Social Media Tips For Newbies Yes, Virginia, They Still Exist!

As a communications professional, every week I am faced with someone – a friend, prospect or the person next to me on the bus – who says something or asks a question about Social Media that begs the rhetorical… Why don’t they get it?!

Social Media is not that complicated – really. Sure it’s dynamic, different and constantly evolving, but a basic comprehension – how to use it for personal and business purposes, and WHY it’s important – should not be so difficult. If you or someone you know has ever said, “I don’t get the Twitter” or “What is the pound sign for?” or (my favorite ever) “Everyone can see my photos on Facebook?!” just send ‘em to this post. What follows are some helpful suggestions for accelerated Social Media proficiency:

• Social Media cannot be taught – it must be experienced. I can’t stress this enough – in order to “get” Social Media, you need to first be using it. Case in point: I recently attended a networking event on the topic of Social Media and stalked the presenter online first. Unfortunately, said presenter did not have an active Twitter feed (dormant over two years!), and it seemed to reflect in her very brief speech about the site. Before you conduct a massive Facebook contest for your company or LinkedIn Q&A for a client, start small with your own personal brand. If posting your own content is overwhelming at first, listen and observe – identify folks you admire in the social space and follow them. For Twitter, there are tons of great lists available of folks to follow, and I’m sure Facebook subscriber lists are not far behind. Here is a good starter list for Google+.
• Fake it ‘til you make it. Good advice for many new adventures in life, including Social Media! Pretend it won’t feel too new or difficult and get started. For example, I still don’t fully “get” Google+ and whether it will be an important marketing vehicle for my B2B clients, BUT I have a profile and I am observing others on it, reading up on it and getting smart.
• Relinquish control. When a friend first started tweeting last year, she said “I just don’t know what to say. I don’t want to sound stupid.” You have to take risks, trust the your own voice and unique perspective and let loose sometimes. Try not to overthink it, and the more you contribute to your social platforms, the more comfortable and routine it will become.
• Shun the “we used to do it this way” attitude. If I had a penny for every time a client said, “Well, we used to do it this way,” I’d – well, I’d be able to shop on Gilt Groupe sites more often. Social Media is not interested in the past; Social Media is about what’s next. Every platform out there is making changes to expand their reach and provide more value to consumers and businesses alike. LinkedIn has expanded its promotional features for business, Facebook is rolling out a whole new look & feel, and Twitter just got automatic sign-on on the iPhone! Lean forward and don’t look back (unless you’re reviewing past successes and lessons learned). Note: Your new outlook also applies to the “we tried that once but got burned” attitude.
• Don’t ask for help, ask for guidance. What I mean is, when it comes to honing your Social Media skills and really understanding how to best use social tools, it’s OK to ask for assistance, as long as you’re not asking others to do the work for you. What you need is a Social Media mentor or buddy that can be a support while you navigate the web. It might be as simple as identifying a colleague or friend that you believe “gets it” and asking them to be a resource when you have a question. This has worked particularly well in organizations that have instituted a Social Media Mentor program and matched social-savvy employees with senior staff to increase executive presence online.
• When all else fails, Google it! There are many Social Media resources (hint: this blog) that can help guide you in the right direction. However, it’s up to you to use these resources to inform your own actions online in order to understand them completely.

What do you think? Whether you agree or completely disagree with my points, or have additional suggestions for making Social Media stick for newbies, I’d like to hear from you so please pile on in the comments!

Continue reading here: Updated: The Future Of The Social Media Release Is In Your Hands

Was this article helpful?