Over the years, I have spoken with some of my track and field teammates and friends and recently some of my friends in the academia world, and they have been asking the same questions. One that has been consistent across the board is how to be strategic with new technology, and how to really be effective in it? Well, I have to say that it comes down to one simple thing – YOU! The purpose of social media is not necessarily to razzle dazzle you into thinking that you are completely and totally fabulous. Instead, it is a way to show the world who you are as a person – so content is absolutely key in dealing with social media. You may have all of the bells and whistles on your sites to promote yourself, but if you do not have any content – well, you are missing this huge opportunity to really connect with the online community.
Really, it does come down to the person communicating, discussing, sharing, and listening to those online with questions, comments, and concerns that wish to talk about. Brian Solis and JESS3 recently created a very insightful diagram showing the behaviorgraphics of social media users. From conversationalists to researchers to commentors – these people are giving back to the online community with their knowledge, experience, and opinions on how they think social media is changing and evolving. In many ways, what we are seeing today is a new revolution for social media users in being responsible with their actions and giving back – because since there is so much noise out there online and new social media experts popping out of the woodwork all of the time, it is hard to determine who to listen and who not to. In other words, we are seeing individuals who are successful in social media practicing almost like how corporations practice corporate social responsibility. So, what we are seeing right now is social media responsibility (SMR) – people want to listen and engage with others that are willing to share their knowledge and experiences freely, have a conversation with them, provides them with good content and information, and overall is a good person to interact with. All of these things need to be taken into consideration for public relations professionals to best operate with social media.
On a personal note, I have tried to do this throughout the last 15 years being actively engaged online with my website, blog, and social media presence. During my time as a track and field athlete, I wanted to share my experiences and lessons learned during my recruiting trips, college meets, and negotiations on various items with other athletes going through the same thing. I noticed that when I was an athlete, there definitely was some information for certain athletes, but not others – which was not right. What I tried to do was present what I was doing during my times in high school and college for others to get an insight into what it was like to be a college track and field athlete. My recruiting diaries from Dyestat are still up as a resource on their website, 10 years later. 🙂 Since I have retired from track and field now for four years, I have shifted gears and focused about sharing information and writing about my experiences at various conferences around the US and world, my research in crisis and social media, and discuss topics of interest in relations to social media. We are all students of life, and we need to pass along what we know to others and share our experiences and insights – that is one of the reasons why I enjoy teaching so much – it is very rewarding! 🙂
In summary, to be successful in social media, you have to take the stance that content and presence are absolutely key, but a willingness to share your insights and perspectives openly on the online forum will help manage your online presence and reputation.
Hope you all are having a wonderful day.
Best Wishes,
Karen
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