Getting Liked, Followed, Connected to Those That Really Matter

(A look at how social media moves the boundaries of personal and professional relationships: Blog 3)

Much of our current generation clambers over itself to get found and followed, without truly knowing the meaning or relevance of actually connecting with an audience that matters. It’s all just too easy to get seduced by the latest media trend, money maker (scam), or numbers game. Lost in the gimmicks of new technology or the persuasive words of non "experts." There is always a perceived "formula", and those that evolve quickest, with ruthless efficiency and focus, are the ones that make a difference. They rapidly adapt to changes that spawn opportunity, and via appropriate networking, transparency and mutual respect, stay ahead of the predictable hangers-on that scrap for subsequent crumbs. This is our culture, it’s whatever instantly gratifies and works. It’s less effort that way.

Opportunity and innovation get pushed and pulled in every feasible way. Make money, make friends, make noise, it all gets so tiresome and unbelievable. Such that when it has no substance or worth, it dies quickly and everyone moves on to the next big thing.

It seems we care less about respect and charting a course to prosperity, and more about being present, in someone’s face, shouting to be heard over one another, regardless of what "stuff-and-nonsense" we have in mind. We want to be heard! But we don’t seem to care who’s listening.

There is a clear difference between the way current and previous generations look at society, work and play. Private or public, office or home, work or leisure... Everything is now merging into one. But take personal, face to face contact away and it is so much easier to be brave, loose tongued, challenge authority, disrespect experience and mock guidance. Take away social and professional responsibility, now the corporate world and society at large has a much more volatile environment in which to try and leverage/nurture knowledge experts.

We have to use our knowledge, humor, skills per se, and project them to people that actually understand, and want to be engaged. That is fundamentally how we get found and followed. There is such an overload of digital media, overrated and spewed from every outpost of the information superhighway. In that regard Google and its beloved Panda had a point when they went after all the bamboo.

Being a difference maker in social media circles is tough. With so much regurgitation and dumbing down, what’s unique? Where is the integrity and trust? Being Liked, Found and Connected to people that really make a difference hangs on our capacity to digest, then discard or articulate information appropriately. That is true of all professional or social networks, we should be looking to command respect, confidence, and rapport at all costs. Wider reach and diversification to other audiences will come once we establish these core principles. Genuine and powerful like-ability, following and connections come from our ability to innovate with social media while harnessing the most effective technologies as the platform of choice. Where it helps, embrace it, where it hinders, kick it out. Empower and engage, and they will come!

Photo Credit: Shutterstock/Photosani

Series

• Blog 1: Nobody Really Cares About You!
• Blog 2: The Visual Display Unit Has a Lot to Answer For