Perspectives & Strategy

According to Alan Stevens “Social media is a con trick. In fact it’s at least three cons; Conversation, Content and Consistency“. This is quite a challenging way to introduce his viewpoint.

Being involved in the conversation, or our ability to communicate and collaborate, is of vital importance. This goes a long way to demonstrating expertise and is of vital importance for business involvement in this media. It is all about the ongoing conversation. Stevens makes the point the “It’s no use simply posting messages saying how wonderful your company is”, we should always look for ways to help solve someone else’s problem, it is what adds credence to your viewpoint enhances your credibility.

Responding to questions, and contributing to debates on professional materials in your area of expertise also enhances your personal brand.

Content is king and you always need to offer something useful, topical, and interesting. Blog posts have the added advantage of being referenced again in the future. Having the right balance between contributions on Social Media sites (such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Xing, and others) and adding blog posts needs to be met. Social media contributions tend to be short and sweet, like answering a LinkedIn question, yet a blog post can ofter provide the results of extended research or a more detailed view.

It is all a matter of balance. In the same regard comments can be one of the most valuable, yet underrated, contributions that can be made. Even if taking the opposing view it can always add to the debate and in itself gives support for the efforts of the original author. Stevens makes a valid point when contributing “don’t simply say ‘I agree’ or ‘This is rubbish’” provide a valuable contribution or take an alternative viewpoint.

Consistency is vital, it shows people that you are available and interested in the debate. Does that mean you need to be online 24*7? Certainly not! According to Stevens “Small, regular postings seem to be much more effective than rare long ones”. Real life frequently intervenes and we all have other priorities to manage, yet it is important to contribute and remain active. Pick the important elements that need to be worked on and spend a little time on those.

Think of your own personal branding in this regard as well. You will never be able to intervene with everything, but what you contribute to should be consistent with that brand.

Food for thought.