SOcial MEdia's 'SO ME' Should Be 'SO WE'

Several weekends ago, I delighted in a visit with my Godsister’s occasionally shy young son. After complimenting his snazzy duds and planting a peck on his cheek, my heart was instantly warmed when his little mouth sang appreciation.   

Research continues to record communication trends stacking textersation and Social Media consumption against old school talk. Aptly nicknamed ‘So Me,’ Social Media has managed to resurrect the ‘Me Decade’ which I once mistook for death like 80s disco. What is increasingly becoming a forgotten expression are two of the most important words in the English language – Thank you.         

With all of its utilitarian good, technology’s unleashing of mannerless monsters mark a ‘disconnect’ in the intended connection. Since media like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest were designed with social in mind, the ‘all about me’ vibe is wickedly ineffective. In order to maximize ‘social,’ you’ve got to get over you.

A negative impression is planted anytime a Twitter account holder, whether a swag-heavy marketing expert, global corporation or regular Joe Blow, neglects to acknowledge follower and non-follower comments. Granted, the Twitterverse timeline is Big Apple packed in rush hour traffic so occasional oversight is forgivable.

However, you’ll shift your ‘me’ to ‘we’ gears if you abide by the manner-molding words of Brit Morin, CEO, Brit + Co: “Your audience wants R-E-S-P-E-C-T. It’s important to respond to literally every tweet, Facebook message, and so forth. It shows users you respect them – and then they start evangelizing for you.”

Rather than hurl how-to tips on getting your manner groove on, observation of the white-gloved etiquette of a few peeps will lend an enormous clue. On Twitter, check out Boom Social CEO Kim Garst @KimGarst. Her timeline is always polished with thank you(s). Your assignment is complete when you post a comment on the blog of leadership guru, Mark Sanborn, at http://www.marksanborn.com/blog/. As a first time visitor, I received ‘Thanks Shari’ via iPhone after leaving a comment. Nice touch!      

Everyone might be going social but social is best when done with a side of supersized manners.                         

    

5 Tips to Transform from SM Faker to SM Shaker

I awakened earlier this week not to Superstorm Sandy’s slashing roar, thank God, but to a CNN phone interview with Corey Booker. What registered impressive was the exclamation point the interviewer attached to the Newark, NJ mayor’s commitment to audience engagement. Dubbed the Mayor of Twitter for having been the first city chief to hook over 1K followers, Booker exudes Social Media swag. Massive following aside, it’s actually his through-the-roof responsiveness that’s fist bump worthy.    

Social Media expertise I don’t dare claim but as a former journalist, I know a little ‘something something’ about communications. If here to confirm what I say, Ray Charles would be inclined to orchestrate a requiem for courtesy. Blog comments, tweet responses and retweets left unacknowledged and unanswered punctuate the abandonment of manners in the digital age. Ugh, the choice not to engage is rattling and seemingly, technology’s sharp gains have dulled our communication edge. 

Believe it or not, tools billed as social are sometimes the very antithesis of. As writers, we bear responsibility for revving the conversational engine and showing a little audience love. So, who will you be on Social Media – a faker who avoids engagement like HIV or a conversation shaker like Booker?

Here are five tips to transform you from Social Media faker to Social Media shaker:

1. Check Direct Messages on Twitter regularly and respond accordingly. If a fellow Tweep has taken the time to contact, the least you can do is respond. Without reciprocation, silence sends the message to the one who initiated contact that they’re unimportant. That’s so not a good look.  
2. If a fellow Tweep initiates a #FF (Friday Follow) recommendation, don’t hesitate to acknowledge his or her kindness. Better yet, repay the #FF favor in the near future.    
3. Keep tabs on mentions and never fail to recognize Tweeps who maintain your presence on their timelines, especially when you’re not actively tweeting.  Mentions are quick draws for new followers.
4. Never take retweets or favorites for granted. Retweets and favorites indicate informational or interest value so express appreciation for the opportunity afforded to broaden your audience.      
5. Make a habit of acknowledging Tweeps who comment on blog post tweets. Of all the things that could be read, the choice was made to invest time in your written creation. The decision to indulge your words or video deserves thanks, especially when one doesn’t have to.    

Like communication discourtesy, the Social Media faker is dead. Wake up and shake it up!      

                   

Give Me a Tweet But Hold The Profanity

Look, I’m a huge proponent of social media engagement as Facebook and Twitter have propelled personal and professional connectivity to new heights. What’s disconcerting, however, is the plethora of profanity tied to some tweets, in particular. Call me prudish, but when a certain actor, now unemployed, set off “#thataintwinning” on Twitter like a raging blaze, it was as if the foul language laden dogs had been unleashed.

Adding insult to injury, the N-word also registers with Twitter frequency the same as a teenager’s texting thumbs.  Today, some defend the N-word as a casual endearment, but it replicates the same ignorance when it was coined ages ago. Plain and simple, history cannot be erased so in many circles, the word still conjures hurts.   

By no means is this an attempt to suppress free speech but a call to implore the vocabulary crippled to lean on more respectable posts. Anyone who relies on profanity and the N-word to express his or her thoughts due to stunted growth in the English language is the surefire mark of a loser like Charlie Sheen(less). Tell me, where’s the winning in that?      

SM Rebirths Trend and Facebook As Verbs

These days, social media reigns and nowhere is this more apparent than how the English language continues to evolve. Words once categorized as nouns have suddenly taken on new life as verbs. For example, shedding its skin as a noun, the word “trend” has been reinvented as the verb, trending, to reflect hot topics popularized via Twitter.

Frequently, I’m asked “do you Facebook?” While Facebook is recognized as the name of a social media site, to many, it corresponds to a participatory act.

What’s acceptable in casual conversation is often unacceptable in formal writing. However, if you insist on utilizing trend and Facebook in the active sense, my recommendation is to keep it flowing from your lips and not from your pen.