Whether you’re hiring a social media manager, trying to learn how to leverage international social networks, or finally starting to unravel why your Facebook page isn’t as active as it should be, one thing’s certain: Someone always has advice on how to use social media.
It seems like there are more quips, pieces of advice, and warnings about social media out there than there are about romantic relationships or losing weight. Social media advice isn’t as prevalent on your newsfeed as other memes are, such as those “inspirational quotes over sunsets” images. No matter how you use social media though, there’s probably some aspect of it you could be doing better. Perhaps the best bit of advice involves using it to meet customers and foster relationships. There’s really no limit to how much you can use social media for that purpose.
Check out what these celebrities, CEOs and others have to say about social media usage. It might just inspire you to create a meme of them yourself.
1. Khloe Kardashian: On being true to yourself
“Now we have so many more social outlets, so many ways to be stalked and bullied. If social media is too much for you to handle, then don’t have a Twitter or Facebook account. Just be yourself. Be who you want to be.”
It’s hard to disagree with the popular TV socialite here. But snub social media entirely? It’s simply unfathomable to many, especially those who grew up on social media, and companies trying to build their brand. You have to think long and hard about such a proposition because of how essential social media has become to business success. However, it’s important to remember that people survived and thrived before it–it’s not necessarily a requirement for every person or business. To be safe, you may want to go relatively more anonymous with a service like Snapchat though before cutting ties with social media altogether.
2. Mark McKinnon: On owning social media
“Technology and social media have brought power back to the people.”
Of course, you also know the Spiderman-related quote about power–it comes with a lot of responsibility. Social media is as powerful or feeble as you make it, and yet it’s so easy to let it get out of control. From Bill Cosby’s now-legendary social media missteps, flippant tweets that resulted in firings, to Facebook official relationships sometimes carrying more weight than actually committing, social media is what you make of it, either on purpose or by accident.
3. Alexis Ohanian: On time management
“It takes discipline not to let social media steal your time.”
The legendary Reddit co-founder should know, considering his creation sucks hours and hours out of millions of peoples’ days. The truth is, it takes discipline for someone to handle just about anything that’s incredibly enjoyable or addictive in life. You can replace “social media” in this quote with just about everything from Netflix to pizza. Social media has been classified as addictive by experts, and there are even customized programs in addiction facilities to treat it. If you know you’re prone to addiction and/or suspect you’re addicted to social media, asking for help (maybe even on Facebook) is the first step.
4. Simon Mainwaring: On community service
“Social media is not about the exploitation of technology, but service to community.”
This is actually a two-way street. The sheer existence of social media can be a means of serving the global community, and it can also be a means of helping users serve their local community. People rally together on social media to start revolutions, raise funds for worthy causes, and band together to form sports teams. That’s a positive aspect of social media that isn’t always remembered when people complain about its negatives.
5. Amy Jo Martin: On social media as an equalizer
“Social media is the ultimate equalizer. It gives a voice and a platform to anyone willing to engage.”
That’s a nice, idealist thought, but the reality is that social media (and all social media platforms) aren’t accessible to everyone. In China, many of the most popular American social media platforms are either banned or significantly adjust their strategies to cope with that country’s policies. There are millions of people who don’t have access, either because they can’t afford a tech device with internet capability or they live in a region that’s too rural for capable Wi-Fi. It’s not always about “willingness” to engage; sometimes it’s about ability.
No matter what you think about social media, it’s not going anywhere any time soon. It will evolve, change and shift just like you, but the reality is that there’s no better way to stay connected, stay entertained, and spread messages quickly in an online format. The heyday of Facebook may or may not end soon, but until something better (or more addictive) comes along, it and companies similar to it will stay very strong indeed.
Yes, Khloe Kardashian is one of the five. Wisdom can come from the unlikeliest of places.
Written by John Boitnott. To read the full article, click here. For more information on creating your own online brand, custom WordPress website and social media strategy, please visit us at www.mydigibrand.com and follow us everywhere @mydigitalbrand.