There’s a lot of talk about what social media is, especially lately.
“It’s a new way to communicate”
“It’s a new distribution platform for ideas and voices”
“It’s the hot new thing to do!”
“It’s the thing that is ruining everything else, including publishing!”
Some of the statements above may be true, but what isn’t ever covered is what social media is not.
Social media is not a new platform from which to shout your message to anyone listening.
Social media is not the new email.
Social media is not the be-all, end-all.
Social media is not the sole force behind the declining recording and publishing businesses.
Social media is not a tool you can pick up and discard at will.
Social media is not easy.
Social media is not free.
I’ve written before about how to not use social tools. Twitter, Facebook and the mentality behind MySpace, for example.
These posts revolve around a single principle – you can’t successfully use social media to market yourself if you think like an ad executive in the 70′s.
Social media requires a shift in thinking. Stop thinking of your fans as big dollar signs, waiting to buy your concert tickets, latest schwag or newest CD. Start thinking of them as people, with preferences and lives – of which you are a part by their choice.
Spamming your “friends” or fans with glittery comments on the latest and greatest social networking site won’t work, just like sending them auto DM’s or spammy @ messages on Twitter won’t work. You don’t like getting spam email, so why would you ever think of sending spam “conversation starters” across the social web?
Social media isn’t easy, and it’s certainly not free. It requires time, effort and a lot of thought. But first, it requires an understanding that your fans are your fans because they want to be, and not simply open wallets.
They want to be treated like a human being, and you must understand that before you can be successful.
Do you disagree? Perhaps you want to share an example of someone you like using social media well? Leave it in the comments!
Pingback: A Short Girl Living in a Tall City » What Social Media is Not