This will be my message to the Triad Women’s Forum tomorrow at the High Point Country Club in High Point, NC.
Early adopters, key influencers and people who “get” all things social media tend to forget that social media is still very new for some and that not everyone wants or needs to be everywhere, simply because they can be.
You can love twitter, and detest Facebook. Maybe you like FriendFeed or Plaxo. Maybe you’re still straddling the fence with leanings to one or another. That’s okay because the choices are yours to make!
There was a woman in the audience at my last speaking engagement who was so freaked out at the sheer number of e-mails she was receiving from LinkedIn, she was at her wits end and ready to give it up. She went on and on about these e-mails and was visibly exasperated.
That may seem extreme but when you don’t really understand how something works but everyone keeps telling you to participate and like it, it can be a little frustrating. Once I was able to convince her that she has control over what kind of information she receives, she was much more open to learning about the benefits of all of the tools.
Consider bringing your social media conversations and jargon down a notch and speak the language of those who still aren’t convinced, or simply don’t know what they’re missing. Use your social media savvy to help others “get it.”
It can be a very satisfying experience.
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February 24, 2009 at 5:09 pm
elidet
I completely agree.
I started on myspace in 2004 and it was just a personal page. When I started seeing legit companies on there, I started networking.
I managed to get invited VIP to movie premiers, clubs and even got sponsored by a company that gave me free clothes.
I managed to launch a music networking website with interviews and giveaways.
I then went on to facebook to keep in touch with friends and with twitter, I tend to network mostly to get tips on marketing, business, and PR.
My website is going to be about marketing B2B now.
As for myspace, I have managed to land marketing for music artists, both up and coming and established.
I currently manage different twitter accounts for clients (I don’t update, just give them an outline of how to use twitter and interact).
My myspace “friends” are not the same ones as twitter and vice versa.
February 25, 2009 at 12:15 am
Angela Connor
Elidet Wow, you’ve got great stories of success on numerous platforms. You are truly a testament to what I’m talking about. You seem to have a clear understanding of what each platform gives you personally (and your clients) and you work the right angles. Thanks for sharing.
February 25, 2009 at 4:57 am
Julius
Angela,
you are very correct on the power of users to control what’s coming.
As for Linkedin I do have a personal view since I am what is called a “power”user.
I think community management and users share commitment at a 50/50 level.
Users have to be active in deciding what amount of information they want and filter it appropriately. On the other hand, there should be a for of commitment from the community to actually monitor what is going on, lead or empower others to do so.
Linkedin does not make its bit. They do not care about what users are saying (a big waive of protest is now taking arguments straight to investors), they do not empower members to manage groups appropriately (you can just delete discussions or make them featured, or ban people) and do not control what is going on with Q&As.
I think there should be a larger commitment on both sides, although the major difference is that the average user does not make a profit.
Thanks for the post, I am a big fan.
Julius
February 26, 2009 at 8:56 pm
Angela Connor
Julius I wasn’t aware of the LinkedIn protest, and I honestly didn’t know that people wanted “more” from LinkedIn. I do enjoy the Q&A feature but I’ve never really liked their “groups” set up. As far as a 50/50 commitment level, in many online communities that’s never going to happen. I just wrote in a chapter of my book that community managers have to give more than they expect to get from the community. But i see your point as well. Is LinkedIn looking to hire someone to “engage” and “empower?” I’d be curious to know that. Thanks for reading my blog. Didn’t know I had any “fans.” LOL!
February 27, 2009 at 3:50 am
Julius
Angela,
well you end up having fans when you write great content.
I agree that 50:50 commitment is never gonna happen in most communities, but Linkedin has now over 35+Million users and I guess it is right about time they engage more.
I prefer more Discussions in groups over Q&A as they are more relevant and if you are lucky you end up having a little moderation by the stressed Group Manager.
Cheers
Julius
October 3, 2009 at 11:25 am
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