Thursday
Oct302008
It's not about the tools it's still about content
Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 8:25AM
There are now legions of social media evangelists marching all over the globe preaching the message and sending out link after link on Twitter daily. Some of these links are valuable and through them I have found services and things I needed without having to dig. But, and it's a big but, with all this chatter on twitter, facebook, and the myriad other ways being invented every other day of communicating quickly on line, are we really communicating?
If I go on twitter and say "Hey ho I'm depressed today I lost a contract" for example, that's a thought and I've put it out there into the twittisphere.
Who is likely to respond to this? The people I want to care? or someone on-line in amongst my followers who feels they must offer some kind of abbreviated response in 140 characters like: "chin up chum and get slaughtered". Now I could get this type of vegetative comment from any number of barmen or pizza flippers on any street, in any town.
So what do I want when I go on twitter, like minded souls who might tell me of a contract that I could pitch for? Maybe, but unlikely. I'm more likely to get some rabid political zealots who once again hammer home who I should vote for in the election. Or someone telling me in strings of jargon what applications I simply must use, or an incoherent group of blog links most of which have nothing to do with me, my work, or my lifetime ambitions.
Social media is a great way to get your message out to a wide audience quickly. A new blogpost, an amazing find, a thought for the day, an event, but it should never replace the deep human need to to communicate with others in a way that satisfies that deep human need to listen and be listened to. So don't sprout tech jargon, that's what computers specialise in.
It is only a tool, just as your cell phone and laptop are and can never replace face to face and the contact of a handshake. It is but a prelude to this, or an information source and virtual network.
My last thought? Put something edifying into the twittersphere.
The Somesso conference begins 31st October, follow it to see what industry insiders are saying.
Donna Jackson
Social Communications Specialist
www.wisequeen.com
Reader Comments (13)
I think the use of these forms of social media (Twitter, Facebook) depends on what your "brand" is--for those of us with personal blogs, even semi-personal blogs, a part of the brand is our personalities...so I think by exposing more of our personalities in social media, this can offer a subtle way to increase traffic as opposed to here's a link to today's post (although I think those are a good idea as well in moderation).
For me personally, though, I prefer using StumbleUpon, commenting on other blogs, participation in blog events, etc., for more direct traffic driving, but I use Twitter and FB primarily for personal connections--something that can be difficult to find as an expat freelance writer in a foreign country. To me, my tweeps and friends on FB (many of whom are friends in real life, if not on this continent) are the equivalent of co-workers, and if that helps drive traffic to my blog, that's cool, but it's really not my goal.
Dear Michelle. Thanks for your comment, you raise excellent points about using social media tools and personality being part of personal brand. The expat connections part of both Twitter and FB, make up an interesting and sizable part of the twitter tapestry. Connecting across continents was no doubt in the vision of the founders of Twitter and FB and I'm sure they are as pleased about that as we are. Twitter on.
Tweet tweet :)
I really enjoy using some social media. I like FB because it connects me to my family members (especially cousins) that have become rather far flung. And I also agree that, used in proper moderation, they can be valuable to both brand-makers and brand-users.
Thanks Miranda, enjoy getting your financial tweets always thought provoking.
Hi, I like your words - wise queen indeed. I agree: use Twitter to say something substantial. For your interest: I found this blog after you followed me on Twitter...And another thing, I like the way you comment on people's comments - I think I will try that too...
Thanks Elizabeth for following glad you found the post useful. No one who visits here and comments goes unnoticed.
Like Michelle, I love using Twitter as an expat in a foreign country working at home (in my case, as a translator). My twitter friends are a small group of people who are doing very similar things with their lives, so not only do I find like-minded souls, but I also get "virtual co-workers" since we're all usually twittering while working ;-).
Also, it's a great way to stay connected to Italy which is my first and foremost love. I'll go back there someday but my twitter friends (most of them in Italy) make feel like I"m there now. :-)
Ah! And it has also served as a networking tool more than once!
Great post!
Great post. I'm just getting started with Twitter, but already I can see some of the things you've talked about. One of the things I do like about it though, is some of the informal chatter that goes on. If my favorite blogger says she's making her favorite cookies, that isn't really news, but after following her for a few weeks I get more glimpses into her personality. I think twitter works best though when it opens up a conversation and you get to quickly here what people are thinking about. This can be great when researching a post. "What do you guys think of X" can often give you insights/angles you hadn't thought of before.
Thanks for posting this topic, Donna. I can relate to yours and the other comments above, especially Christine's. "...(with) the informal chatter...I get more glimpses into (a networker's) personality."
In adding to this thread, I'll chime in with my thoughts that, in addition to being about (context-relevant) content, social networking is also about relationships. I think that's why I actually like reading the tweets about the little things in people's lives. (Within reason, of course.) It's like the personal chatter and small talk that goes on at live networking events.
By the way, there's a great little 2-minute clip of Seth Godin I can share that you all might be interested in. It shows him responding to a question about the value of social networks. I've included the link below. (It's short, about 2 minutes, well worth the time investment.)
http://www.openforum.com/marketing/video_socialgood.html
Great blog. I've subscribed and will visit again. :-)
Tina Christine and Mel thanks for visiting and sharing your thoughts. great great Seth Godin video.
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