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Sprouter is an emerging social media arena targeting entrepreneurs. IMHO, it’s the first of many similar networks to come that will target niche groups instead of trying to compete with the monster networks like Twitter. But unlike many other social media networks I’ve seen, Sprouter offers something very intriguing for the modern entrepreneur.
First, I must admit – I have not really been much of an early adapter with social networking. Around the time Facebook and Twitter came onto the scene in a big way, I was focusing much more of my web marketing education on improving results and not updating countless social media profiles. Plus, I’ve always related more to the work-smart-not-hard philosophy of entrepreneurship. Social media is not exactly a big results zone of activity for most people.
I still believe in the importance of prioritizing in very disciplined and results-oriented ways. That said, I also believe online social networking can be a good thing if there’s a clear ROI on the time spent.
Early Adapting
Since Sprouter is new to the scene, now is the best time to get in on the action. Social networking definitely has a pyramid shape when you look at how connections evolve over years of growth. Most of the power players in Twitter today will likely still be power players in 5-10 years. Plus, every social network has its own language, rules, and hierarchical systems. Getting involved early can be a great way to gain “online cred” faster than your competitors. It’s not the best comparison, but this is something like investing in a great stock early on.
Targeted Networking
What I love about Sprouter is the clearly defined boundaries of the network. You fill your daily feed by answering a very defined question, “What are you working on?” I like that this is specifically a place for entrepreneurs and the emphasis is on work, on getting things done. I also like that the updating reminds me to stay focused and on task. Maybe some future add-ons will build on this concept. I dig it!
Q&A Forum
Much of the connections you’ll be making in Sprouter are Q&A in format. Lots of people posting are asking questions and interacting with other entrepreneur-users for feedback on new projects, web marketing ideas, and business plans. As the user base expands, I expect these conversations to get more interesting and the feedback to become even more valuable. I’ve already landed some very helpful leads and tips from just a handful of business-related questions in the past few weeks. Very valuable benefit.
Topic Following
If you’re interested in specific topics, the Sprouter hashtags make it easy to sort out only the stuff you want to see. You can even create your own hashtag and wait for others to join up and follow the topic too. This is another great way to filter out things you don’t want to see or follow and just focus on the high results areas of your social networking.
Sprouter is just getting started, but I would expect to see more activity as the word spreads and the social network builds momentum and power. To get started early-adapter style, visit http://sprouter.com/signup today and complete their sign up form. To follow my hashtags, check out http://sprouter.com/searchmarketing and http://sprouter.com/webmarketing to get started.
And of course, be sure to follow me here: Jason Clegg on Sprouter
Remember to focus on what works and to avoid what just eats up your time.
Also, be sure to check out Stephanie Frasco and her very thorough and very informative guide on how to use Sprouter. Highly recommended!
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I’ll be sure to check out sprouter. Thanks for the tip.
Nice article, I agree with you and have similar lines of thought. Not personally a fan of social medias, too much time to be invested, and like you have been focusing on other aspects of my work such as SEO etc…, but Sprouter felt like a good choice !
@Benoit – Social media is definitely a time-eater, but I have become more convinced lately that it can have a strong ROI if used/managed effectively. I do think targeting specific networks — much like Sprouter.com — is an important point. Since Sprouter focuses more on a highly defined niche group, I do think users can get a lot more out of the interaction on the website between like-minded users. Thanks for your thoughtful comment. –Jason