4 Tips for Gaining Influence on Social Networks

If you are serious about blogging, you are probably also serious about promoting your blog such that your influence on the Internet grows. The two most popular and, not to mention, economical, mediums for any type of Internet promotion, whether it's promoting your blog or a business, are Twitter and Facebook. Other similar social media platforms are also important, but for now, these are the main players. Gaining influence on these networks can sometimes seem like an impossible undertaking, but here are a few things to consider.

Don't talk about yourself all the time
A recent article featured on Brian Solis, a blog about media and influence, features some revealing statistics about how self-referential tweets on Twitter can lower your chances of being re-tweeted, which is a standard way to gauge your influence on Twitter. Not only that, but analysis on the article also shows that as the number of self-referential tweets increases the number of followers decreases.

Be current, entertaining, or informative
The same Brian Solis article shed light on one more factor that affects influence on Twitter, specifically—subject matter. The type of content that was most retweeted was news. The second most influential subject matter was instructional content, while the third most influential, as gauged by retweets, was entertainment. As such, if you want more people to be exposed to your content, stay away from only promoting products, purveying your personal opinion, or talking about your daily life.

Don't just target the biggest influencers
Smart Blogs recently featured an interview with a Technorati Media President Charles Black, who discussed social media and effective social networking. Black noted that it is more important to target and seek the influence of "mid-tail" or "magic middle" bloggers than the biggest bloggers, simply because even though top bloggers have more followers, mid-level bloggers have more influence because they are closer and more in touch with their audience.

Be trustworthy and credible
Although this may sound a bit hokey, the most important factor in gaining influence in social media, and the blogosphere generally speaking, is to maintain your credibility and trustworthiness. As such, any time you post anything, whether it is on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, and you are representing ideas or products that you would like to promote, be sure to double-check any assertion you make. Followers aren't necessarily your friends, so if you are wrong about something, they won't be so forgiving. They can simply go elsewhere to find someone who is more credible than you are.

Of course, these aren't the only ways to ensure a stronger following on social networking sites, but they are definitely a start. Above all, trust your readers, followers, and users. Always put them first.

This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for best online colleges.