Aug
4

I’m Doing It Wrong: 5 Mistakes I’ve Made Using Social Media

Yesterday, Chris Brogan included me on his newsletter’s list of three people he believes are “doing it right,” with “it” being “social media” and “right” being… well, that part’s debatable.  I agree that Mitch Joel and David Meerman Scott seem to know what they’re doing, but me?  Hardly.

In fact, I’m happy to point out 5 Mistakes I’ve Made Using Social Media, including…

1.  I Twitter Too Much

Since Twitter is my primary source of communication, I use it a lot — sometimes posting over 100 updates a day.  I pity anyone who follows me on Twitter while also following less than 50 other people, because every time they check their incoming tweets, mine must take up 90% of their page.  I’d try to cut down on my tweet frequency but my mind works too fast; I’m too verbose for my own good.

2.  I Twitter Too Often

Similar to issue #1, except that I not only post a large volume of tweets, but I also tend to post them close together.  This means that if I’ve just said something incredibly relevant, I might immediately follow it up with an inside joke about Aquaman.  And that means you have that much more trouble sifting through my verbosity to find the important stuff.  If I were smart, I’d tweet less AND more judiciously, only bothering people with posts designed to make me rich or famous.  But I’m not, so you get full exposure to my stream of consciousness, every day.

3.  I Speak My Mind

I know, it’s taboo to do so in this politically correct age, but I have no problem sharing my personal views on politics (I’m fiscally conservative and socially liberal, with exceptions) to theology (raised Catholic, now agnostic) or any other topic guaranteed to polarize an audience.  I suppose I’ve never been as concerned with developing a wide following as I am with being able to stand behind my own conduct.  And if that means I occasionally aggravate, insult or offend someone, so be it — I’m an individual, not a brand.

4.  I Don’t Use Facebook

Not that I don’t have an account; I just never use it.  If I want to speak with people whose insights and experiences are immediately relevant to me, I use Twitter.  If I want to speak with old friends or family members who aren’t tech-savvy (or tech-obsessed) enough to find value in Twitter, I use the phone.  And if I want to know what all those high school classmates I haven’t spoken to in 15 years are up to now… nope, I still don’t use Facebook.

Note: Just because *I* don’t derive value from Facebook doesn’t mean there isn’t value in it for you.  I’m aware that everyone engages with the web differently; I’ve just chosen to streamline my own experience.  Which brings us to…

5.  I Don’t Use RSS

RSS (better known as that bright orange button on most blogs and websites) makes subscribing to interesting web content incredibly easy.  In fact, it’s too easy — which is why I don’t do it.  Not that I’m purposely trying to be obtuse, but I really only have so much time in my day; if I subscribed to every blog I find interesting, I’d never have time to write my own.  (Or do actual paying work, for that matter.)  So I’m willing to get my news secondhand (on Twitter) rather than waking up to 300 new RSS items in my email every morning.

So, again, thanks to Chris Brogan and everyone else who thinks I know what I’m doing.  But the next time someone tries to tell you I’m a “social media expert,” kindly refer them to this page.  (And then remind them to subscribe to my RSS feed.)

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Posted by Justin Social Media, Twitter Subscribe to RSS feed
  • Tami:

    I am by no means an expert, but I believe Twitter has potential and am working it. I don't always get feedback from my posts. But when I post something where I can see how many people viewed the outside link to an article, video or pic, I know there is some interest. It's very important to engage the community socially. It was difficult for me to do this at first, but it comes along. There are many others just like you that want interaction. Post about things things in addition Bricolage Theatre Group - your interests, things that happen to you during the day, etc. Let people get to know you first, then Bricolage. Take pics with your camera phone. Put a few videos on Youtube. Retweet for others. Comment on their tweets. Brag about Pittsburgh. Ask questions. And follow the followers of organizations like yours. Chances are they will follow you back. ;)

    Most importantly, maintain your presence.

    Bob
  • Yeah, I fail at #3 as well. Same is true for Facebook. I am way too much of a character! But I too am a person, not a brand ...

    Also never presume that everyone reads all of your tweets all the time, Justin! I tend to read Twitter on the fly on my phone, skimming many of your link-posts and reading some of them later, linking through when at a CPU.

    Although you may create your stream-of-consciousness in real-time, other Twitter users are reading them in any number of ways - on your twitter profile page, on their client, or as blips in the public stream. As someone who works with 'normal' end-users in their variety of weird ways of using the internet, its a total rarety for the audience to experience the stuff we are producing in same way we do when we are producing it ... That's part of the wonder of it, I suppose.
  • Wow. If you're "doing it wrong", Justin, I must be *really* wrong! ;)
  • You are refreshingly honest, Justin! This type of insight is just what someone like me needs to learn more about this new frontier!
  • Tami: I can understand your frustration with Twitter. I'm sorry to hear you haven't developed any traction on it, but there are a few possible reasons why.

    * Twitter, at its root, is about people being social with each other; the information is secondary. If your primary reason for being on Twitter is to promote a business -- in your case, your theatre company -- the question is: how do you present your information in a way that other people will care about it personally? (Because if they don't care, they won't engage.)

    * Pittsburgh, unfortunately, isn't a town where the art scene and the tech scene overlap. I don't know if it's different in other cities, but in Pittsburgh, it seems like those groups purposely erect walls to separate themselves, for fear that the other side won't understand them.

    * Pittsburgh is also a city where everyone knows everyone, so if you're part of "the group," you're in. If not, it can be hard to work your way in. It sometimes takes a few face-to-face meetings at several events for people to finally "admit" a newbie to their online clique -- and since you're justifiably busy running your theatre company, you don't have time (or a non-fiscal need) to overlap your social efforts with theirs.

    In the end, not every business will find Twitter useful. I always enjoyed what your Bricolage Theatre Group created, but I may be in the minority of arts-appreciative techies in Pittsburgh. If that's the case, don't feel obliged to stress yourself out on Twitter; invest your time and effort in attracting other audiences who *do* listen to what you have to say.

    Or... outsource your Twitter efforts to a bright-eyed intern who has the time and interest in navigating Twitter via trial-and-error. You may not stumble upon a winning formula yourself, but that doesn't mean someone who approaches it differently (but on your behalf) won't.
  • I think we may be the same person, in which case I should thank you for blogging this for us.
  • Justin, I'm still trying my hand at Twittering and I have to say I just don't get it.

    Maybe it's that I don't have enough things to say to the world (I can't imagine Twittering 100 times in one day, yikes.) Or maybe it's the lack of response turns me off (I'm an actor for Streeps sake and I have to have that immediate attention.) Or maybe it's that I don't really care what other people have to say (I guess that would be a problem in this fast paced social media outlet.)

    I just don't find any satisfaction in posting the upcoming events for my company on Twitter because nobody seems to care. Most of my time is spent trying to keep the company alive and talking to a void pisses me off to no end. I tried being mean to Twitter but nobody seems to care about that either. Maybe this is a click that I'm not welcome in (hello mean girls...)

    I need to engage with other people when I communicate and Twitter doesn't make that easy for me. I've tried connecting to people directly, no luck. I've tried posting comments about other people's comments, no response. Why does Twitter seem so unavailable? I just don't get it.

    Yes, I found out about Michael Jackson, people being hit by buses and stolen statues by following Twitterers, but that stuff isn't going to change my life one way or another. Is this a news outlet and I just don't have enough "news" in my life? You have tons of followers and even more posts, If you say you're doing it wrong, I should just throw in the Twitter towel.
  • You don't actually have to use Facebook. You can set it up so that your twitter updates populate your Facebook stream as well.

    As far as whether you're Twittering too much or too often, it depends on what you're trying to sell. If you're interested in people knowing about your important statements, you're right that you're flooding yourself. If you're interested in people knowing that you exist and have something to say, the more the merrier.
  • Very well thought out post. In my personal opinion, no.1 rule in social networking is to 'be yourself', although sometimes I had a little dilemma between that and 'not over-doing',quantity wise. =P

    Your so-called 'mistakes' are more to who you are, and what works for you exactly. Although we are told to use them as 'a must', but I believe things work out differently for each individual. It's great to see you're comfortable with your current status, and if you're doing well to manage your social network, why not? Advices are not to be forced on someone. Maybe in future you'd try them out? ^^ At least you know there are these options available.

    Besides, there's never a real 'expert', is there? Unless things are stop progressing.

    Thanks for the mind-provoking post. Stumbled.

    @wchingya
    Social/Blogging Tracker
  • I also agree these are more decisions than mistakes. Good to hear someone else not using Facebook as frequently. Since working with Twitter, Facebook seems slower and more for friends and family. I've played around with creating the Fan Pages and such but they seem a bit challenging. I also need to know how to utilize them. De-personalizing my Facebook page to allow for more business uses would make my utilize it more often. I'm working on that.
  • Hey Justin -- thanks for the transparency. Not sure I would make all the same choices, but get where you're coming from and applaud the stand.

    @stevenmhall
  • Liz
    They don't sound like mistakes you've made (and since corrected) but choices you have made. If they were mistakes, you would have changed your behavior so your habits must suit you.

    I know I Tweet a lot, too, but I don't view it as a mistake. If it is too much for some people, they unfollow (and they have!). But when I don't Tweet, I get DMs asking me if I'm okay! I still have followers so it must be alright with them.
  • I find no value in using Facebook, but I use it anyway. I've slowly deleted most of the options from my personal profile, including the link to tagged photos of myself and the remaining slivers of information outside of my email address. However, I lean towards being antisocial, and will do anything to keep from having to pick up a phone.

    As far as the RSS thing, since my interests lay mainly with personal blogs, I only subscribe to personal blogs that I really, really care about. Only when I'm feeling especially social-media-y or designy will I click over to something different.

    Great post.
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