SocialMediaRamble

SocialMediaRamble has written quite often about the in-person, “social” aspects of social media, and how the offline vs. the online elements seem to be, so very often, NOT seamless.

Very recently, I was at an event that the evening’s host/founder plodded me into attending, through the usual online, Social Media channels. I agreed eventually to attend.

When I arrived, let’s just say that the execution of one side did NOT match the other. And, like other parts of any Social Media strategy, these things need to be thought through clearly, then implemented accordingly.

Upon arriving at this event, I found the host, who in the midst of small talk, made a joke berating nearly half the people in attendance…which included myself. All of a sudden, the effort made to get there, being in a room of people I didn’t know, and the realization that this person didn’t value the group they themselves had assembled…made me want to leave. Right then.

So, the theme of the event, the outreach for me to attend, the barbed remarks that were supposed to be “funny”, the standing of this person in their community…did not make sense at all. There was no match.

Make sure you have the consistency, and execute, by thinking Online vs. Offline: Are They Working Together? 

Not your usual title to a Blog post, true. And yes, it has direct allusions to a famous utterance from a certain ex-US Prez, as well.

But, as I am looking more & more at the ways that Social Media are being used [at least among the various crowds in Media, Wine & Music that I am exposed to], it is pretty clear, to me anyway, that ‘Social’ is really coming to have TWO different meanings. And uses.

And all of that is fine…as long as we realize it as so…and call it for what it is.

There is a distinct set of people who are using Social Media pretty much only for Branding, or “image” purposes. So, with them, you’ll get a lot of cheery, or very focused sets of topics on which they offer comment or contribute to. It’s nearly clinical, which again, is fine.

On the other hand, are people that ARE truly being “social” with their online dialogue; offering comments on various points of view, even [gasp!] ranting on occasion. Taking chances, reaching out, engaging you or I, being…social.

Now, there is a fine line between a rant, a whiner and a truly negative person. But the ones always playing it safe, never offering any insight into who they are as a person, apparently wary of what any Search engine may find on them 9 years from now? Dry, boring, one-dimensional. Starts getting old after a while. 

So yes, those folks have a “social” element…but are not truly being “social” in what is probably the more real sense of the word. And while I value the connection/interaction that I have online with many of those people, many of them really are starting to appear…BORING.

And that is, in my book, truly UN-social. No matter what way you mean the word. 

In even writing the post of several days ago, entitled ‘Social Media Sexism…Sadly Surely So’, I was of course being sexist in an outright sense myself…just by writing it.

Why, you ask?

Well for one reason, I only took into account my perspective, as a man. Probably far more serious on a ‘real’ level, might be how some of the same women mentioned, have to deal with their own concerns.

What concerns?

Well, they would know far better than I, but ones I would imagine for starters have to do with their own, actual security. “Geo-based” products, like a FourSquare, or a Gowalla, unless using some kind of ‘delay’ process [i.e. they check you in, but do so 30 min’s after you’ve actually left], is problematic, and likely a big no-no. 

Also, in reverse of myself [worried about constant Spam/porn/hacker sites], they have to look out for actual people in the real world. So I’m certain they also have no choice, but to look closely at who sends requests to THEM, as well. 

Thus, yet another dilemna; you want to widen your circle, add to your visibility…yet not to the wrong people. 

I don’t pretend to have the answers on any of these items, as obviously I like everyone wrestles with these very issues. And, like with spies, telemarketers and credit card mailers, every time a solution arises, a way around it also seems to be created. 

But the dialogue starts [here maybe, as elsewhere], and recognizing this as an issue is better than not, as denial or the ignoring thereof lead nowhere.

In my first post along these lines, I discussed the the exponential element of Social Media online, and how it complements [almost in an ‘Inversion’] the much-smaller scale, human element of in-person Networking.  See that post again > here.

But Social Media also casts a wide net in a very different way. The exponential part allows you to “find” people of like tastes, skills, interests across broad boundaries and geographies…then ‘connect’ with them directly. People you almost certainly would have never found otherwise. In other words, this huge pool of people, can essentially be sifted through by all of us, to find just the people we are looking for, and engage with them.

Recently, I have been seeing this myself, in my own life. People who have seen my Blog on MediaSales contact me weekly about all sorts of oppty’s, advice, programs, etc. CEO’s, CMO’s, CRO’s of companies get in touch all the time now, just as I find others relevant to me in my Job search, Sales interests, etc…also including CEO’s, CMO’s and CRO’s!

This ‘One-to-Large’/’Large-to-One’ phenomenon has put me in touch with people important to me, as they have been in touch with me in return. Same thing on a personal level with Music interests, Wine collectors, et al.

It’s not that this hasn’t, or couldn’t, have been done before. But is the scale, ease & facility with which it now happens, that I think is a to-be-more-recognized aspect of Social Media, in the very near future. What do YOU think? 

While having attended many Networking events recently [some of which I have spoken at], the separation between Social Media users & non-users is profound.

From the graph posted separately on Posterous, the embrace [or not] by users, is really less a factor of age, gender or even chocolate consumption. It simply comes down to those that use SM, or don’t. You either “Do”, or “Have No Clue.” For the latter, I will point out there is a split among this group, with only one being perhaps derogatory.

This was never more clear, that at a Job Club event that I spoke at today, with an associate of mine. Many club members were 40+, accomplished, yet [like myself] also out of work. Most of them, however, had little SM exposure.

And yet, explaining to them that the truly critical nature of them knowing & using SM tools was by now a foregone conclusion to their potential in their next position, was enlightening. They agreed, that sometime in the last 9 months, a light switch “flipped”, and not only was SM being used…but you were expected to also already be a user.

More, I also explained that SM tools were about to, or in fact already, becoming pervasive in every facet of corporate life: Cust Svc, HR, Adv/Mktg, etc. So not knowing the tools, puts you behind in the game.

But for these folks, the “Have No Clue” part was more about pure lack of exposure. We started down the road of fixing THAT problem today.

As for those that “Have No Clue” because they are either oblivious, or just don’t care…those are the ones that are in real trouble. Meanwhile, for all of us, there is much to learn. Thanks for reading!

When the economy wound down in 2009, the Social Media onslaught had already begun. With it, the skillset[s] needed to compete abuptly, though silently really, changed instantly.

And yet…I am confronted daily with the huge disparity in those who use Social Media…and those who don’t. I have heard stat’s that up to 60% of people don’t really know what Twitter is yet, let alone ‘get it.’