December 20, 2011

ARE YOU SICK OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOO?

can't take any more
Would you attend a session on how to use an air conditioner (or question the ROI)? Stay cool when it’s hot! How about a workshop on five reasons to get a mobile phone? Make calls wherever you are! How about an all day course on how to use email? No more stamps to lick!

We take those things for granted.

Social media has become routine for me (and perhaps you?). It's part of daily business life — like checking email and answering phone calls. And air conditioning (though not in the Canadian winter).

Skeptics

If you're unconvinced about the merits of social media, maybe you’re a late adopter. Think back. How quick were you to
  • get an email address?
  • put your email address on your business card?
  • answer email from your smartphone?
That's fine. Innovation isn't for all. Not everyone wants to explore or risk making mistakes in public. Some people aren't generous.

Social media is the best tool to demonstrate consistent persistent generosity to the world. You can't fake this for long and quitters are easily spotted. When the focus is on sharing for free, does the question of ROI arise?

Converts

If you "get" the benefits of generosity, you just need to use the tools. As with exercise and diet, good habits take time to develop and discipline to maintain.

The real benefits come after mastery. The real opportunities arise after you routinely use tools like LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs, Facebook, YouTube, Meetup and Google Plus. You can then think about what's next now that your clients' expectations have changed.

This Year

This year I wrote about social media extensively because I was doing live presentations on the "why". That was my final attempt to convince the skeptics and congratulate the converts. I've got speaking engagements for the next four months and am not seeking any more.

It's time to move on. I'm not planning any more posts specifically about social media. That's my New Year's Resolution. Let's see if it sticks.

This is the final post of 2011.

The best to you and yours during the holidays.
May your 2012 be swell, swell, swell!

Links

These posts from 2008 and later are related to social media.
  1. How can your clients find you?
  2. How to organize your events like Harvard and IBM
  3. Create your web presence in three easy steps
  4. Why Twitter finally makes sense for your business
  5. Two simple steps to endless referrals
  6. Where’s your Google Profile?
  7. A proven technique to expand your LinkedIn network
  8. How to apply consistent persistent generosity
  9. Measurement matters: Free tools
  10. The easiest way to catch up with social media as the web fades in importance
  11. Picking the best medium for your message
  12. How to hire a social media expert
  13. Make your views public to stand out
  14. LinkedIn’s Jonathan Lister discusses social media
  15. The ROI on social media, reputation and a hungry rabbit
  16. Building trust with social media (video)
  17. Arranging the perfect social media workshop
  18. Signs of the wrong social media expert
  19. Are you a parrot or a pundit?
  20. Building trust with blogging at Word11
  21. How much time does social media take each week?
  22. How many explorers discovered you today?
  23. image courtesy of Martin Walls (UK)
PS If you're not a social media master, the holidays are a great time to catch up.

1 comment:

  1. Yikes!!

    You are my fourth social media leader to get to this point Promod! A bunch of early adopters feel like if they keep going they're going to "jump the shark".

    Look forward to your 2012 thoughts.

    Thanks for sharing, you and these other leaders are my canaries in the coal mine....

    ReplyDelete