social network sprinkling

Content allocation for the many social networks is a demanding chore. User-generated content means users deciding what content to share or produce, and where to put it.

Most of us hardcore Web Twenty instigators are far flung, like imagination, into the regions of multiple socnet associations. I mean: we belong to more than one social network.

I beta tested over 100 (think of all the profiles of me that are out there now) social network and tool communities. I have time and interest to use only a few on a regular basis, while others are used for various sporadic purposes.

I liken this to "sprinkling". Your content gushing is like a hose. When you just had one blog, for example, you poured all your genius and personality into that one web object. Then, as you learned of and experimented with other online social media and tool communities, you expanded your presencing and productions into other venues.

Instead of a single rushing flood of art and intuitions being directed into a MySpace, Blogger, or WordPress blog, you now find your loyalties divided. You have little pockets of information and art all over the web. Your profiles proliferate. Your conversations are scattered.

You now sprinkle your sayings and doings over a landscape of multiple social networks. Perhaps most of your time and energy has moved off your blog, and moved into Twitter, Jaiku, Pownce, or Identi.ca

You now belong to, have accounts at, such sites as Facebook, YouTube, flickr, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Mashable, del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, Seesmic, Spock, FreeBase, Mahalo, Ning, Instructables, Last.fm, Pandora, Lifehacker, Ustream, Justin.tv, and other online communities or web-based tool sites.

Some socnets are for conversations, others are for creating and displaying things created, or managing information like bookmarks or favorite web pages. You most likely use one channel for everyday communications, one for professional purposes, one for creativity, and yet another for news or technical advice.

When it comes to status update micro-blogging, if you have joined a few communities, it's hard to know how to allocate your content. That's how you must view even your trivial personal asides: as content that is freely, voluntarily contributed to conversations, art collectives, or the information pool.

The more you put into a social media site, the more you enhance it with your personality, expertise, or entertainment. You add value to the online community, if you're sufficiently altruistic and caring. You add value by being yourself, expressing your views, linking to your music or art, being funny, pointing others to cool sites, sharing beta invites, or whatever you do.

How do you do it? How do you spread the wealth of your unique character and insights?

Do you think, "Well, I haven't said much on Pownce lately, I'd better go post a link or a message note today."?

Or do you just play with an application, learn how it works, for potential client use, then abandon it, to concentrate on the ones you like better?

Or do you have an official, thought-out social media strategy, for yourself as an individual? I'm assuming that as a marketing agency, you always plot out a definite series of social media paths for your company and your clients.

What is your personal social media strategy?

What sites have you abandoned? What is your focus (or specialties)? Are you occupying multiple niches? Are you all personal or all professional, exclusively? Do you use different avatars, nicknames, or personas at various socnets?

Have you done a value analysis on them? What social media do you wish existed, but does not?

What deficiencies do you see in social networks and tool communities? How could your favorite social media be improved? What is your biggest complaint about the sites or the members?