The most esteemed experts in social media all agree on that “addiction and burnout” with the popularity of social networks like Twitter and Facebook will only happen to those expecting instant gratification. Patience is indeed a virtue. This week one of the most respected bloggers, Tamar Weinberg, wrote the a great article “ Is Social Media Becoming Boring?” to address this very issue.
If you are anything like me, I am plugged into Twitter because I know I will learn what is going on in every corner of the world directly from the local sources, instantly. A perfect example are the recent world natural disasters in Haiti and Chile. These events popped up on Twitter before CNN was airing them. When I tell this to people that have never heard of twitter (hard to believe it, but yes there are still some) they think I am crazy. They don’t get how the power connecting via social networks.
When it comes to social media we need to pace ourselves and create some strategies to avoid the burnout and to ensure that all the time and work that we have already invested does not go to waste. Here are some pointers on doing just that:
- Read books from the greatest authors in Social Media. Business Coach and blogger Stephanie York recently wrote the article “I need someone to help me!!!! 4 ways to find help“. By choosing a mentor like Stephanie, that will encourage you and guide you through your efforts, it will make a world of difference in your everyday psyche. For the professional that aspires to make Social Media part of your life there are some MUST reads. Here are my 4 suggestions: “Crush it! Why Now Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion”, by Gary Vaynerchuk; “Trust Agent” By Chris Brogan and Julien Smith; “The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web”, By Tamar Weinberg. Finally, a book that has a more global approach, articulates the current way business is done and has made an enormous difference in my life is “Linchpin” by Seth Godin. You can purchase them all through Amazon. I have them all together for you on the right hand column of this page.
- Make a Social Media Schedule. It is so easy to feel lost and overwhelmed if you don’t follow a pattern that you can stick to every day. There are many ways to socialize by blending most of your networks into one service and actually schedule action items even if you are away from your office or in the middle of a meeting. Personally, I am a huge fan of Hootsuite.com. Try it. It is free.
- Finally, and maybe most importantly, Social Media is NOT a source of immediate gratification. It takes time for the search engines to recognize you as a trusted source. The ONLY way to accomplish this is by writing and posting on your blog as often as possible. I LOVE WordPress as a blogging platform and I use the “Thesis Theme” with it simply because it is extremely user friendly. One word of caution here. The day you feel like posting has become a chore and not a passion you are doomed. Your posts define you and make you transparent to your readers. If you are writing for the sake of writing without giving it your all, your follower base will sense it and stop following you.
I hope you sense that my soul is filled with a passion to help people into living their own dreams through writing or even video blogging. If any of the above seems foreign to you email me or call me. I respond personally to every call and email. I will never claim that I know it all, but I can probably point you in the right direction.
Michael Mekler
mike@mikemekler.com, 760-846-2671
About Michael Mekler
