When Social Networking Gets It Wrong

Social networking is a vital tool these days for any brand or business. In order to compete and become known by the public and media, you’ve got to use social networking positively. Those that embrace the usage of social networking and do it well make strides in their business and branding. It is perfect for the wordy person who is talented, but doesn’t have a network of go-to people that can help them get to that next step. Social networking is a grassroots way of getting your name out there, and it takes just a few minutes of strategic planning a day to achieve. But there are times when social networking gets it wrong. And that is what gets me upset about this whole tweeting, Facebooking, blogging phenomenon.

There are supposed social networking experts out there who claim that they can help you, and charge a mighty fee to do so, but do not give you even half of the return on your investment. These individuals prey on those who “don’t know any better”, people who may be new to social networking, or those that are not confident in their current skills to break through the noise that is the Internet. These experts give you static advice that is readily available on any keyword search on Google or any community forum online.

The thing is, everyone claims to be an expert. And mostly, the information is recycled material heard from other experts. I say, be careful when dealing with an “expert”. True social networking phenoms share their information via their blogs, websites, videos and such, so why pay a middle man to get this information when you can get it right from the source? Social networking can make anyone and “expert” or a “star” without having much of a background to back it up.

When social networking gets it wrong, people who are subpar writers, personalities, and experts get to shine. Do you remember the Best Buy commercial last year in which there was a football stadium full of people? Everyone was shouting a question to the Best Buy employee, and it appeared to be just a lot of incoherent yelling. The loudest person wasn’t always the one who got selected to answer. It was the person who made themselves noticeable that got to ask the question. The same is true with social networking. It’s not the best writers, bloggers, personalities, artists, experts, etc. that get seen. This is why you have to be careful with social networking.

A true social networking expert understands that to get known in the the realm he/or she desires, they must be resilient, determined, and obsolete. They also understand that they will make mistakes and may take two steps forward and then two steps back. Sometimes it’s the most noticeable person who gets the attention, not the smartest or the most talented. Use your assets and positives to shine amongst the people around you.

When social networking gets it wrong, I want to head for the hills and unplug. But when it get its right, its an invaluable source of valuable information that can help you and I.

Do your homework, plan, goal set, and constantly absorb good information by actual experts that can help you get to that ne