Make sure you click on the link, because it kick-started the “Awesome” phase of this blog, further developed here. And of course, we are still very much awesome these days, with the “Your Daily Awesome” series in high gear.
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?
You won’t admit it publicly, but it’s OK. I’ll take care of it.
You LOVE Rick Astley.
No shame in it. Great pop artist from the 1980s who, despite being the punchline for countless jokes has always seemed like an easy-going, play-along-with-it kinda guy.
His most famous song, of course, is “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Here is one of my favorite versions (yes, I fancy myself an aficionado of the song):
Do you know what he’s singing about? My guess is that you are thinking “love” or “lust” or maybe even some form of 1980s narcotic.
Nope. He’s giving everyone a lesson on social media.
Let’s examine a few lyrics to prove the point:
“You know the rules and so do I” – Social Media, while still a vast, unexplored frontier, has some rules. Common courtesy, polite discourse and give-and-take debate rules all. Play nicely, kiddies!
“A full commitment’s what I’m looking for” – To be successful in social media, you need to jump in head-first and stay neck-deep. If you don’t participate in the discussion as much as possible, you’ll be left behind. That’s not to mean that you have to be connected 100% of the time. Just do it and do it right as it fits within your schedule.
“I just wanna tell you how I’m feeling” – Be honest online. Be yourself. The more honesty you give, the more honesty you’ll get and you’ll build real professional and personal connections with people.
“Never gonna give you up” - Don’t stop! Even if it’s hard and frustrating, keep on keeping on. You made a full commitment, right?
“Never gonna let you down” – With content, you’ll never make EVERYONE happy. However, give it your best effort, be it a Tweet, a video or a blog post. Give your all and be authentic to yourself and that will resonate with your growing community.
“Never gonna make you cry” – Yes, the truth does hurt sometimes, but don’t offend people just to offend people. While shock-jocks may get good radio ratings for a while, ticking people off just to be shocking is a one-way ticket to obscurity and irrelevance in the social media realm.
“Never gonna say goodbye” – Full commitment, remember?
The rest of the song basically hammers home these points, in a glorious lyrical method.
So what are the main lessons Rick Astley has taught us about social media?
1. Be there.
2. Be yourself.
3. Be part of the community.
4. Be committed to being awesome.
And if you can’t commit to being awesome, just what are you doing reading my blog?
