Don't Burst My Bubble: Why I Think the Social Media Bashers Are Wrong

We are in a social media bubble that is about to burst.

Twitter is stupid.

The hype about the benefits of social media is deafening.

Three comments from three different people. All this last week. Ironic that they were posted on a social networking site. So, technically, they were using social media to sound off on the worthlessness of social media.

Why I think the the social media bashers are wrong

I always have a problem with blanket statements, like, "Twitter is stupid" and "Social media is all hype. As just one of the gadgets in my marketing box, it is there to supplement, to leverage, to add to the building of relationships.

 For me, it's working.

Being active—on Twitter, Biznik, LinkedIn—helps me keep track of what my colleagues and ideal customers are doing. It helps me understand my prospective clients' needs better.

It allows me to reach out and connect when I can't always be there in person. And by sharing what I know, I build credibility and trust.

But every business has to figure that out for themselves: whether it works or it's a waste of time.

Social media coolness: a waterfront walk with a phenomenally gifted woman

I just returned from a trip to San Francisco for an all-day WordCamp conference. So there were workshop sessions and networking, with the chance to introduce our new business, Savvy WordPress, to a whole bunch of casual WP users.

But what happened beyond the conference was even more amazing.

I met Kare Anderson two years ago on Biznik, the business networking site for solo biz owners. She is scary smart—a former Wall Street Journal reporter and now a nationally recognized expert in communication and collaboration. Kare offers amazing insights and thoughtful advice at her two blogs: Say It Better and Moving From Me to We.

We started with just conversations. Commenting on each other's articles. Talking in the forums.

Now I consider Kare to be not just a colleague, but a friend as well. We have bounced ideas off each other and she has generously shared her thoughts and advice about our new biz venture.

And coolest of all? We met for the first time on our trip to SF. We had a three-hour walk-and-talk along the waterfront. We discovered how much we had in common and talked about new ways to collaborate.

And it all started on a simple social networking site.

Who knows where it will lead?

A clever, compassionate dog 

Okay. This one is a little weird. I met @winecountrydog on Twitter, the micro-blogging site. I wrote a post about how excited I was because I was finally going to meet him. And how much he can teach us about branding.

On the Sunday after the conference, Bob and I rented a car and drove up into the green hills of Sonoma wine country. @winecountry dog (and his human) met us at the breathtakingly beautiful Michel Schlumberger wine estate.

We talked for hours at a lovely patio table overlooking the vineyards, sipping incredible wines from organically farmed grapes, all of them grown, produced and bottled on-site. As @winecountrydog, a beautiful Welsh Corgi, lie under the table snoozing, I got to know this amazing person behind the dog.

We learned that we both came from writing/editing backgrounds. We both cared deeply about animals and people in crisis. And we both recognized the power of Twitter to bring people and ideas together.

What will come of it?

I am not one to expect new business to naturally come from growing a relationship. That is the beauty of online networking—or any networking, for that matter. You just leave yourself open to the possibilities and go where it takes you.

We talked about the Louisiana oil spill and its effect on the planet. About the proper way to taste wines (which I needed a lot of help with). About what a magnificent tool Twitter is for building awareness of important issues.

And—just briefly—how a book written by Tilin (AKA @winecountrydog) might help kids understand the way all of us—animals, people, and the land—are intricately connected.

Who knows? That book just might happen.

So, yeah. I think social media works for me.

What about you? What do you think?

Comments

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