Gambling to gain power
We learned that the easiest way to keeping control of a blog conversation is best done early in the history of the blog, and it is an ongoing process comprised of these elements, which add up to a familiar word:

• Give credit where it is due. Recognize contributors who make good points or provide good information.
• Admit your mistakes. This was a big one. The blogosphere is a social medium, and it isn't a terribly forgiving one. One way to gain influence and power is to admit when you are in error. Believe it or not, this increases your credibility greatly.
• Manage the discussion. This is the frequency of posting section from above.
• Be honest. This is right up there with "admit your mistakes." Admit when you can't answer a question, don't want to answer a question, are uncomfortable answering a question, don't have the information or don't know the information. Again, this is a credibility issue. In social media, self-recognition of inadequacy goes a long way.
• Lead the discussion. This is the second part to the frequency of posting section above.
• Explain everything. You are the SME, but don't expect everyone who reads your blog to be such an expert. Explain jargon even if you're pretty sure your audience understands you. Be authoritative, but explain. Knowledgeable readers will continue reading because of your authority, while less knowledgeable readers will continue because you haven't made them feel stupid.

Summary
This is just a bit of what we learned in our research, and it's an excellent start for companies and individuals wanting to enter the blogosphere, social media in general, or who need to take their conversations back.

You'll notice in the above that suggestions spell out GAMBLE and there's a reason for that. Any venture into social media is full of risk. Follow these steps and you can minimize them with very little effort.

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Joseph Carrabis is CRO and founder of NextStage Evolution and NextStage Global and founder of KnowledgeNH and NH Business Development Network. He is senior research fellow and board advisor for the Society for New Communications Research. Read full bio.