thanks so much for the great framework this article provides. Helps me reflect about how I can show up in social networks in a meaninful and intentional way. There's a risk of doing your social networking on auto-pilot" where you're not tuned into what the community is about and what your real intentions are.
Posted by Deborah Drake, Bellevue, Washington | Jul 19, 2010

Agreed Thomas,

There is some work we can automate and there are things we best not automate, in my opinion.

I am glad this article causes reflection and social networks are great places to get new relationships started, maintained, and get the word out to a larger audience.

For me though, the juicy stuff, happens beyond the cyber realms...

I appreciate technology for the opportunities it creates...

As to how many plates one can spin well and simultaneously, that varies by individual...

I suspect I will be a worthy butterfly at best...

Thanks for your comment! I am awaiting an article from you and look forward to being alerted to it's existence in this network or another.

Your knowledge is an interesting mix to me and I hope people check out your Biznik profile and learn more about you!

Deborah!

Authentic Writing Provokes
Posted by Deborah Drake, Bellevue, Washington | Aug 02, 2010

A follow up question from me to all who have commented and those that might read this article in the future:

How does this model of engagement apply to Blogging?

I am contemplating it myself.

I think I want to be a Butterfly in that realm as well.

Deborah!

Authentic Writing Provokes