Social Media isn’t a popularity contest!

I read a great article yesterday by Brian Solis, Marketing executive with Altimeter. His blog post was

“The number one least asked questions in Social Media. Why?”

The points he makes in this article is the key to why we do Social Media. There are so many of us that think Social Media is a contest to see just how many likes we can get or how prestigious our friend list can become.  The reality of it all however is that none of that matters. What really matters is what is at the core of this Social Media engagement. Relationships!

If you put Social Media on the side for a moment and think about how a relationship is created then you will better understand the unique opportunity that Social Media gives us if we use it the way it was meant to be used. It is not a sales tool, it is not a look how great I am tool, and it is not an all about me tool. Social Media is best used when you are giving away value. This value can be with words, video, and pictures. It is when you open up and freely share great information and let  your voice come through. It is best used when you look for the unique way to connect with someone where you are able to help provide a much needed resources, or help to facilitate a positive outcome for any situation. Brian uses these words “purposeful, meaningful, and valuable” Its a tool to let you connect with like people who have common interest. If you boil all this down I would guess that it looks much like many of the great relationships you already have. The only difference is that with Social Media the engagement and interactions is now on steroids. Instead of a conversation happening weekly it can now take place 3 times a day. The micro interactions all add up to greater attention but only when that micro interactions provides a purpose, is meaningful, and gives value.

I know I’m going to look closer at how I  engage and take some of what I just said to heart.