My 3 Social Media New Year's Resolutions

Today is the day for new year’s resolutions.  For most people, this means the inevitable pledges to get healthy, lose weight, work less and spend more time with family.  Like any good blogger, though, I have several social media resolutions for the new year.  In no particular order, here are my three big ones:

1. Comment more. In the rush of client work and blogging, the easiest thing to stop doing regularly is reading and commenting on other posts.  Putting out content that people are interested in is great, but the best way to participate in the conversation is still frequently commenting on other people’s blog posts.  Not just thanking someone for a link, but reading blogs that I normally wouldn’t and extending my community (as well as my mind).  I know that I discover many new blogs through the people who leave comments on my posts.  Other bloggers are just the same.
2. Answer the phone less. In order to have time to comment more, something else needs to give.  For me, it will definitely be the phone.  I have caller ID and can recognize calls from family, colleagues or clients.  If the number doesn’t show as any of those three that I recognize, I don’t answer.  Ever.  In the latter half of 2007, I started doing this and it helped to avoid time-sucking calls.  For anyone interested in ever pitching me anything, the worst possible way to do it would be to call me.  Best would be email, and that will likely continue into 2008.  Technically speaking, I realize this is probably not a social media resolution as much as a general one.  If that bothers you, feel free to call me.
3. Make better friends (and be one too). The first thing I should clarify is that this is not a criticism of online friends that I have now.  The danger is, with all these social networks and invites flying back and forth, there are people who are now my "friends" that I don’t know very well.  My third resolution is to try harder to get to know them.  Though it’s tempting to get into a race where your aim becomes to reach 1000 followers on Twitter or and equally high number of Facebook friends, it doesn’t offer anything more than a temporary ego boost.  I want to be friends with people that I have some sort of personal connection with, and who feel the same with me.  I should be able to send each one a note to ask for help with something, and they should feel the same ability to do so with me.  That’s what I mean by better friends.

I figure, if I can do those three things then I’ll be on my way to a great 2008.  Well … that and eating better or exercising more often, of course.