Who’s that lurking over there? Is that Merv Griffin?

I’ve talked to quite a few folks lately who feel guilty because they are new to social media and have found themselves “lurking”. Well, I’m Beth Bates and I’m here to tell ya, it’s OK to lurk! (get the Match.com reference? I’m full of ‘em today.)

Wikipedia describes a “Lurker” as “In Internet culture, a lurker is a person who reads discussions on a message board, newsgroup, chatroom, file sharing or other interactive system, but rarely participates.”

Lurking (although a kind of a malicious-sounding term) is a great way to understand the platform, learn the etiquette and observe the flow of the conversation. It allows you to get comfortable in your new online community. It’s the online equivalent of standing in the corner at a party and sizing up the room before diving in.

But don’t lurk for too long. Once you feel like you’ve got the gist of the way the community works, dip in your toe. You don’t have to start a 3-hour long controversial conversation. Provide a link to a news article that interests you. Include a tip about something relevant to the community. Share a story. Give them a photo of something intriguing. Remember, that you have to give to get in social media space.

Tagged as: lurking, social media