Words that Begin with “C” are Important in Social Media

I was thinking the other day about writing a post about the “However many” C’s of Social Media.  I wasn’t smug enough to think I was the first to think about doing that, so I did a quick Google search to see what others had written.  Here’s a sampling:

Here’s a post that features four C’s:  Content, Context, Connections, and Conversations.

This writer focuses on three C’s:  Conversation, Community, Conversion.

And here’s yet another blogger that says five C’s are important:  Conversation, Community, Commenting, Collaboration, and Contribution.

And as a final example, here’s a blogger that emphasizes four C’s:  Content, Collaboration, Community and Cumulative Value.

I like pretty much all of those, and agree that they help focus us on some important principles of social media.  So then the question becomes, do I have any “C” words to add?

Well, here are a few more to consider:

• Commitment:  Using social media is a commitment, not a one-time campaign.  Since social media is relationship-driven, to be effective, you have to be committed to nurturing the relationship over time.
• Continuity:  Sort of goes with commitment, but also maybe helps us remember that our social media involvement needs to have a continuity in the types of content and the messages we are providing to the community.

I’m sure that folks can come up with lots of other “C” words.  Just add them to the comments if you’d like.

But whether you’re an old hand at social media or a newcomer, reviewing a list of “C” words is a good reminder of what we’re about and how to do it well.