Social media is the big buzz. We have been swept up in the currents of Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter. We can allow the currents to carry us to new connections, new business, and massive reach and visibility. Or we can get caught up in the currents that drag our reputation down.
The biggest mistake on social media is not realizing that social media is a presentation. That’s how it is.
Success on social media follows the rules of effective presentation skills.
mistake one: No purpose or focus. What is your goal? Why are you using social media? What are you trying to achieve? To make new contacts? To promote yourself or your business? To the investigation? To reach new markets? To establish yourself as a thought leader? Find a job?
mistake two: No strategy, how will you use social media? How often? what shapes? Frequent communication is better than an occasional post.
mistake three: Speaking to the wrong audience Who is your audience? Are you just collecting names or are you more specific? LinkedIn is more business and professional. Facebook is more social and casual. For example, if you’re serious about job hunting, you’ll want to use LinkedIn in addition to Facebook.
oven error: Projecting the wrong image. I’ve read posts about working on a boring project for a client. Perhaps you know that your client is not one of your connections. But what about the people who referred you? What are you telling them? People tend to let their guard down more easily on Facebook. It’s not appropriate to talk about a nasty divorce, troublesome kids, or drunk driving. This is not a private conversation. Worse yet, is using someone else’s name in a survey. Eg “Do you think Jane Doe is pretty?” People don’t realize that she is always on stage. Mistakes after a live performance can be forgotten. On social media, your goofs live forever on the internet.
mistake five: No actual message. What do you plan to say? How will you say it? What is the style and tone of your communication? Nobody really cares that you’re watching TV. These kinds of jokes have no content. Add value and you will attract more followers. New blog posts, an interesting statistic, a link to an article, or even a thought-provoking quote or book reference will make it more interesting.
Mistake six: Hard sell: Nobody likes to present who sells from the platform. It is no different on social media. If every post is an advertisement for your products and services, you’ll soon be going offline. Let people know about your accomplishments, but don’t tell them to buy.
mistake seven: Not building relationships. Many people create a profile and never visit the site. Maximize your presence by updating your profile so people know what you’re up to. Ask questions. Answer questions to establish your experience. Invite people to connect with you, and then keep in touch. Be a resource. Connect to others. A good presenter knows how to create a relationship with the audience.
Nothing will ever replace face-to-face communication. But meeting in person can take a long time. Social media can be a phenomenal platform for building a reputation and communicating with the world.
Just make sure you know how to present yourself, your message, and your value.
