I’ve finally figured out the secret. I know now how everyone can end up a Social Media superstar. Are you ready?
Use YOUR brain.
I think that because some people have made such big names for themselves in this space, the temptation is to say, “Well, I’m going to do what they say worked for them, exactly how they did it, because it clearly *did* work for them.” There’s nothing wrong with leaders in this space offering that advice. There’s nothing wrong with reading it and even absorbing it. But you can’t just take it at face value, and I worry that a lot of people are. I am concerned that people read posts as if they were accepting a success-shaped cookie cutter. Social Media is not so simple. There cannot be only one way to do things. Social Media is powered by people, and what do you know about people? We’re all so remarkably different. Our goals are different. Our personalities are different. Our approaches are different. Our companies are different.
Here are some questions that I ask myself when I read a post by someone I admire in this field. These questions help me customize the primary nugget of advice for my own purposes.
1. Does this person’s goal set resemble mine in any way? They are expressing what has helped them achieve their goals, so that’s important. If they have very different goals, I analyze what they are saying and see if I can use the knowledge there to reach my own goals.
2. How long has this person been in this space? They may be pulling on experiences from 2-3 years ago. Twitter and the Blogosphere, from what I understand, have evolved a great deal in that time. What can I use given my own experience in this space?
3. What is the main point this person is trying to make? Do I agree with that? If I do, then the mechanics don’t really matter. I have a prize that I’m shooting for. If I don’t, then I can analyze the mechanics and see if there is something there I could learn from anyway.
If you choose any leader in Social Media, and you look at his or her story, you will see that they approached the huge canvas of Social Media, chose a corner, and painted whatever they wanted to. Then they got really good at it, and then they started to tell the rest of the canvas about it. The key is not to learn how they approach any one facet of what they do. The key is to look at the big picture. How did they find the success that equates to the success you want to have?
Use YOUR brain. Don’t try to be “the next so and so.” They’ve already done that. Take what they have learned and what others have learned, apply it to your own unique situation, and become the very first YOU. If that is your goal, then nothing else matters. Until that is your goal, you will be driving yourself crazy because everything will matter. It really is all about you…in the best way possible.
Image by Paul Brunskill. http://www.sxc.hu/profile/bigdodaddy
Amen.
First of all, thanks to Stanford for pushing this out. I was at an all day marketing conference yesterday. http://www.getcontagious.com. Pretty powerful group of speakers speaking on a wide range of marketing ideas.
The one common theme was overall brand honesty and being true to your ideals. I think this dovetails nicely with what you are saying Margie.
We need to believe in our own place in this new world order. The days of blindly following leaders without contributing your own $0.02 is fading fast.
Be well and thanks for sharing.
Ben
Well thanks, Ben. Yes, I don’t think there’s ANYTHING wrong with learning from people who have traveled the path before you already. But that doesn’t mean you need to wear the same clothes, hold your walking stick in the same way, etc. You might not even be going to the same place. Take what you can learn and mold it into what your goal set is.
Or at least that’s what I think 🙂
Brava! There are so many smart people doing cool stuff, there isn’t a cookie cutter and the people that play it safe are the ones I wouldn’t want to observe. Observation is what I do, and I aggregate my own data by doing that. I study people and interactions but don’t really dig for background. I judge based on action not words. There are plenty of people saying but moat important to me is what they are doing.
I recently chatted with a few friends in separate circumstances and both asked me what I was up to, after they picked their jaws off the floor they wanted to know why I don’t talk about all the things I am up to, my reply “people are watching me and trying to figure out what I am doing, it is obvious if you really observe, but until I have achieved my goals I prefer to keep them guessing” they didn’t agree but so what. I don’t believe in transparency, I believe in authenticity and being genuine.
The people I admire most I. These spaces are the truly smart, or brilliant, innovators and thinkers who try to find ways to share with others, I would have to include you In that group Margie, and this posts a great example.
I sometimes don’t agree with things I see, but more often keep my thoughts to myself and Maybe i shouldn’t but I don’t really have time to share my observations, or voice my reason for disagreement, so I watch and I make notes and I continue on my course with adjustments as I see fit.
Today I targeted and refined my plan. One step closer and because there are so many smart people sharing I can make my own path by taking wonderful lessons from them all.
For the smart people, like you, I am extremely grateful. I will never be a follower. I prefer to innovate if I can. I am glad I have a brain that is always going.
Great read as always Margie!
Thanks so much, Maya.
I think you are a CLASSIC example of this. The Social Media leaders are not talking at all about real estate. Their goals have nothing to do with selling houses, getting people new homes. But you have taken that knowledge, customized it for your own purposes, and done quite quite well for yourself 🙂
As for me being an innovator, we shall see. It’s early yet. I’m only 7 months old 🙂 But thank you!
I like the way you present SM engagement path in a social system perspective, powered by unique individuals with different motives, opinions and unique newtwork of friends or peers they interact with.
IMHO, your best advice lies is in those lines : “Use YOUR brain. Don’t try to be “the next so and so.”
“The key is to look at the big picture. How did (…) others (…) find the success that equates to the success you want to have? Take what others have learned, apply it to your own unique situation, and become the very first YOU.”
It makes so much sense when you think like a strategic marketer.
My interpretation of your message brings me to the basics of strategic marketing :
Analyse your environment, identify grounds where you can bring value, target people that will be your advocates/supporters on this ground, position yourself with unique value content, and Engage accordingly to your strategic choices.
Thanks for sharing your thinking on this very interesting topic 🙂
Stephane
You hit the nail on the head, Stephane. And darn you, you said it better than I did! hhee 🙂 Thank you very much for stopping by.
Analysis of environment is 100% key, in my opinion, for any facet of marketing, and that includes Social Media. I think it’s a step that a lot of people feel they can do on the fly, but I am not so sure.