Let’s Talk About Social Media for a Second

It’s the weekend (almost) so I thought it would be appropriate to talk about something a little more light in regards to business, PR and everything else you expect from this site.

Let’s talk about social media for a second. I’ve been a obsessed consumer of the medium since an old friend introduced me to Myspace and how the addicting (and rewarding) nature of social life can actually translate beautifully online.

I’ve since made a career surrounding the medium in terms of being a communications technician that solely uses social media as a public relations and advertising tool. It’s been a pretty great ride, but here is what still fascinates me:

We have all of these countless social media sites and startups. It seems like new and amazing ideas are constantly showing up on our screens, and I’ve never once felt ahead of the game. This became obvious to me for the first time about a year ago, when a few friends and I were talking about social media sites we loved.

I was amazed at how many social sites were brought up that I had never heard before. Me. The self-proclaimed social media guru. Joking aside, I was initially disappointed at myself for not being more embedded in this so-called tech culture.

Luckily, I kept at it and disregarded how others could potentially view my Klout (intentional pun). I learned to love social media for its benefits the world and consumers, not just myself. This positioning of the social media ideal now makes me hunger for more knowledge with the medium.

Oh, I have so much more to learn fundamentally, and I will probably never run out of exciting new tools to play with. The difference is that now when someone brings up a social media site I’ve never heard of, I hunger to learn more about it and discover it for myself. The best part is sharing these evolving ideas and concepts with others and starting great conversations about, well I shouldn’t have to say it again.

Speaking of the evolution of social media, I want to write an article soon about my thoughts on the latest book I’ve been reading, The Dragonfly Effect, by Jennifer Aaker and Andy Smith. This book addresses the big scheme of things if you will in how social media can make a real difference in the world and actually affect social change. It provides tools and insights, mainly through stories, of how we can use social media to actually make the world better. What could be considered a loftier goal in this profession?

JN