Do You Have a Social Media Support Group?

Every day on the Blogging Bistro Facebook page, I post a “social media tip of the day.”  Monday’s tip says:

Expect it to take 6 months to 2 years to build a fan base of quality online followers.

Mary Beth Smith responded:

Laura, thank you for pointing that out – this is not instant pudding – it takes time to build that audience, and is the most fundamental task of beginning a social media presence.

I love Mary Beth’s “instant pudding ” analogy. [Aside: my 14-year-old recently discovered how easy it is to whip up a box of JELL-O instant chocolate pudding; we're buying a Costco-sized pallet of it.]

Should we invest less effort in nurturing online relationships than we do in-person relationships? I believe all valued relationships require a long-term commitment. And because we don’t see most of our online contacts face-to-face on a daily basis, it’s safe to assume that virtual relationships take longer to build.

I propose a forming a social media support group for small business owners and solopreneurs. The group would be comprised of people who are committed to helping each other build our brands online. When we post an important article, video, or update, other members of the group can share the link with their networks.

As I was mulling over how a support group of this nature could work, I thought, “Why not create a Facebook Group?” So I did. It’s called Social Media Support Group, and it’s open to anyone who’d like to join.

Head over to the Social Media Support Group and you’ll see a sample update to give you an idea of how to share your links.

And because I know some of you prefer LinkedIn groups,  I created a duplicate Social Media Support Group at LinkedIn.

Join now from either Facebook or LinkedIn — whichever network you use most often.

Questions? Suggestions?