When Does Social Media Become Just Noise?

After a recent stroll through all my social networking sites I had to stop and again look up the definition of Social Media just in case there was something I missed in my understanding of what Social Media really is.

From Wikipeida

Social media are media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social media uses web-based technologies to turn communication into interactive dialogues. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein also define social media as “a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, which allows the creation and exchange of user-generated content.  Businesses also refer to social media as consumer-generated media (CGM). A common thread running through all definitions of social media is a blending of technology and social interaction for the co-creation of value.

About.com from Ron Jones

Social media essentially is a category of online media where people are talking, participating, sharing, networking, and bookmarking online. Most social media services encourage discussion, feedback, voting, comments, and sharing of information from all interested parties.

It’s more of a two-way conversation, rather than a one-way broadcast like traditional media. Another unique aspect of social media is the idea of staying connected or linked to other sites, resources, and people.

Shock Media Turns to Shouting

It seems, again, more and more people are not really using Social Media as it is defined but claim they are internet marketers.  What I am seeing is more people using the internet as their personal therapy session or to send subliminal messages to an unknown audience via some sort of shocking statement. I am not sure I have seen so many people telling us about their romantic relationships gone bad or the distastefulness of their office co-workers’ cologne all while attaching links to their client’s services.  I also am amazed there are so many people wanting us all to know about their bowel movements or lack there of.  There actually are some really strange things being posted online these days all with the quantification of being done as part of someone’s Social Media.   Has there been a change I was not told about???

I normally would not be concerned with all this unnecessary communications.  It has been going on for a long time.   If it wasn’t for the fact all of the ultra personal communiqués posted online I am (and the entire world is) seeing where coming from people saying they are social media experts I would not pay it any further attention.  However, when one of my clients I am training on the do’s and don’ts of social media brings the large volumes of shocking alerts to my attention with a question…

You are not expecting me to be like this person, are you?

…I thought I better go check this out.

Newbies Struggle to Understand Social Media

There are thousands of people each day taking their first steps online as part of their genius of social networking their business promotions.  No matter how much training one can give to these newbie’s on what they can expect to see out here in La-La-Land there are still no explanation for why people feel shouting a message over and over is Social Media.   The increase in the noise many are producing from their social media is resulting in many of the newbies of the internet to reconsider using social media for anything.

I have been out here long enough to know the styles of ‘attention grabbing’ methods of marketing change rapidly.  Once I think I have seen everything then out of the blue someone I would never expect to be part of the mess out here will turn to Shock Jock Marketing techniques to get attention.  Again, I am a firm believer in there never being an end to what people will do to get attention online in the name of Marketing a product or service for someone. It is unfortunate talking calmly about something is not enough, but I guess it is expected as crowded the internet is getting.

Ineffective Styles of Social Media

Recently there seems to be a tremendous increase in the use of ineffective methods of social media.  It seems the pleasant online conversations has turned to shouting over the noise of others.  Kinda like when you go to a MeetUp and there are four people there to quietly talk to then as more people arrive the casual low key conversation turns to shouting at the person standing next to you to get their attention.  In this case, the shouting is done online where shouting is not needed to effectively communicate with others.  Shout Marketing has never worked and never will.  Still people try the shouting since they see the others around them using it.

A new trend of misguided social media seems to be expanding.  I see the Weeping Style of marketing used where people talk about their recent relationship break-ups while posting links to their client’s services.  Of course the 100th generation of the ‘Hey, Check This Out’ method is still evolving.  They all mount up to large numbers of loud voices amplified by the volumes of posts everyone is making.  Even the filters like HootSuite and Tweetdeck are not able to keep the noise down lower than a dull roar.

Develop Social Media Manners

Believe it or not,..to the dismay of the many so called social media gurus doing all the shouting,… there are still consumers who use the internet and guess what?…they are not interested in the shouting.  In my frequent visit with Dabney Porte, curator of Social Media Manners,  I am refreshed to know others are out to expose the problems others are creating from their misguided social media in an effort to show others the wrong way of presenting themselves online.  Having impeccable Social Media Manners really does impress consumers.  And showing newbies where Social Media becomes Just Noise really helps bring home why more people need to learn their social media manners.

Let me know how I can help.