Social Media – Not So Mysterious

Everything I learned about social media, I learned from a mouse

If you’re thinking about dabbling in social media, or jumping feet first into the frenzy, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is — there’s a ton of “how to” information available at your fingertips. The bad news is – there’s a ton of “how to” information available at your fingertips. A ton. Thankfully, most of it is quite helpful. There’s just so much of it to sift through. Who has the time?

At the end of 2008, when I left the corporate world and entered the land of freelance, I knew I had to make the time to learn everything I could about social media. After all, I had become my own boss and had to generate leads. I needed to find the quickest and most cost-effective way to connect with businesses that could benefit from my services.

It didn’t take long
Within a few days, I had a business page on Facebook, a Twitter account @writetolive, and I spruced up my LinkedIn profile. In the three years that I’ve been ingrained in the virtual world, I’ve become a huge proponent of social media. Why? Because I’ve felt the impact of connecting with colleagues and peers I never would have met otherwise. The bottom line – social media represents a whole new world of possibilities and outreach that I could never achieve on my own … ever.

As an early adopter of social media, I learned a lot by reading everything I could find on the subject. Admittedly, I’m a little geeky like that. But, I learned most of what I know by doing. I realized very quickly that to receive the full benefit of SM, I had to commit to using it. But, not everyone has that kind of time or level of interest. If that sounds like you, rest easy. Parthenon can help.

The important thing is to not miss out on the global reach of social media’s long arms. If it still sounds a little scary, stay with me … I’ve listed a few observations I’ve made along the way that may help demystify this new marketing medium.

It’s really just a big neighborhood – minus the yappy dog

#1: The Twilight Zone effect. Put simply, social media is a virtual world. The same diversities, differences, biases, and goodness that exist in our “real” communities exist online. Though you’re not actually rubbing shoulders with the people you’re connecting with, the golden rule still applies: treat your virtual friends the way you would like to be treated.

#2: Monkey see. Monkey don’t. One of the downsides to learning by doing is the tendency to watch others and mimic their form. Unfortunately, that’s not always a good plan unless you take notes on what not to do. However, observing is an excellent way to see what works and what doesn’t. If a particular approach in a post or tweet makes you feel iffy – too pushy, sarcastic, self-serving, preachy – someone’s missing the mark. If you copy their style, so will you.

#3: The Let’s Make a Deal syndrome. In the early days, a lot of people viewed social media purely as free marketing, and they shamelessly took advantage of followers by pitching and plugging their services with every post and tweet. Ever go to a meeting where one person does all the talking, and they only talk about themselves? Makes me crazy. The true value in SM comes from building relationships – same as in the real world.

#4: It’s not business. It’s personal. Connecting with followers is not a gimme – it takes time and effort, so it’s most effective if you let your light shine; it’s ok to let your personality come through your messages. That’s not to say you should be the king or queen of one-liners, or the gloomy glass-is-half-empty doomsayer – but do let folks see that you’re real. A little levity and humanity can have a very long arm.

#5: Like nails on a chalkboard. It’s important to consistently post or tweet, but here’s a tip: Have something relevant to say. If I’m following 500 people, trust me, I’m not particularly interested that you just had your morning coffee – unless something funny or poignant happened as you drank it. Folks who tweet, post, or comment every 2 minutes just to show that they’re active become a distraction rather than an attraction. The point of social media is to engage, not annoy. It’s too easy to unfollow, defriend or unlike someone who “talks” too much – keep it simple and make it count.

Even though the concept is actually pretty simple, social media has as many layers as an onion. If you’d like to take a deeper dive but aren’t sure how to navigate the waters, let us know. We’d be happy to show you around!