Improvement Can be Made with Most People’s Social Media

You can jump on any of the Social Media RSS feeds and find someone talking about Social Media…including this one.  It is what they are saying about Social Media many people are staring to question.  Why?  Well, If you have a Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn account you are starting to see a growing number of self promotion posts.  From all the ‘so called’ Social Media people say they are using the question becomes..Do these people really know what Social Media is?

Over the past four months I asked clients and people I meet how they see Social Media working for them.  I also ask what Social Media tactics do they see being used by others to get their attention.  The findings are somewhat surprising and shows there are a lot of people who still just do not understand Social Media is a two way street now and not the one way street created by yesteryear marketing firms.

Following are a few of the questions I ask people and just a few of the reactions, statements, remarks and answers I received (and allowed to place in this blog).

The New Has Worn Off

How do you see social networking sites being used today?

“The majority of the people who have asked me to be a ‘Friend’ recently on Facebook turnout to be representatives for a product, special interest group, or cult and only post links to their products or company. They have No conversation with anyone..ever.  I see this as a growing trend now amongst companies who evidently drank the FB Kool-Aid believing there really are a half billion people on FB.”

“There is not the interaction and conversation between people on Twitter and Facebook like there was just a few months ago.  Way too many companies posting nothing but ‘come-on’ lines and links to their site”

“I am seeing hundreds of people joining the mega sites and are only there for the attention they can gather to themselves.   What happened to conversation?”

“I am really pulling back on my activity in Facebook due to the huge volume of people who are out trying to push themselves on others for the promotion factor.  It is getting way out of hand.”

“Sorry, I left doing online Social Networking a few months ago since there really was no Social in the Networking anymore.”

Do you feel Social Media is understood by most?

“ I see a lot of, what I was told by others are, experts talking Social Media ‘this’ and Social Media ‘that’, and from what I hear these people came to fame with their messages of ‘interaction with people is the basis of social media’.  I wonder why they do not interact with anyone, or will not participate in a conversation online, or do not reply to responses..  It seems most people who worship them follow their actions, not their words…so..NO, most are not understanding that Social Media is about interaction. ”

“I don’t think people are paying any attention to Social Media.  The economy is forcing people to push to a more Hard Selling method of social networking just to make ends meet.  Social Media to them seems to be a waste of time and has no ROI. ”

“Too many people are only on the internet since they are reading where there are trillions of people online to market to..they could care less about talking to them, they just want them to buy. Social Media to them is seen to be something a lot of bald headed guys wearing wrinkled up shirts who speak at large conferences use to make a living. ”

“I see the icons of Social Media like (names deleted) who post very nicely edited HD videos on the news on the latest tech gadgets but ONLY respond to comments on their blog, on Facebook or Twitter from other icons of the internet.  This looks to me they are not seeing Social Media as being social with everyone. ”

“There are some mixed up stupid people coming online who are obviously online to get more attention to themselves and they really offer nothing of value professionally. They must see Social Media as something that is to promote only them.”

Too Much Being Said?

What do you see causing the neglect so many have for learning what Social Media is about?

“Too many people who have gone out and written a book on Social Media so they can be described as Social Media expert are traveling the country presenting long draw out lectures on how Social Media when all-in-all the concept of Social Media is pretty straight forward..be social to those around you and your needs will be met.  The amount of money these guys and gals are being paid to insult everyone’s intelligence is turning people to say..Heck, I could have said that. I think I will write a book and start speaking on Social Media. Seems like easy money. So there is a huge crowd of people out trying to make it big speaking on social media making many people see social media as today’s version of the snake oil salesman.  So they pass the values of Social Media by and continue on with the self indulgencing type of internet marketing”

“The influx of large numbers of conferences, conventions, Meet-ups, Tweet-ups and other types of gatherings to sell the concept of Social Media is causing people to look at Social Media as maybe a PR ploy for a group of people to make a lot of money on speaking gigs.  These functions centered around the promotion of Social Media are not taken seriously which push many people away from thinking Social Media is nothing but another fad.”

What is Need?

What is needed to get more people to use Social Media Effectively?

“I am not seeing or hearing about places to go to learn Social Media’s mechanics..how to use it specifically or what tools to use.  I just find a lot of blogs and conferences with pretty PowerPoint presentations that do not break the mechanics down on exactly how Social Media can be used to benefit someone personally or professionally.  More schooling on Social Media is needed.”

“I see the people who are blatantly not understanding what they are doing to their social network group, or how foolish they appear to the public, with the antics they are using to draw attention to themselves.   These misguided people just need to be called out in public and advised what the consequences of their actions are going be.  Tough love may work, or at least will draw attention to what they are doing wrong.”

The Realities of Society

It seems the excitement of the message on Social Media and what it can do for businesses today maybe wearing thin.  From what I am hearing maybe it is time for the people who lead us to believing in what Social Media can do now start showing how it works.  Maybe if more people who are in the Social Media arena practiced what they preached the message of Social Media will be taken more seriously. 

The realities of society will eventually takes it course with how Social Media will be used, or not, in the future.  If it is to continue on the path it is traveling more needs to be done in open forums to guide those who are just coming in the door.

More can always be done to improve something and I am sure the way Social Media is being used today can be improved upon..let me know how I can help.