“Self-serving” …verbiage recently used to describe a prominent author (among other achievements). Let’s call him “Ned”. The phrase came from someone who is well schooled in the social media field and has a healthy following and reputation.
Specifically, the phrase was part of a declaration of why the poster of those words had come to the decision to “uncircle” Ned. I too had brought Ned into my circles; the respectful gesture was not returned but I didn’t mind; here was an opportunity to easily keep tabs on all the important things that he had to say and teach me. No longer was Ned lost in the Twitter clutter; he was now a part of small but growing group of my Google+ “adds”!
Well, I was in for a surprise. Every post was me here, me there, look at me. Non-stop. At first, it was entertaining….wow, a look at Ned’s life! Our “relationship” was fruitful albeit one-sided for those initial days on Google+. Then, the post from the SME caused me to evaluate the relationship.
My conclusion? Some sad truth: Ned seems to have missed some important points about social media. Wait a minute. He KNOWS much about Social Media, however, perhaps he no longer feels the need to follow the “rules”.
So here’s a quick refresher course in the unlikely event that Ned would bother to read something from a not-so-well-known but mighty force (uh, that would be me I guess).
• Social Media is not about you.
• Social means “allowing people to meet and interact with others in a friendly way.”
• If you treat social media as if it’s a one way street, it is not social.
• Engaging is perhaps the closest word related to Social Media.
• Posting 24 hours a day every five minutes can be exhausting for us on the receiving end.
You get the idea. And you probably figured out what my next action was. And yes, I certainly could filter via circles, however, I would like to offer the opportunity for others to be heard. There’s new people to meet who aren’t household names and lots of talent to learn from them AND acknowledge. No need to have to skirt around hurdles to discover all that creativity out in cyberspace.
For me, personally, Social Media is about sharing information and joy. And I’m thankful for the new relationships I’ve made because of Social Media.
Here are a couple of simple guidelines I go by, no matter what social platform I’m on. You may or may not agree with me, and that’s perfectly okay.
Here are a couple of simple guidelines I go by, no matter what social platform I’m on. You may or may not agree with me, and that’s perfectly okay.
• Respond to people. I’m a “people person” and I do care about you.
• Reach out and say hello.
• If something is interesting, acknowledge that person via retweets, sharing, etc.
• It’s impossible to see everything, everywhere and much as I’d love to see what you have to say all the time, please don’t expect me to be able to do so. If there’s something you REALLY want me to see, PM or DM me and alert me to it.
• Be kind. No point in making negative or rude comments; it’s not engaging. Friendly debate; now that’s another story…
• No whining. Hello, we’re talking about public forums here. Deal with it on your own or with a few close friends.
• Social Media is not a chore; it’s a part of your lifestyle. So have fun. If something ISN’T fun, you shouldn’t be doing it.
• Be original and authentic. Display your own creativity instead of constantly borrowing someone elses (namely photos) from the internet.
• The use of LOL does not promote conversation; use it sparingly or along with a comment.
• Respect people. Everyone deserves that.
