In preparation for a presentation I did yesterday about why and how people should use LinkedIn more, I thought about the governing laws that drive the why and how of my participation in social media. Here's what I came up with:
1. Social Media is just one medium to establish and build REAL relationships.
Many of the people to whom I am connected and with whom I communicate through social media are people I have met face-to-face. In many instances, they are people I associate with often in real life. The concept of buying followers that I don't even know feels uncomfortable, like paying people to be my friends. I would never do that. Everything I do on social media is to build relationships, mostly by trying to help and add value to those I'm connected to. After all, that's what friends and real business connections do, right?
2. You are the CEO of You, Inc.
I am surprised at how many people shy-away from having a an online presence. Some are humble, others afraid of the unknown. Whatever the reason, it does not discount this one point - you, and only you, are the most qualified expert on the subject of you. If you don't represent, then you're leaving a wide open space for others to do it for you. Or, even worse, little or no online presence could render you irrelevant altogether.
Every strategy or tactic as it relates to social media needs to adhere to these two rules. If they do, then you're on the right track!
Blog post
The Two Laws of Social Media
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FP&A