Eight Things I Learned From Social Media….And Counting

I lagged in joining social media. Not because I didn’t understand the significance of the platform but because I did not have time to fully explore the benefits and functions. But, as my involvement deepened, so did my general experience, including the lessons I gained. There’s a lot to learn from social media beyond the technicalities on the surface. Beyond knowing how to compile Twitter lists and employ web analytics, social media cannot help but make you better at your craft. As I began this courtship with social media, I encountered what most people encounter in new relationships: life lessons…thus far….

1.     You can say it in 140 characters or less. Think of it as your elevator pitch. Twitter is supposed to be the teaser, the greatest temptation that invites followers to seek more. Don’t give it away on the first date or in the first meeting. Make your audience want more. Technology has afforded us the ability to communicate quicker. There is no longer a need to wait for you to get to the point nor is there a need for the pre-recorded message. We can listen to it in real time or skip your altogether and find everyone who is delivering a message related to the topic we’re researching. Not everyone who is a follower, friend or connection is interested in the specific deliverables that you’re reporting on. And even those that have an interest are not so intrigued that they want to be two pages into their timeline still reading about you. Keep it short and sweet.

Image courtesy of Dreamstime

      2. Let them have pictures. Imagery is powerful. As simple as it sounds, we like pictures, infographics, videos, charts and photographs. It’s easy to imagine the wind whistling through the lazily swaying grass on a midsummer evening but it is much more powerful to see all that we can only imagine. It is, perhaps, why tweets containing pictures are retweeted 35% more. (Why do you think platforms like Instagram and Vine exist? Actually, isn’t that why you’re on them?) Grin and bear it. (Yes, I meant bear, not bare.) Draw it. Graph it. Don’t allow the message to get lost in translation, while keeping in mind that some people don’t want any more words. They’re overwhelmed by language and analyses in their 9-to-5. Show people what you mean without forcing them to imagine what they’re missing.

3.     Sharing is caring. Social media is about sharing. With social media, a platform exists in which one of the largest, most diverse audiences possible can be reached with a single click, submitting a tweet, image or post. That’s the goal. Social media satisfies our intrinsic need to be heard. In a professional capacity, social media has reduced the customer acquisition cost. By creating—and publishing—pages in the social stratosphere, we are instantly relevant to an audience somewhere. (And if we’re shared, we have just become one step closer to the “cool” table.)

4.     Big Brother is watching…That’s the other side of the coin. The natural balance is created in life with the existence of balancing forces. So while sharing has granted subjects a level of relevance and importance, it also creates an element of social responsibility. While the words that are emitted in the digital realm can never be retracted, neither can the ideas, thoughts or concepts. If, by chance, fifteen years---or fifteen minutes—prove your thoughts and actions regressive, the posts are forever retrievable. It’s not just the inappropriate words that we must be concerned with; it’s the one’s that demonstrate that we are not cutting edge, progressive or professionally hip. Big Brother is watching. And he’s not afraid to repost, retweet or remind.
 

5.     The right words go a long way. In the same way that we cherish love letters and genuine apologies, we social media aficionados like well-written messages. Witty. Creative…with some value. Effective messaging is the core of any professional relationship, from doctor-patient to writer-reader. It’s not simply using the right words, it’s placing the right words on the right platform in the right way. Popularity is not merely hinged upon who we know, it also rests on how we say what we do. Learn the slang and norms of the culture to which you’re so cleverly trying to gain acceptance. Understand what’s out. Know what’s in and say it with your chest like you mean it.
 

6.     All you have to do is say “hi.” Have you ever glanced at the profile of a friend or the friend of a friend and seen hundreds or even thousands of friends, followers or connections? Social media has rendered the art of introductions and acquaintance-ship much simpler. In five minutes or less, a stranger or practical stranger can learn what it sometimes takes months or years to evolve to in traditional friendships (e.g. favorite foods, fears, faults, pet peeves). There’s a sense of community in learning that someone with the same name as you, residing thousands of miles away, works at another branch of the same company! Went to the same college! And likes the same television programs! It’s fate---or Facebook. Whatever it is, it just made your world one person wider.

7.     Don’t be ashamed to brag…. In life, as on social media, we tend to attach ourselves to that which we admire, be it people or organizations. We aspire to gain employment with firms that are making great strides in industries of interest and seek official or unofficial mentorship. Social media is about showing your best self---the company photos with the glamorous lighting, catching you at the most fortunate angle from your best side, the awkwardly long, but impressive job title, updates of your latest promotion(!), pictures of your new office, notes on your latest acquisition and company-sponsored trips and “inside” jokes (strangely enough posted to be read by your 550 closest friends). Social media involves a healthy amount of boasting. News spreads fast and it’s the most rapid way to ensure that your audience is aware of how well you your company is faring.
 

8.     ….But know when to scale back. Remember that you want your audience to admire you not obsess. Even worse, you don’t want to exhaust them. As with diet, social media requires everything in moderation.  A systematic scroll of a news feed should not necessarily reveal a new post by you, especially if I scroll hourly. (And I generally do.) In layman’s terms, it’s overkill. In marketing terms, well, it’s overkill. Remember when you were blossoming into adulthood and you spritzed on cologne that smelled so good that you inadvertently doused in it and the person that walked past you nearly died of inhalation of noxious gases? That’s what too-frequent posting does. It is sensory overload and does nothing for your brand. Leave something to the imagination. Make your audience like you, not block you.

….And I’m still learning.