First of all, I have my friend Lou to thank for yet another blog topic. Following my presentation today, he made a comment to someone about social media which I loved. As you first learn about it and realize the sheer size of the social universe, your singular participation can feel like you are “trying to bail out the ocean.” Social Media is still a mystery to many professionals and businesses, but so was the internet fifteen years ago. The question is whether or not you let someone else try to bail out the ocean—your competitor perhaps, or the person next to you vying for the same job?
How big is the social media universe? If you haven’t seen this 4.5 minute presentation titled Social Media Revolution by Eric Qualman, go watch it. I think it does a great job in providing a comparative view of its size, demographics, growth. And there’s a snappy musical accompaniment that makes you want to shimmy. For example, if Facebook were a country, it would be the fourth largest country in the world…
Pretty cool, huh? Now let’s get back to the real question—how do you execute a successful strategy without getting lost or shipwrecked in the ocean? The social media universe is a BIG place. However, social media is made up of smaller communities who share common interests, causes, experience, professions, etc. So in terms of your participation (as a business or individual), it is about connecting to those people who are your target demographic (for lack of a better phrase)—customers, consumers, hiring managers, business leaders, thought leaders, etc. In which case, your world gets much smaller, and with with the right strategy and execution, you will swim, not sink.
