Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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October 15, 2008

A 3-Step Social Media Reality Check

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 10:52 am

Are We Listening to Conversations about Us?

The Living Web

We’ve had some time to learn the social media tool kit — sort the hammers from the levels, figure out which goes with which . . . People who’ve been watching are getting curious.

But don’t get confused. The folks from outside the social media fish bowl aren’t using the same yardstick to decide who knows what and what they need to know for their business.

Ever notice how human it is to forget to follow the same rules that we teach? We might be singing to the choir while we’re networking on the web, but are we practicing what we preach when we’re working with folks who want to join in?

In deliciously ironic way, the best example of customer conversation not being listened to might be those of customers WE are looking to serve. How do WE check?

We can’t Google folks who are talking about us offline.

A 3-Step Social-Media Reality Check

Everyone needs a reality check to stay on track. In a new industry, where the standards are being set and credibility is still a question, it’s vital to keep our game at its best. Here’s a simple way to ensure that we’re in touch with the world and not only hearing what bounces back. I’ve named it a 3-Step Social-Media Reality Check.

Make a point to have regular conversation with friends, acquaintances, and people you’ve just met. Plan to ask these questions and actively listen.

If you made it this far only listening, you’ve got a wealth of information about how the rest of the world thinks.

If you didn’t, . . .

If you couldn’t resist telling folks about what the words really mean, what the tool really is, how the Internet is changing the world . . . hmmmm . . . I suspect you’re might have trouble explaining how social media is different from traditional push marketing.

Reality check: We tell people to listen first. Do we do that?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
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14 Comments to “A 3-Step Social Media Reality Check”

  1. October 15th, 2008 at 11:41 am
    Janet Fouts said

    I run into this a lot in those early conversations with marketing and PR people when we talk about social media campaigns.

    They’ve heard some of the buzz, but haven’t yet made head or tail of what it all means. They know they “want to get social media” because somebody told them they need to get some, but that’s as far as it goes.

    Those of us who are deep in it need to find our teaching hats and remember we had to learn some things too.

  2. October 15th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
    Marshall Kirkpatrick said

    Good stuff, Liz. This is a simple but interesting challenge. It ought to be the first type of test any service provider is subjected to before being hired as a consultant, too.

  3. October 15th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
    SpaceAgeSage -- Lori said

    I agree that we would learn lots from asking those questions and listening — and yes, we tend to be too eager to tell our own story first, when we need to hear theirs first. Funny how we lose sight of such things sometimes.

  4. October 15th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
    David said

    I think that when we start blogging some of us have so many basic and specific questions it is difficult to just listen. It’s too confusing. After doing this for over a year I can say that listening is much more rewarding. And sharing a few simple things learned along the way with someone who is just starting out is also very rewarding.

  5. October 15th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
    Jannie said

    This is all completely new to me, Liz, so I’ll probably have to re-read this post 5 times and come back later to read the comments to understand what you mean.

    Am I just thick as a brick re: new Internet concepts? I really think so.

  6. October 16th, 2008 at 6:14 am
    Kathy said

    These questions are DEEP END OF THE POOL STUFF LIZ!!!! I think your suggestion to try this with acquaintances is INSPIRED!

    I’ve recently begun a quest to “broaden” my social sphere BEYOND the internet. It’s frightening but there are actually people who don’t care about the internet - or blogs - or even social networking. (grin) Try laying your “buzz words” on those folk and just watch their eyes glaze over and roll back into their head!

    You’re so right - social media is just another way of saying “word of mouth advertising”.

  7. October 16th, 2008 at 8:06 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Janet,
    I find the same things, and every mistake I’ve made has happened when I assumed what folks “needed to know” rather than waiting to hear what they were interested in.

    We can’t underestimate the power of listening. :)

  8. October 16th, 2008 at 8:08 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Marshall,
    Great to see you!
    Yeah, all of us need to get grounded again. We’re moving far away from the folks who might use them. :)

  9. October 16th, 2008 at 8:09 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Sage!
    Yeah, the irony is that we tell them to listen first and learn the culture, while at the same time we think we know all about them and their world.

  10. October 16th, 2008 at 8:11 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Kathy!
    Reconnecting to the concrete world has been my quest for most of 2008. It’s harder than it looks, isn’t it? It’s so much easier to hang with the folks who wear the same t-shirt as we do. :)

  11. October 16th, 2008 at 8:12 am
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Jannie,
    Probably you are one of the people we should be asking the questions. If you’re feeling like you don’t understand this, it surely means that you’re not gotten too far into the echo-chamber. :)

  12. October 16th, 2008 at 11:52 am
    Listen first, then speak… | TigerTwoTiger said

    [...] internet comes from listening to the conversations and reacting and engaging accordingly. However, Liz Strauss made a shrewd observation when she suggested that perhaps in our enthusiasm for the technology, we [...]

  13. October 16th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
    Jannie said

    Yes, I am but a humble initiate but a quick learner and grateful for your Successful Blog!

    (Just subscribed to your RSS.)

  14. November 4th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
    Back to basics | SocialMedia404 said

    [...] A 3-Step Social Media Reality Check [...]

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