Social Media Strategy

Because I don’t believe in doing anything just because, I started thinking about my reason for using social media.

The reason I…

Tweet.
Respond to tweets.
Spend valuable time on this blog.
Respond to comments and promote conversation on this blog.
Take the time to send pictures to my Posterous.
Check my Facebook regularly.

While some of the answer I came up with is, “Because I enjoy it,” I think this diagram (my artwork, not meant to be pleasing to the eye) really shows why I do all those things.

It’s not a perfect plan.

It doesn’t communicate how I accomplish it,
but it does lay out what I’m seeking to accomplish.

Ultimately, it’s about influence for me.

Not me being able to push people around and sell them on MY ideas, but me being able to IMPACT people in new ways.

In order to impact people, I must first connect with them, involve them in conversation, and build confidence with them.

People must trust me before I can impact them the way I want.

It’s one way I’m trying to…

turn the world UPSIDE down.

Why do you use social media? What’s the end goal?

3 Twitter Twules

As I make my way through my twitter stream and as I send out tweets myself, I’ve come to realize that there are some unwritten rules to twittering. These rules won’t get your account suspended or cause people to necessarily unfollow you, but they will help you make better connections with people.

1. Don’t be a quote bot.

A quote here and there is fine, but seriously, don’t just pump out quotes all day, everyday. If the people that follow you really wanted a list of quotes everyday, they’d google “great famous quotes”, not follow you on twitter. Quotes keep you from really connecting. People never learn who you really are, just that you can copy and paste. If you’re really into quotes, create an account and make it obvious your on twitter to post quotes.

2. Avoid broad statements.

You probably don’t know everyone in your following list personally or well. Don’t make broad statements that are going to cause people to fall or stumble. I know we can’t tell people how to take what we say, but we can guard against it a little. Remember, tweets must be short, but also precise.

3. Connect before pimping.

If you’re asking me to push your book, service, or blog but you’ve never even @ replied me, I’m probably not going to do it. Sure, certain people can get away with it. Some have that platform, but most of us don’t. That’s why it’s important to really connect with your followers. If you’re really connected, they’ll push your stuff because they believe in you.

What did I miss? Any other Twitter Twules?

Communication With A Cause – Impacting

We’re called to IMPACT.

We’re not called to connect with people just like ourselves for the sake of being comfortable and building friendships.
We’re not called to meet other people and just be nice.
We were never intended to soak everything in and become spiritually fat because we never give what we receive.

We’re called for IMPACT.

This is the primary reason I believe in social media.

While it may take a little longer to build a platform and trust through social media, it IS possible.
It is then that we begin to impact the people that are around us in social media.

Social media promotes impact not only with other members of social media, but those people that I have personal relationships with as well.

From the growing that I do through social media, I am better equipped to impact the people that are physically close to me.

In the shuffle of life, never forget that we are made for IMPACT!

turn the world UPSIDE down.

How do you use social media to impact the world around you? (both in social media and personally)

Communication With A Cause – Connecting

From the very beginning, God created man for fellowship.

For years, that meant we had to be physically present with someone in order to connect with them.

Since social media has begun it’s rapid rise in popularity, we have a new way to connect with people that we would have never been able to at any other point in history.

Thanks to social media, I’ve met thousands of people that I’ve never met physically, but feel like I know personally. No other tool allows us to do that.

Here are a few suggestions on how to better connect via social media (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Skype, Blogs)…

Grow your “following.” – It may sound egotistical, but we can’t meet people without reaching out to them. Sure, some will use this to give themselves a prideful boost, but when used correctly, it can go a long way in helping us connect and grow relationships.

Engage in conversation. – There’s nothing worse than reading someone’s tweets or blog and having them talk AT you. Engage with people. Have conversations. Have discussions. That’s how relationships are built.

Plan for consistency. – Real connection takes time. If you’re on Linkedin, Facebook, or Twitter once a month, it’s going to be hard for anyone to even find you, much less connect with you. The same thing if you’re running a blog. Be consistent in your time and effort with it. Take the time to plan it out.

Demonstrate Trustworthiness. - People always know if you’re trying to connect for the gain of yourself. People see through fakiness… even online. Be genuine. Desire to really connect. Desire to learn. Desire to grow. Desire to really impact.

Communication With A Cause: #SocialMedia Without the Noise

Social media has changed the way you and I interact forever.

People keep saying it’s just a fad, that it’ll just go away, but I have to believe it’s here to stay… At least it’s here long enough for us to use it to our advantage.

Different people have different reasons for being involved in social media.

• For some, it’s an outlet. An outlet for them to state their opinions and get their feelings out.
• For some, it’s a way to make money. They build followings and then try to make money by promoting their product or someone else’s.
• For some, its a way to connect with long time friends. People they went to school with or have moved away from.
• For some, it’s a way for them to keep up with news and celebrity news.

Here are the 4 biggest reasons I find myself fully submersed in social media….

Connecting – Simply put, I love to meet people. It’s just the way I’m wired. Whether it be the greeter at Wal-Mart or someone online, I love meeting new people. I think it’s how God wired us… for relationship.

Networking – I like meeting people that do what I do, fight the battles I fight, and share the struggles I deal with. These people provide inspiration and enocuragement when it’s needed most. These people also give me great ideas that I can make others think are my own.

Growing – I learn from social media. Whether it be a quote someone on twitter posted or a blog I read, I grow when I’m connected to social media. It’s one of the foundational principles every leader needs to adopt… do anything to learn from others.

Impacting – Through social media, I’ve been able to impact people that I would have never even had contact with without. Someone that reads this blog in Japan or someone that reads a tweet of mine in California. These are places I’m not physically present, but socially impactful.

I’ll explain more about these later in the week.

In the meantime….

If you use social media, why? What’s your goal?