Back in November 2008 I scoured the web, and posted to my blog Evolving Web what I considered to be The 64 Top Social Media Principles. To be sure, 64 seemed to be somewhat unwieldy. So I spent all of December scaling down that list to a more reasonable number.
What I came up with were a manageable “10 Social Media Principles for Business,” each presented in its own blog post. I then spent the following 8 months researching supporting case studies, conducting interviews, and refining the principles.
My forthcoming book Instant Karma: 10 Principles of Social Media for Business is the culmination of that exercise.
My social media principles attempt to boil down lessons that social media embody. These can then be applied in a technology neutral way to the rest of our lives, personally and professionally.
What I’ve found is that these principles help us communicate and relate better. With them we can establish networks and understand our particular place within them. These principles give coherence to the creation and exchange of value. They help us build better communities and working relationships.
However, these are merely principles. As human beings, managers, and friends we need to interpret and apply them.
10 Principles of Social Media for Business:
1. Associations Have Inherent Value - Knowing more people expands opportunity and conversation
2. Information Wants to be Free - Free society runs on free information. Information hoarding is the enemy of discourse and growth.
3. Economies Have Currencies - All economies trade on specialized currencies.
4. Decentralization is Freedom - Decentralized power structures spur creativity, growth, and innovation.
5. Rules Beget Rules - The more rules you have, the more rules you make.
6. Karma is Real - You give more, you get more.
7. Context is Fluid - How you view an object today will be different tomorrow. Don’t destroy tomorrow’s value.
8. Immediacy in all Things - Strike while the iron is hot. Eat when the food is fresh.
9. Communication is Blood - Communication is the river upon which information flows.
10. Findability is Power - Unfindable information or people are irrelevant.
Note: principles are not rules, not laws, not edicts. A principle is a philosophical underpinning. You use them to guide how you build or shape a culture.
