Comments on: 5 Ways NOT to Use Social Media http://undersolenmedia.com/blog/new-media-blog/5-ways-not-to-use-social-media/ You have the story. We amplify it. Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:59:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Mikeachim http://undersolenmedia.com/blog/new-media-blog/5-ways-not-to-use-social-media/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Mikeachim Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:04:22 +0000 http://undersolenmedia.wordpress.com/?p=263#comment-6 1) is rife, and in particular a major problem for Twitter trying to claw some credibility towards itself after the inevitable media backlash. People log on, they see the adverts for getting 900k Followers in 10 seconds (only $99!), or how many times Mom's White Teeth is mentioned...and away they g0, their minds made up. ('Social media is another word for spam'). And I don't blame them. That side of things is ugly, depressing and ever-increasing. (Stumbleupon is now starting to get quite spammy). Socal media works when it's a dialogue. When it's merely broadcasting ("Well I went to the shop got 3 oranges, one was off, oh well c ya!") it's barely media and it's certainly not social. Self-obsessed Twitterers, j'accuse. ;) I like 5) a lot. And related to it is...Be Yourself. Be who you *really are* when you're on social media. Have a voice, and don't invent it. Don't hide behind formality or stuffiness. Give people a glimpse of the real you, so they want to bridge that gap in real life - and make the effort when they do the same. When you have a true voice, it gets heard and it can really make a difference - a perfect example being Passports with Purpose at the moment, promoted and driven by people who have spread the message with their own distinctive voices. If that's not the right way to use social media, I don't know what is. 1) is rife, and in particular a major problem for Twitter trying to claw some credibility towards itself after the inevitable media backlash. People log on, they see the adverts for getting 900k Followers in 10 seconds (only $99!), or how many times Mom’s White Teeth is mentioned…and away they g0, their minds made up. (‘Social media is another word for spam’). And I don’t blame them. That side of things is ugly, depressing and ever-increasing. (Stumbleupon is now starting to get quite spammy).

Socal media works when it’s a dialogue. When it’s merely broadcasting (“Well I went to the shop got 3 oranges, one was off, oh well c ya!”) it’s barely media and it’s certainly not social. Self-obsessed Twitterers, j’accuse. ;)

I like 5) a lot. And related to it is…Be Yourself. Be who you *really are* when you’re on social media. Have a voice, and don’t invent it. Don’t hide behind formality or stuffiness. Give people a glimpse of the real you, so they want to bridge that gap in real life – and make the effort when they do the same.

When you have a true voice, it gets heard and it can really make a difference – a perfect example being Passports with Purpose at the moment, promoted and driven by people who have spread the message with their own distinctive voices. If that’s not the right way to use social media, I don’t know what is.

]]>