Home Bases, Outposts, Frontiers, & Communities

A concept has been making it’s way across the internet that describes the use of social media in a bloggers daily routine, that deals with Home Bases, Outposts, and Frontiers.

Darren Rowse of Problogger talks about Home Bases and Outposts on his blog and how he uses social media in his blogging.

“A home base is a place online that you own, that is your online ‘home’. For me my home bases are blogs but for others they will be other types of websites.

Outposts are places that you have an online presence out in other parts of the web that you might not ‘own’.”

Chris Brogan also speaks of Home Bases and Outposts in his blog where he discusses again how he uses it in social media and blogging.

“But another great way to use social networking sites is as an outpost. What do I mean by this? It turns out that people getting to know you on social networks might also find your content for the first time, and/or something you post to those networks might bring you an opportunity that wouldn’t immediately come to you in other ways.”

Kyle Lacy takes it a step further by discussing not only Home Bases and Outposts, but also Frontiers and how they too relate to the concept within social media and blogging.

“My social media definition of frontier: a website or service you have a presence on but rarely go. This is a site where you may have an RSS feed plugging your most-used social networks (Twitter) or your blog.”

I want to take it one step further and discuss with you what is beyond those frontiers.

If you look at Kyle’s picture of his social media model, you’ll start to notice that it resembles what could possibly be a persons house or lifestyle.  The different areas are the different things a person runs through everyday.

So If you look at this chart belonging to an individual person, then it makes sense that there are similar charts being used by others that help to build your “Communities“.

As individuals we often focus on our own branding building.  Of getting ourselves noticed, and forgetting that if we’ll simply visit with these other individuals and build our network within them, (by commenting or linking to them, etc.) we can build our community and help us as individuals be stronger and grow larger.

My favorite saying is the motto of the U.S. “United We Stand, Divided We Fall.”  This can be said for blogging and social media as well as it can be said for so many other things in our lives.

Simply think about what help your fellow bloggers and social media contacts and friends can do to help you and what you can do to help them.  It will make you bigger.  It will make you better.  And you’ll find that you can and will be successful.

What are your thoughts on Home Bases, Outposts, Frontiers, and Communities?