Since Twitter is the current social media darling, I thought I’d record a few thoughts I’ve had about one of my favorite online tools. I’ve had the privilege of using Twitter for two years, and each and every person I’ve followed or had follow me along the way has taught me something new. So here we go.
Twitter is…
a place for friends
a news outlet
a place to share your greatest failures & your most stunning achievements
an attention getter
a publishing platform
a customer service tool
a researcher’s dream
vulgar
the ace up your sleeve
brilliant
a new entertainment channel
a social network
a micro-blogging platform
a marketing tool
your community
overwhelming
24x7x365 (always on)
a level playing field for your ideas
a sounding board for your thoughts
a comment reel for your new book
your starting place for your online excursions
the place for your organization to learn about it’s customers
a multicasting instant messenger
a game changer
a PR tool
a messaging infrastructure
a simple way to share & trade information
can be inane
is faster to publish to than anything else
is where you go to learn
your online “water coolerâ€
a conduit into the lives of others
a conduit into the idea stream of smart people
I’ve got a lot more input on what Twitter is than I could fit in this post, so I’ll work on fitting that into another format of some type. What is Twitter to you? I mean, what has Twitter brought to your life that you can’t believe you lived without before you discovered it?
I’ve been wondering, has social media done anything really special for you?
Has it brought in more readers?
Has it increased your earnings?
Has it simplified your life?
Has it generated more sales leads?
Has it improved your customer service rating?
Has it save you more time?
Those are the questions I (and others) have about social media. The intangibles indicate yes on multiple fronts. The trick is how to measure that, and it’s different for everybody and every business.
Of course it’s worth the effort, but for you and your organization to succeed in your work, accurate metrics are needed. What have you found that works for you?
Sorry, but that’s the truth. If you’re afraid of sharing your opinion and letting the online world catalog and categorize you, then you’ve already lost the edge. The realities of future (read: today) is that you need to be an active part of your industry or genre, or you lose out. Want that corner office? Then get out there and prove to folks that you’re the person for it.
To be an active participant and be considered for advancement as we move into the future, folks are going to be looking to find out about you. If they perform several searches online for you and find nothing… well, what does that speak of your accomplishments? Yes, references and a call to previous employers is important, and prudent. However, if folks just can’t find out about you outside of work, or what your passions are, or what your opinions are – it does allow them to form an opinion about you.
So you’ve drained all your energy on social media and don’t know what direction to go next? Don’t fear my hard workin’ friend! The next step is closer than that notebook you’re drooling on. Come on! Wake up! You’re makin’ us look bad.
I know you’ve been trying to take it to the next level and figure out how to break into the blogging stratosphere alongside the Brogan’s and Scoble’s of the world. Of course, the reality is that getting to that level is through a LOT of hard work. A never-ending job of reading, learning, tweeting, researching, writing, blogging, writing, and (hopefully) consulting. All to become really good at what you do. As any expert, and they’ll describe the same type of thing. Long hours, following their passion on a topic that they want to share as much as learn about.
So you’ve been writing about social media, talking & tweeting with the rest of the flock about social media. What’s the next step for you to make your mark?
Find something else to talk about.
Seriously, I’m not trying to be a smartass about this. You stumbled upon (heh, get it 😉 ) social media and something clicked, but you came from doing something else. I’m not saying there isn’t space to explore social media as a career. What I am saying is that its nothing more than a set of tools to better communicate. You need to use these tools to better interact with folks either in your industry or the genre that fits your passions.
Social Media allows you to listen to customers better and faster.
Social Media allows you to start, and join in conversations with customers.
Social Media can be a new teambuilding tool.
Social Media are tools of change for those looking to affect change.
So if you still have dreams of being a blogging superstar, make sure that you find your niche and get started sharing your knowledge. That’s one of the values of social media – sharing what you know in a way that helps other folks, but also brings more folks to your doorstep.
Good luck my friend, and don’t let the keyboard leave marks on your forehead!
Hi there, it’s time again for the next SMBMSP event here in the Twin Cities – our 11th event if you can believe it!
We’ll be talking about social media and how it can be used in job search. This is a hot topic during our current economic situation, and I’m sure there are a number of people who will benefit from the discussion.
We’ll have Paul DeBettignies (@MNHeadhunter) to talk about these things from a recruiter’s point of view. Other folks with great ideas for using social media for job search are welcome to stand up and share them with the group.
We’ll also look at brainstorming ideas for our fellow SMBers and invite you to share job leads on our Forum here on our Ning site.
We’re working on sponsors, but currently this event may be BYOB. We’ll keep you posted on that from the smbmsp.ning.com site, so you may want to check in there once or twice. Or follow us on Twitter (@smbmsp) for updates.
So join us in taking our understanding of social media and applying it back to our own community for job search.
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