Aside

Rule # 9: Take Chances

Rule #9: Take ChancesYou’re sick of Facebook, and Twitter is filled with meaningless crap you don’t give a damn about. But what can you, the individual, do against networks with user bases that are in the hundreds of millions?

Take a chance on a new social network.

The only way you’ll ever replace a social network you hate is to use other networks. I’ve recently started using Instagram, Path and DailyBooth.  While I’m not a big fan of Path or DailyBooth, I absolutely love Instagram. It gives me another simple way of sharing more photos of my cat, which is the primary reason I’m online.

Use a new network with not many people you know. Try a network you used once and never used again.  Tell people you’re leaving a network for another one. Things only get replaced online if people go somewhere else.

Give a new social network a chance. Who knows. You may actually like it.

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3 Responses to Rule # 9: Take Chances

  1. Chris Ferdinandi - Renegade HR December 26, 2010 at 4:22 pm #

    Funny - You addressed a comment I JUST left in another post. The problem with new social networks: Your friends don’t use them… yet.

  2. Jay December 26, 2010 at 11:17 pm #

    Your friends will use them if you say, “Hey, check out this awesome website!” At least, that’s how I get people to read this blog.

  3. Ace December 27, 2010 at 9:36 am #

    The same can be said for online forum communities, especially in travel. The “Up in the Air” wannabes of FlyerTalk drive me insane, flaunting their “Do you know who I am?” and “I’ve been on this community for 8 years so everything I say is right and anything else posted is invalid” but, for example, the new JetBlue community has been a breath of fresh air (unintentional pun hurts so bad).

    Great call, Jay. Looking forward to the final 3 rules!