Six months ago, I presented to a DeVry University business class and was cheerleading about social media. Last night, I presented an updated deck to a new group of older students taking a intro to business course (many of them re-inventing themselves), and my thermometer around social media took a nose dive. So much so that the instructor asked me what had changed?
We’re all talking to ourselves in a big ubiquitous bubble. Among my Twitter peers, bloggers I follow, comments I post and read, and Facebook pages I like, those engaging are we in public relations, marketing, video production, virtual assistants, website and application development, and other professional services. Invariably, the same names pop up over and over again in the same locations; you can run, but you can’t snare a comment first without someone else getting ahead of you.
Saw a product download tonight “Amplify Your Echo.” Indeed.
It seems to me, the mashup is slowly receding to boundaried categories with confined conversations:
- Social media leaders who publish the most-followed blogs and have the most followers on Twitter. These folks share in the limelight and their content is rich while they educate the masses. Likely, they’re monetizing their social engagement investment with books, speaking gigs, or paid projects.
- Small to Medium Businesses might be engaging online direct to customer or prospect to create their own community, but they are definitely NOT joining the conversation in and amongst the professional services crowd. (The latter want to identify an SMB owner to sell their services.)
- I can back up this statement with my own research to find small-to-medium business owners to enhance my Twitter stream (for my second blog at The SMB Collective). My search on Twellow and Listorious spawned many business coaches seeking new clients, blatantly.
- Public relations professionals at many varying degrees of career development are thick into social media (and if they’re not, they ought to be) to learn from the leaders who, in spite of themselves, are also teachers of the pack. Wonder how many thought leaders relish the idea that they’re de facto teachers when they’d likely prefer to gain a few new clients instead?
Public relations people prefer to talk with their own kind, share in the jargon and marketing speak with which we’re all familiar. That, however, gets us practitioners nowhere fast. Creating a brand as an influencer is dandy; but, what’s the next step to get beyond the time investment with no ROI?
Taking this one step further, what would happen if you stopped blogging, tweeting, Facebooking? Do either of these social channels earn you new business? If you’re in professional services (like public relations, financial planning, legal, accounting) have you been able to productize your online engagement investment in order to monetize it?
In the last week, these thoughts have begun to surface as I begin to bump heads with an amazing “in” crowd on social media. While I never tried to integrate that way, I naturally gravitated to them and them to me. Like breeds like in the case of public relations, and the banter is highly rewarding with people who “get it.”
I don’t have the answers right now, but I sense a sea change coming – like the talk around the blogosphere about the bubble bursting (in re Groupon valuation and Google’s $6 billion offer).
If you can shed some light, I can sure use the help; meanwhile, see you on comment 26 on that A-lister blogger’s next post.
We are talking to ourselves Jayme, so true.
1) That’s human nature. One reason our after hours friends are sometimes our colleagues is because they “get it” and can relate. Crosses over professions, disciplines IMO. You get to know the people you spend the most time with, so in big cities those with long commute, that will be you co-workers as much as your neighbors, church friends, etc.
2) It’s not that I prefer to talk with JUST other PR and SM people. We’re by far the biggest adopter of blogging, Twitter so that’s statistics. When I do find bloggers that write about things other than SM and PR, sometimes it’s interesting to me, others not. I do run into those using it just to push their business. If they are social about it, ok; I’m out here representing my business. If they hard sell, pass.
3) Still goes back to interest and content. I’d expect the rocket surgeons of the world to stick to those blogs, forums, chat rooms more than read my posts on using PR for small business, and vice versa.
It is isolating and I do try to step out of the rut, but only have so much time and energy so I go for what gives me the ROI, helps me develop as a professional, network and make contacts; what gives me pleasure and entertainment as a person, which I keep separate lest my obsessive tweeting about certain TV shows scare away the fishes. FWIW.
Can’t add anything to your well-presented thoughts, Davina. You’re spot on, and I have no answers or a solution to shed some light on our circle of conversation! I do relish the banter among those of us who “get it.” That’s a reward in and of itself! Thank you.
I began to realize this last month. It led me to open a new profile on Twitter specifically for engaging with potential customers, since I knew I couldn’t let go of my current Twitter crowd of colleagues. While I’m still sorting out how best to split my time between the two, it was my acknowledgment of much of what you wrote here: that we naturally flock together, socially, and need to look beyond our comfort zones if we want to truly benefit ourselves, business-wise…
You’re smart to try and find a solution; I hope it works for you! Not quite sure how we get beyond this conundrum; the businesses are focused on engaging we consumers; we in service want new business; students are learning from the leaders — who’s really gaining? Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Jayme, you’re absolutely right. This is a frustration I’ve felt many times, and it usually causes me to leave Twitter for a few days. Can’t say more than that right now because my brain is fuzzy from a cold and I have a feeling I’d say too much.
Totally understand, Jenn. Too much engagement causes endless cycles of unproductive thought.
I agree BUT hold a little reservation in completely jumping the fence to say that we are all talking to ourselves… Although I do understand what you mean by it.
People forget that most social media tools were developed by nerds and for nerds to talk about nerdy stuff. They created this stuff because they could and it was cool. It was never ‘initially’ intended to be the monster that it is.
There will always be those people that spend their lives online mass marketing to everyone and for everything. To them I would ask to see the ROI of their time and money. Must be worth it if they’re still doing it.
Then again, I also believe that social media’s real brilliance is to those that take the time to find people that they either have common interest with, work with or could potentially work with. The client/business scenario can work perfectly as long as the conversation starts online and is then taken offline for a more formal/traditional business approach.
Social media is a great tool to introduce and learn about people. If over used by anyone then yes… we all might as well talk to ourselves.
just my 2 cents 🙂 Great post!
Hi, Paul. You raise some great points, and I’ve engaged with potential business partners, with people I’ve hired, and even people with whom I collaborate on a second blog. While this is not actual monetization for me, social media has certainly broadened my horizons with a new community I trust. That is truly priceless when you come right down to it. Thanks for popping in!
You need a kick in the butt.
This sounds incredibly whiney to me. Aren’t you accountable for your own experience on the social web? If you’re bored, change it. If you are sick of the A-listers, unfollow them (I have stopped reading most of their blogs – liberating). If you are in the Echo Chamber, it is an environment that YOU have created. Nobody put you there but you.
There is a very wonderful world to explore out there. Many genuine and brilliant people, and yes, they have helped me build my business and become friends too (like many of the people commenting here).
I’m disappointed you’re poisoining the attitude of others because you’re crumbling under the weight of an experience that YOU have built. Remember the joy and excitement we felt when you and I first connected? Spoke on the phone? I still feel that every day and your audience can too but you have to be accountable for what you’re creating, Jayme.
And I still love you by the way. : )
OUCH! Point taken; indeed, I did need that. Thanks?
We are all responsible for our web experiences Mark, so very true. I still keep some so called A listers and thought leaders around in the Twitter, reader to sometimes see what they’re doing and saying. Keeps me honest. As I explore this world out there, I find others kinda like me: those that blog, use Twitter, are social; that’s still only a small segment of society.
Not sure Jayme was poisoning attitudes, quite the opposite. I read this as a call for change, to be open to other voices, to seek out different opinions so we all don’t just talk to ourselves, agreeing with each other. I admit that my interests and motivations sometimes silo me into my own little bubble, which does need your kick in the butt, so thanks.
The Importance of Talking To Yourself – https://counseloradvice.com/talking-to-ourselves-why-do-we-talk-to-ourselves/