What is a Social Media Linchpin? I don’t know. I was thinking about a number of things about social media.

1. The number of so-called experts running around “training” people in social media.
2. The idea of follower counts.
3. The concept of Fan.
4. Seth Godin’s Linchpin book.

When you combine that, the thought becomes that to be good at social media you need to be a linchpin. I know. What?

The idea of Linchpin is around being a vital part of your organization or community. The same way that you would be vital to your PTA or your School Board or your office in the physical world needs to be translated online.

There have been comparisons about how social media is a cocktail party or dating. Those are good analogies, but I am going to take it one step further.

It isn’t about getting thousands of followers. It isn’t about forcing people to be your fan. It isn’t about being a social media guru. It’s about being a Linchpin.

You can do this online – on Twitter or Facebook or LinkedIn or Yahoo/Google groups or a forum – byb being the tribe leader. Start by being the Greeter. When someone new joins a forum or group or listserv, they generally don’t know the rules or etiquette. Say Hi and point them out. It’s a simple way to “meet” everyone.

Lead discussions – on any platform. Ask questions. Reply to questions. Infact, on LinkedIn this is a great way to become an Expert in a Niche. How many Best Answer awards can you get?

Connect people. On LinkedIn Answers, there is a spot to name experts. What a great way to prop someone up, give a referral, and help the person looking for answers. Recommendations on LinkedIn is another great way to give praise. (Gratitude is circular, btw).

Follow Friday (#ff) on Twitter is about telling everyone who you follow and why. It’s a nice shout out.

The Retweet (RT @theirname) on Twitter is another way to pass along useful info or spread the word. I usually will retweet with a comment if there’s room.

Commenting on a blog post; responding to discussions on LinkedIn, Yahoo or Google groups; and the other networks is a great way to start a conversation – to connect with someone. It allows the person who posted to know that someone is listening.

These seem simple enough, but people get caught up in the whole what-the-heck-is-social-media. Granted that each network has its own quirks and it takes time to figure each one out, but after you figure it out, ignore the platform/network/technology and hone in on the concept of being a Linchpin.

You can help organize, connect, lead, create – make Art – by being a Linchpin – online and offline. The point is to remember that it’s the same activity online or offline. Reaching out. Helping out. Conversing. Connecting. Listening. Engaging.

When you become a Linchpin, the followers will come. Everyone wants to connect with an Artist, Genius, Giver.