This book can be purchased at: http://www.amazon.ca/Socialnomics-Social-Media-Transforms-Business/dp/1118232658
Today we continue our look at Chapter One. “Who Cares What You Are Doing?”
I can’t count the number of times that I have had people ask me why I bother with Facebook, Google+, Twitter and other social networking applications. People completely understand the usefulness of LinkedIn, but the others don’t seem to be important. People ask me why I care if someone tweets that they are stuck in traffic. Most of the time, I don’t care and the information is discarded as soon as it is read.
Erik points out that people who use social media efficiently subconsciously filter the noise like ‘what someone had for supper’, from the important stuff like ‘my niece just had a baby’. I know that’s what I do.
Another thing that I do, is to group things together to help my brain prioritize. I use Facebook only for family and Google plus for friends. LinkedIn is for business and anyone can contact me by text message or email. I’ve talked before about the Hierarchy of communication and how society is slowly moving in that direction. Each form of communication has an associated urgency and an expected response.
Most modern mobile devices have different sounds associated with the different forms of communication. I ignore emails but respond to text messages immediately for example.
In Erik’s example a supermom is time shifting by checking social media while waiting in the grocery line. She starts by posting that the grocery store is out of mayo, then she reads about how a friend is boarding a plane to DC for the weekend, another friend comments on how her kids like Mandarin’s, Her daughter posts that she got an A on an exam and then she gets a reply to her post from another friend suggesting that she swap yogurt for mayo. The super-mom still has a few minutes before she gets to the front of the line, so she dashes over to get some yogurt and picks up a $10 gift card for Starbucks to give to her daughter to celebrate the A.
Erik’s example is a bit more complicated, but you get the gist. Super-mom ignores the noise and uses her time to sync with her family and friends.
There are lots of times when checking your email or text messages is not appropriate, like in the middle of a conversation or a business meeting, but the checkout line is perfectly appropriate.
I have watched my children carry on multiple conversations at the same time using social media. Planning a weekend event can take place anywhere at anytime. My daughter had to get a Blackberry when she went away to University because that was the primary social network at the university she attended. I recently added BBM to my iPhone so that I could connect with business colleagues that use Blackberry devices and my daughter.
People who don’t see the value of Social Media, generally don’t understand how to use it properly. This web site and its associated BLOG are a form of social media that allows me to communicate with friends and potential employers and business partners. It provides me with a way to express myself and helps other understand what I’m all about.
As we work through the next few chapters, Erik and I will provide you with examples of how Social Media is changing the way we communicate and do business. It helps us to maintain a larger circle of friends, stay in touch with geographically dispersed family and maintain business relationships around the world.