Tweet

Why Are You Using Social Media?

Guest post by: Linda Ockwell-Jenner

Article Overview: If you don't know what social media is or why you are using it you are losing out big time!

Why Are You Using Social Media?

I know, you have heard all you want to hear about social media, it's not new anymore, but so many people are using it as a platform to build their presence in the world of business, and also a platform to sell their products and services. There is a difference between selling and creating awareness and everyone has their own agenda and will do what works for them. When I first entered the world of social media my instincts alerted me to the fact that if I tried to sell myself as a Motivational Speaker/Author I would be fighting a losing battle. Also, and this is really hard to believe if you know me in real life, I am not a sales person, I could not sell you a bottle of water if it was the last one on earth and you offered me a million dollars, I would give you the water for free! Weird, yes I can hear you saying, why would I give something away that I could sell?

First and foremost I came into my own when I decided I wanted to help people, I had a purpose in life, and it was about me this time, not about being a daughter, a sister, a friend, a wife or a mother. All those things are wonderful and I continue to be there for all those people in my life, but I was never really, truly me - a person. I am innocent in many ways and I thought that if I stood up and talked about, as an example health and wellness that everyone would see the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle they would all follow my advice and that would mean I had been successful in my quest to help others.

In my case I soon discovered that firstly, what people see is not always what people want to see, and another example would be people tend to listen and take seriously advice from someone who is successful. Yes, success is different for everyone, but if you have written a best selling book and you have made thousands of dollars then you can stand up in front of an audience and they immediately listen and take an interest and believe you because - you are successful. Rubbish I know, but that is the plain truth of the matter.

Now I am not saying I was not in my early days good at what I did, I was and I still am and I get better every day, but not enough people knew who I was. It was at this point I discovered social media, in the very early days before all the very well known social media sites today. I practised in those early days to see what worked for me and how I should portray myself. I became the 3 wise monkeys.

Remember the question I asked you earlier was - Why are you using social media? This question is very important and if you don't know then find out, fast, or you will lose out big time!

I realised that I could be ME on social media, I could be the real me and I could help people, get to know people, inspire people and much more. Influencing people on social media is very important to me, but I know that if people follow me and don't like what I say they will quickly un-follow me and that is a bit like if you are in real life situation on the stage and your audience walks out on you. Hurtful but it is a learning experience.

Social media, for me is a great way to reach out to a larger audience and help them, and yes in turn it helps Motivational Steps too. Over time I have gained a lot from social media in many ways and I am forever thankful for that, but it is hard work and you do need to know why you are using social media in the first place. What's in it for you? But more importantly whats in it for your followers?

Related Articles
  “Should I or shouldn’t I”
  Resourcing B2B social media
  Social Media is NOT about Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin
  Legal Marketing: Social Media and Law Firms
  Social Media Gains Momentum for B2B Marketers
  Strategies For Utilizing Social Media Outlets
  Social media : why should my business use this resource?
  The Remarkable Growth of Social Media - an Infographic
  SOCIAL MEDIA: THE NEW GOLDEN AGE OF COMMUNICATING!
  Legal Marketing: Blog opportunities
  13 Signs Your Business is Heading for Social Media Obscurity
  How To Use Social Media For Your Business
  Where Are You in Social Media Adoption Curve?
  Is Social Media Killing Your Business?
  Brands 50% more popular than celebrities in social media
  12 Tips for the Social Media Newbie
  How Social is Your Email?
  Are you paying people to update their Facebook profile?
  It's All About Social Media Do's And Don'ts
  ••••••>Take Advantage of Twitter and other Social Media Options for SEO

Article Tags: awareness, awareness big time, marketing, networking, platform, sales, social media



Related Forum Posts
Re: Kevin needs "social glue" ideas - Hi, I like the idea of "10 items that could act as "social glue" because I am an internet marketer. But I agree with the rest that the 10 recent post is nice. Maybe we should open up a new section in the forums on Social Media...or Social Media Marketing. I will tell you that the world is about 1 1/2 behind when it comes to understanding social media. Building a section now will put EvanCarmichael.com is a great position a year down the road when people realize Social Media can produce more traffic than SEO. Jeff
Re: Kevin needs "social glue" ideas - [quote="WebBizIdeas.com":gvtxsu7g]Hi, I like the idea of "10 items that could act as "social glue" because I am an internet marketer. But I agree with the rest that the 10 recent post is nice. Maybe we should open up a new section in the forums on Social Media...or Social Media Marketing. I will tell you that the world is about 1 1/2 behind when it comes to understanding social media. Building a section now will put EvanCarmichael.com is a great position a year down the road when people realize Social Media can produce more traffic than SEO. Jeff[/quote:gvtxsu7g] Hi Jeff, Thanks for the suggestion. Why don't you start a new post (with a poll) to see if there's enough interest in your idea for a social media section?
Re: UPDATES: New Campaign! New Layout! New Ideas! - GT - thanks for the FYI - I'm not sure if we'll put a link back. Something to consider though! Trent - the new category is "Social Network and Media" which was put in to compliment the Online Businesses category that currently exists. Overall the new categories are: - Looking For, Networking and Events - Review My... - Social Network and Media - Brags and Rants These came as a result of Ringo doing research on other forums and thinking about what could be improved on ours to give a better experience for everyone. I hope you enjoy them! David, I'm looking forward to reading your Brag / Rant!
Re: Marketing 2.0 - What Are Your Thoughts - Hi Shri, Thanks for posting this. I also read it and I believe Social Media is here to stay, until the next best thing comes up. Social media proved to be useful for me many times and I think everyone should use it for their business.
Re: Social Media Marketing Ignorance - [quote="vbn411":7qciluxl]Social Media is space that you have to be in to succeed in our current climate. People are going to be discussing your brand / product whether you like it or not, so you might as well join the conversation and add value. [/quote:7qciluxl] I think that's probably one of the most realistic way to think about it. There's no real textbook way of understanding Social Media, it's the networks of people and their interactions that will exist with or without your input. As for Jennifer, You can always have 2 Facebook pages. Many people do. There is also LinkedIn, which is like a professional networking version of Facebook. The only way to know is to try it.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Link Pyramids

Resolving A Conflict Between Two Sales Staffs

When Living the Dream isn't enough!

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.