A few weeks ago, Rick Astley helped me introduce the concept of being committed to being awesome.  But there was

The most awesome shirt EVER!

one problem in the post: we never discussed what “Social Media Awesomeness” really is, so you know what exactly you are committing yourself to.

So let’s do just that right now.

First, though, let’s address the elephant in the room.  Social Media Awesomeness is NOT about how many followers you have.  Sorry.  It’s just a number.  Bigger is generally better.  But having a large number of followers does not make you awesome.  I’ve encountered decidedly un-awesome people who have lots of followers and fans.

Second, just because you’ve been on the wagon for a few years does NOT make you awesome, either.  Seniority in social media does not necessarily equate with Social Media Awesomeness.

Network size and veteran status may be traits that many awesome people share, but they are not exclusive to awesome folk.

OK, with that out of the way, let’s discuss 5 Characteristics of Social Media AWESOME People:

1. Awesome people listen. Social Media is still a new frontier.  (Case in point: Did you realize MySpace, a network many people say has outlived it’s usefulness, launched in 2003?  This Web 2.0 world is barely potty trained.)  As a still-emerging landscape, there are countless sites, networks, tools that you (and me, too) just don’t know.  But someone else does.  Read, watch, pay attention – what may not even be a blip on your radar may be the next major trend.

2. Awesome people converse. More specifically, awesome people have conversations with people, and don’t preach.  We can all learn valuable information from each other.  However, if you’re awesome, you likely have something just as valuable to contribute to the conversation.  Don’t be afraid of that.  Along the same line, awesome people enjoy interacting with new people.

3. Awesome people blaze trails. People who are Social Media Awesome go places, literally, electronically, creatively, that other people haven’t been before (at least the people they know!).  Think about how you can get MORE out of social media and figure out a way to make it happen.

4. Awesome people like people. The power of social media is immense.  It’s truly something that is undersold.  Look at the people you can interact with in real-time around the world!  It has changed how we communicate, how we get our news, how we share our lives with friends and families, how we value privacy.  Unreal!  Well, truly awesome people remember that behind each Facebook profile and Twitter account and  YouTube video, there is a living, breathing human being.  Schedule a phone chat with someone you met online.  Go to a TweetUp for a drink after work and meet the people behind the avatars.  You’ll find you probably like them even more after you’ve met them in real life!

5. Awesome people take nothing for granted. Being awesome takes effort and dedication.  And both of those mean nothing without consistency.  Awesome social mediaites  bring their A+ Game each and every day because, well, you never know who you’ll encounter.  It doesn’t get much simpler than that.

I think it’s safe to say that, like perfection, we are all chasing awesomeness.  It’s something that may be just beyond our grasp.  But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t rededicate ourselves to the cause every morning.

Tell me, what other traits can lead to pure Social Media Awesomeness?