I’ve gone to countless social media trainings and panels. Some have been helpful. But it’s mainly because of my real-people skills that I’ve become an engaging, somewhat interesting person on social media.
I understand that basic social media how-to trainings are necessary, and I’m genuinely glad I’ve widened my network through social media trainings. But overall, in my humble opinion, we need to stop having the same conversations about social media and start having conversations on social media. Oftentimes, our energy is going in the wrong places.
Trainings about case studies and about sharing ways to track data to prove what you’re doing is helping drive business or grow an online community are valuable. If the goal of a panel or training session is to share how something started as an idea and was implemented in an amazing way, I want to hear about it. But let’s talk with each other, not at each other.
Case in point: My main social media strategy is to do what I do in real life and use those same cues in social media. I look for opportunities to jump into a conversation, but without it feeling forced. I share. I find different subjects to talk about that might be interesting to whoever’s listening. If there are people who engage either me or City Year Milwaukee in conversation, I reply and also try to repay the favor by RTing (retweeting) something they share that other people might be interested in hearing. I ask questions. It’s simple, but it works. I want people to feel comfortable approaching me (or my organization) both online and in real life.
So let’s be real, because I’m real and you’re real. Let’s stop talking in circles and start putting our energy into being real on social media.
Erica Gordon is communications and brand manager at City Year Milwaukee.
