It’s been about a year that i’ve been using social media on a consistent basis, and i’ve certainly had my moments – That said my interactions have been overall positive.  However today I briefly wanted to jot down down some of my thoughts that most people don’t like talking about.  If you’re new or “one dimensional” please keep an open mind…

  • Connecting: Social media isn’t the  connector we think it is.  Meaningless relationships on many social networking sites hold no value when translated into the real world.  Look for people who you’d like to meet in person, and who are genuinely interested in your stuff.
  • Volumes: Just like most business is about reaching the masses so is social media.  If you want to make it, target the masses.
  • Value: Twitter (in particular) fries your brain, I feel the more you tweet the more you lose your concentration.  Stick to about 5-10  value tweets a day, blog more if you want to participate positively and contribute value to the overall eco-sytsem.
  • User Base: If you’re looking to build your brand / name using social media  attract the normals, as opposed to the digital early adopters (or) influentials.
  • Men Behind The Curtain: Lot of social media is rigged by the men behind the curtain.  Just today i logged into an old Twitter account of mine and i was following people i had never seen before.  Guess what, they were all  verified Twitter accounts…
  • Noise: Who needs more than 10,000 followers?  I’d say who needs more than 1,000.
  • Information: Interesting information is the key to success.  Draw your fans in by posting informative content.  Not regurgitating other peoples stuff.
  • Sharing vs Over-Sharing: Don’t over-share, strike a healthy balance between your friends and your stuff.
  • Numbers / Metrics: It’s not about the  numbers, you’re setting yourself up for the trap if you think that’s what social media is all about.
  • Monetization: I’ve thought alot about this. We all like to share, but there comes a point when you think to yourself  ”Am i making any money spending so much time here?”  If you are, great!  If you aren’t try learning a new skill or building something awesome instead.
  • Ego: How much butt do i have to kiss to get noticed?  Alot, and what you have to ask yourself is “Is it worth it?”  If it is great!
  • How to get noticed quickly: Try getting to content before others (or) share strong opinions on your blog (and) bash news content for more visibility (also known as negative publicity).

Sometimes taking a different perspective can add a new dimension to you as an individual.   That’s what social media should be about, new dimensions, different perspectives and the willingness to embrace multiple strategies.

Source: Fluid New Media