When it comes to social media IS ignorance bliss? Take Notes!

Ignorance is not always bliss. In a great, free e-book, Social by Social, the authors (Andy Gibson, Nigel Courtney, Amy Sample Ward, David Wilcox and Prof. Clive Holtham) believe that all successful projects are supported by some common principles and guidelines. And these principles and guidelines can be applied to all "social by social" projects.

It’s time for the social sector to catch up. There is a new social infrastructure being built, and we can use it to make the world better. This book explains how to do it, and what might happen if we do...

This book has been designed as a training manual and reference guide about technology and social media for people at all levels of experience – and scepticism. You can dip into particular sections and use it for reference, or read it in sequence to get a better understanding of how everything fits together.

Social by Social, has come up with 38 propositions as their "collaborative manifesto for successful social by social projects." Here are just 11 of them:

• Never assume, always ask. You can’t know what your community wants from you without asking, and they are waiting to be asked. Be specific, define the issue and let the answers pour in. Then be transparent about your next moves.
• Content is king. Providing great content – resources, information, stories, connections, conversations – means new users will find you and others will stick with you. Give people easy ways to share this content too, freely and openly.
• Learn to listen before you start talking. Good conversations require good listeners more than good talkers. Listen first to find out what people want to hear.
   
• Be consistent. Whatever you say in public, remember you are talking to everyone, all the time, so stay true to your principles.
   
• All energy is good energy. If people are taking the time to criticise you, they are already engaged. Listen to their concerns and find ways to bring them in.
   
• You can’t learn to fly by watching the pilot. If you want to understand new technologies, start using them. Dive in.
   
• Start small. It’s always better to build too little than too much. Beware of specifying costly systems until you are absolutely familiar with the tools and know how people would use them.
   
• Keep it sociable. If you want action, leave room for social in teractions and personal stuff, not just w orthy, productive topics. Playful, human in teractions build trust.
• Be a pirate. There’s so much free stuff out there just waiting for you. Make use of what others have shared and save your energies for what you’re best at.
   
• Empty rooms are easier to redecorate. Be fast and loose with evolving your platform in the early stages, but be cautious of changing things once people start relying on it.
   
• Failure is useful. If you want to know what works, learn from what didn’t.

Social by Social has a "Jargonbuster" section as well as lots of Tools and Resources. Throught the book you'll find short practical guides on “how to” do various technical tasks, such as:

p. 35  will show you How to find and join the conversations that are already happening
p. 37 will help you Getting started with social technologies

p. 180 will tell you How to subscribe to an RSS Feed and How to create a Google Alert 

p. 178 gives you 10 Search Engine Optimisation tips

p. 181 will show you How to use Delicious.com and How to Choose tags for your organisation

p. 185 tell you How to use blogging to improve your search engine position

Take Notes! Download your free Social by Social PDF here. Do it right now. You'll be glad to have this resource. (And it's well worth the price!)