I spend a great deal of time showing people how to use social media to help market their businesses. I spend a good chunk building and implementing social media strategies for clients too. People really want to understand how they can these new communication tools to help drive new opportunities in their doors. I totally get that. I want to do that too!
But sometimes, it’s good when social media isn’t all about business. Sometimes, it’s good when it’s just…social.
I’ve been hanging around on Twitter since early 2007. At that time, there weren’t many of us there. My Twitter social circle was pretty small. And in those early days, we spent most of our time just socializing. We chit chatted, joked around, and participated in random silliness. We didn’t spend much time self-promoting, or gushing over gurus, or “leveraging the tools to drive business goals”. We just played with it, and had fun, and got to know each other. We became friends….good friends.
Somewhere along the way, “goofing off” on social networks seems to have become somewhat taboo. If you’re messing around, you’re not getting your super important work done. If you’re being silly, and chit chatting and carrying on, then you’re making too much noise. If you’re not taking things seriously, then people start to take you less seriously. If you’re letting your personal life creep into your online presence, then you’re somehow less of a professional.
But you know what? I’d rather do business with people who have more than one side to them. I’d rather get to know people for their professional talents AND for the kind of human being they are. And sometimes, I don’t want to sell my widgets to people. And I don’t want to have widgets sold to me either, just because we “have a relationship” and are “engaging with each other”.
Sometimes, I just want to hang out with my friends. Because a lot of my friends these days don’t live in the same city, or heck, even the same country as me. And hanging out and chit chatting on Twitter or Facebook or whatever is how we go out for coffee, or beers, or lunch, because we can’t do that in person very often. It’s how we keep up with each others’ lives and families and careers. It’s how we support each other in tough times and celebrate with each other in good times.
So…..Jon, Becky, Amber, Bob, Chris, Other Bob, Diane, Steve, Deb, Chel, Danny, Jason, and Ian…and everyone else in this wacky online world, who I am so honoured to have as my friends. Thanks for goofing off with me. I appreciate all the richness and laughter and hugs and love you bring to my life.
[photo by: gaspi*yg]
4 Comments
Congratulations for articulating my thoughts so well. I so enjoy checking in with my friends wherever they may be. I learn from them. I enjoy their blogs, their art, their ideas and often buy their widgets. I am always surprised and offended when someone says that Twitter is only for business. There is room for everyone. I probably would never have met you in real life if it had not been for Twitter. Don’t change the perfect way you use Twitter 🙂
Just a big ole yes here. Since when did social media stop being social? The random chats are what make the channels awesome.
Totally agree with you on this Susan. I know through experience that clients that let a little personality and silliness into their Twitterfeeds get a lot more traction than those that just broadcast.
Love this. If it wasn’t for the goofing off I never would have started to engage in a lot of these networks, and certainly wouldn’t keep with it.
I always joke that Twitter works for me because I can talk about my favourite HBO shows with a lot of people who feel the same 😉