The quote from one of my favorite books of all time, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, says “Seek first to understand, then to be understood”. This perfectly captures the way to approach social media. It also demonstrates the pitfalls that many of us fall into.
With the explosion of social media on the internet, we have been bombarded with a slew of new tools to communicate with. In our rush of excitement we jump on board and start signing up. We have a LinkedIn account, Twitter, Digg, Reddit, Stumbleupon, Facebook, Youtube, and more. We blog and optimize our websites. We are a part of the conversation…..or are we?
Unfortuanately, we can fall into the trap of thinking that these communication tools exist to serve our needs, especially when it comes to using them for business purposes. We blast out our marketing messages and don’t take the time to learn HOW the conversation is taking place. The reality is that with each tool there exists a community. We can use these tools effectively when we are a productive member of the community, adding value. However, if you think the community exists to serve your needs, you will quickly become a pariah.
Each community has it’s own conversation, it’s own voice. This is where we must seek first to understand, then to be understood. Do your research as you adopt each of these tools. Follow the flow of conversations on twitter and blogs. Listen and learn how people interact on LinkedIn and Facebook. Once you gain an understanding of the community and the conversation, spend some time contributing. Remember conversation and strategy in one community, may not be right for another.
It takes time and patience to understand, learn, and contribute. There aren’t any shortcuts, but once you decide to make the effort you will find there are more people eager to listen to what you have to say.
Photo by Matt Hamm
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Great post Jeff! We are like children with brand-new toys! Here’s some great advice about managing your social media day: http://tinyurl.com/cp5s2g
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