Feeling Overwhelmed by Social Media? You're Not Alone

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  1

  mhames

  11/17/09 | Report as spam

  Goals

  If you are a brand, then you're looking at it the wrong way. What are you getting out of this marketing tactic? If nothing, then quit. If Twitter is more a pain than an asset, then quit it. If you see no value in LinkedIn, then don't go there.
  
  If a brand sees no value in a billboard, they don't feel compelled to put one up.
  
  Don't feel compelled to use it, as a brand or a person, unless you see value. If you don't want to invest the time in learning to see if there's value, then hire someone who has. But make sure that person (or firm) understands marketing.

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  2

  davidandlibby

  11/17/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Feeling Overwhelmed by Social Media? You're Not Alone

  Turn off your television and substitute social media time. You can communicate through social media. You can't talk back to your TV. And if you say you don't watch TV, well, I find that hard to believe...even if you are an "executive". If you enjoy television more, then go with that.

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  3

  Bob Wileman

  11/17/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Feeling Overwhelmed by Social Media? You're Not Alone

  What do you want from life?
  Deal with real, that is compatible, people if you have any among your family and friends, or failing that substitute with Radio and TV (One way) or social media (Two way)
  I would have thought that "busy" executives would know how to measure time and benefits and therefore stay away from non-productive stuff.
  Can anyone tell us that they have done serious business through any social media that they could not have done another way?

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  Bellsanderson

  11/17/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Feeling Overwhelmed by Social Media? You're Not Alone

  Nothing in this world is free. You jump onto LinkedIn groups with the hope to learn something or 'share' information with other like minded people that could benefit your business, and what you normally bump into is just a whole lot of people selling their own business. I'm getting sick of feeling 'tricked by the slippery salesman'. It does become a waste of time.

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  atkothari

  11/17/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Feeling Overwhelmed by Social Media? You're Not Alone

  At a more personal level, its a trade off between reading a good old-fashioned book and spending time on social networking sites, and I still prefer the former.

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  reddogburke

  11/17/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Feeling Overwhelmed by Social Media? You're Not Alone

  You're right on the money about social e-sites not being worthwhile for core business objectives or an effective use of computing by execs.
  Social e-sites are for cyber socializers. LinkedIn is for preening and collecting contacts much like a Mardi Gras-er collecting beads on Bourbon St - all show and pretention, no purpose, no sensibilities.
  Of course, there are social folks who midlessly risk koobface viruses to look beautiful and generate banal birdy chirps.
  For those looking to leverage their internet time, sites like wikipedia, google searches and forums provide blitzkreig lookups on pertinent topics or avocational interests. And enable real mindfulness materials.

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  7

  reddogburke

  11/17/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Feeling Overwhelmed by Social Media? You're Not Alone

  You're right on the money about social e-sites not being worthwhile for core business objectives nor an effective use of computing by execs.
  Social e-sites are for cyber socializers. LinkedIn is for preening and collecting contacts much like a Mardi Gras-er collecting beads on Bourbon St - all show and pretention, no purpose, no sensibilities. Of course, there are social folks who mindlessly risk koobface viruses to look beautiful and generate banal birdy chirps.
  For those execs looking to leverage their internet time, sites like wikipedia, google searches and forums provide blitzkreig lookups on pertinent topics or avocational interests. And this produces materials for mindfulness activities.
  

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  folanfola

  11/18/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Feeling Overwhelmed by Social Media? You're Not Alone

  I think it can be somewhat time consuming and distractive technology but it has its benefits. The world is fast becoming a socially interconnected world and social media is at the fore-front of that move. You either join them or get left behind.
  
  In a very competitive business environment where it is no longer "build this and they will come" way of getting customers, social media like facebook and twitter, allow customers to be an integral part of the process and empowers customers (current & potential) to participate in an organization process - product design, brand awareness, support - crowdsourcing, to mention just a few. The result is they [customer] becomes the company's champion among their growing network of friends. Imagine reaching out to 300 million people at little or no cost!
  
  On the other side, caution must be exercised to ensure that you as an individual don't get consumed in the facebook era, that it totally takes you away from other important stuff taking place in your life. The key is discipline and focus on what is major and relegating the minor.

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  9

  sagh

  11/18/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Feeling Overwhelmed by Social Media? You're Not Alone

  I think you're falling into the trap most people do with new technology. You want to do it because it is the thing to do, not because you have a value proposition (business or personal) for doing it.
  
  I will give you my personal example with texting. Texting was the right tool at a time when I had a gap in the ability to quickly communicate small pieces of info with my family (wife & two teens):
  * Land line phones work, but both people have to be local to it.
  * Cell phones are better (more ubiquitous), but a phone call still has some synchronous requirement or at least some generic overhead -- greeting, stalling, wondering if there is something else to say, obtw's, timestamping, etc (even leaving voicemail has this).
  
  Texting is perfect for small bits of info:
  * You don't feel obligated to waste time with multiple pleasantries
  * You're not interrupting something else (as opposed to the immediacy of a call)
  * If you have to miss a text, it is quick & easy to get back to (as opposed to the lost time of getting voicemail)
  
  My most frequent texts:
  "en route" (auto time stamped with when i leave work for home)
  "pick up XYZ" (on the way home)
  some cool url I/they saw
  "meet 4 dinner @ XYZ?"
  "wu@?"
  and, of course, the occasional
  "luvu"
  
  None of those are earth shattering. But the convenience of text over other options to make those communications means they happen more often, the desires behind them get fulfilled more, and life is better.
  
  I don't really hope that this has convinced you to text; I do hope this has convinced you to approach tech as tools to do things you already need to do instead of tools to pick up and futz with because they are there.

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  Bob Wileman

  11/18/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Feeling Overwhelmed by Social Media? You're Not Alone

  Sagh Your right about text. That is a valuable means for business and personal communucation, especially if you have a Querty keyboard.
  
  folanfola We know that's the theory, but what useful output does it have for your business? There are lot's of technophiles who pioneer all this stuff for their edification. When/if they get it right it's time for serious business users to step in. The article says, "Not yet!" and I agree.

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  herbspeters

  11/18/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Feeling Overwhelmed by Social Media? You're Not Alone

  Well, I'm in the music field so it's kinda different for me I have to stay on top of that stuff and build relationships. I'm also the Marketing Director for the company. At times graphic design gets in the way because it's so time consuming. I have so many titles to maintain and building relationships means a lot in business. There's people I meet on the road all the time that won't take a call but will take a tweet or a facebook shout in an instant. However it does get a bit out of hand, but I seem to pick through it and choose my battles.

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  heydad1

  11/19/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Feeling Overwhelmed by Social Media? You're Not Alone

  Strictly from a business standpoint...social media is the equivalent of having a ton of dirt dropped on your desk and being told that reasonable geologists have theorized that there must be a few gold flecks in the mixture. Sorry, but all I can think is get this g-damn dirt of my desk.

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  gmoeller1

  11/20/09 | Report as spam

  RE: Feeling Overwhelmed by Social Media? You're Not Alone

  I maintain my LinkedIn profile and network when work and other responsibilities leave me the time and mental capacity to do so. I do a massive content upgrade once or twice a year.
  
  Whenever possible, I write recommendations for my professional partners. I'll be able to review this information and refresh my memory if I need to reestablish the relationship in the future.
  
  LinkedIn maintenance is a risk mitigation investment. If I get downsized, I'll purchase the expanded services to fully exploit my network for my job search.
  
  Facebook is for personal relationships. I rarely have time for it - but now and then, it's pleasant to surf around and see what friends and family have been up to, or to post information that may be of general interest to people who know me well.
  
  I don't use anything else, and shudder at the thought of ever feeling that I MUST sacrifice even more of my discretionary time to the demands of maintaining a presence on additional social media.