Avoiding Social Media Burnout
October 4, 2010 by Copy Bunny
Filed under Featured, Keeping Carrots On The Table
My last few posts have dealt with engaging in Social Media. At first, it’s fun and exciting, then I began to notice it was becoming a bit of an afterthought rather than a priority.
So what happened? What was it that caused me to take my eyes off the prize?
After some thought and attention to how I was approaching the various forms of Social Media, I had an aha moment. Some clarity was gained in why it wasn’t as fulfilling or productive…
I was losing sight of the fact that we need to make REAL connections!
Think of the Social Media process as a phone conversation…
Would you rather get on the phone to make cold calls or to have a conversation with someone who you enjoy speaking to? (okay, that was a no-brainer question but you get the point)
The typical individual – myself included – sits down in front of the computer screen and amasses quantities of “friends” – otherwise known as “unknown entities with no distinguishable resonating features”. We’re merely after the sheer volume of numbers.
Once again, that works well for a while, but then the thrill of acquisition begins to pale and we lose enthusiasm. You with me so far? …good.
Let’s switch up the situation just a bit.
Each morning we sit down in front of our computers and actually CONNECT with individuals. These are people with whom we share interests, perspectives or even recipes. We get to know them through affiliations, comments and responses.
And best of all, WE LIKE TALKING TO THEM! Big difference, and one which makes the effort of Social Media quite worthwhile.
That’s not to say that we need to spend an inordinate amount of time aimlessly chatting. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Approach your goal each day with clarity. It could be that on Mondays and Wednesdays, you take time to seek out new connections. But on Tuesdays and Thursdays, you take time to chat, leave comments on discussion boards, or send friendly emails.
Have fun with Social Media – rather than approach it as a chore. The best way to do that is to enjoy the connections, and create real, lasting friendships or business affiliations.
When “work” is fun, then it’s no longer work!
Hoppily,
CB
Lee Gilliss on Tue, 5th Oct 2010 5:52 am
I couldn’t agree with you more, CB. For the longest time, I was trying to add as many friends to my “list” as I could on a popular business social networking site. In fact, I was in an unofficial race with a colleague who was also trying to build up his list numbers.
All I got was a large number of strangers with whom I had no real connection. Only a very small fraction were really interested in exploring any real kind of business venture with me.
So I agree that quality must always take precedence over quantity. What good does it do to have 25,000 people on your list if you’re not going to work with them? Besides, where would you find the time to interact with more than a small percentage of those contacts?
The best thing to do is be a bit more discerning with the people you hook up with. There are only so many hours in the day. Why not use that time constructively by picking and choosing those contacts whose interests complement your own, and working with them to achieve mutually beneficial (not to mention profitable)goals?
Copy Bunny on Tue, 5th Oct 2010 6:24 am
Thanks for sharing your own experiences with it, Lee. I’d love to hear from a few others who have gone the “numbers” route, building up their lists – and then utilizing them for business purposes.
I can see how it would work for promotions such as a book launch, or introducing new products. But for someone whose business depends on making the very real connection with a few key people (or potential clients), then that may change the game a bit.
AV-Lution on Wed, 5th Jan 2011 7:42 am
I guess I’m one of those people, we started social media up with a real intention of making solid business connections really quickly and wanted to make money out of it. And, while we made plenty of ‘friends’ it didn’t convert. There is on short-cut, it’s about making social media part of your daily routine and enjoying it – then you can make friends (note: no inverted commas) that actually trust you and want to do business with you, maybe…
AV-Lution on Wed, 5th Jan 2011 7:43 am
ps…yes, you’re right, social media can be ideal for one off promotions, basically an extended PR campaign.
Thanks for the post
Copy Bunny on Wed, 5th Jan 2011 4:57 pm
Hey AV – have enjoyed your comments. So tell me…are you an aspiring copywriter, or an entrepreneur who’s searching out various sites? There’s no right/wrong answer.
(All biz owners should have some understanding of copywriting/SEO)
AV-Lution on Fri, 7th Jan 2011 6:31 am
Hi – I’m not a copywriter, by any stretch, but I have recently taken on the services of one for my own website and was interested in finding out more about the world of digital marketing (where I think copy has an important role to play). it seems, and I could be wrong, that whether you are writing a long article, or posting comments onto Facebook, content always has to add value. It’s no longer good enough to just be there…
What do you think?
Thanks for responding BTW
Copy Bunny on Sat, 8th Jan 2011 1:30 pm
Well AV, if the content doesn’t deliver value, then no one’s going to pay attention. Think of it as going to a large party, and determining who you want to speak to.
Every single person prefers to engage in conversation which is valuable to them…or eventually gnaw off an arm trying to escape mindless chatter involving someone’s most recent surgery.
The online rules are changing, and mostly for the better. Recommendation: Read Trust Agents by Chris Brogran. It’s an excellent resource for anyone in biz, especially online.
AVLution on Wed, 12th Jan 2011 1:24 am
I’ll check that out, thanks. I know in the industry I work in social media is becoming more and more popular, as is digital marketing, effective content, etc, etc…so all of this is useful stuff. Thanks
ps – “escaping mindless chatter” could be your next article…!
Copy Bunny on Fri, 14th Jan 2011 8:02 pm
lol I love that topic! “Escaping mindless chatter” is literally an art form if it’s done in a manner which doesn’t offend…either online or in person. Just this past week, I had to put the brakes on a conversation w/a woman who was thoroughly esconced in her story about how her new washing machine didn’t quite fit into its intended space.