This is a post about social media becoming the wallflower at the school dance. Businesses are trying to embrace their online personas and are inundated with Tweetdecks, Hootsuites, Twhirls, Tweeties, Seesmics, and other hullabaloo.
However, “The cost of convenience is being expensed at the price of integrity.” (Christina Lor, quote me, seriously.)
I am frustrated, as a consumer, to find that organizations exist on Twitter <via Facebook>. Whyyyyy?
- You aren’t engaging your stakeholders.
- Your FB status is longer than a tweet, so you’re message or link gets cut off.
- different platforms = different strategies = different publics. Plus, the language is different = bad translation
Dr. Mihaela Vorvoreanu, of Purdue University, said,
“Even personal undiscriminated cross-posting across Twitter & Fb is a bad idea.”
She wrote a post, in November, that alluded to ‘total chaos’ from the deconstruction of our ‘relational selves’.
Our relational selves (being different around different groups of people) develop, as she describes, a social intelligence. We create reference groups to identify with and become significant or insignificant compared to other reference groups. Dr. V develops a view on the meaning of messages as the context dependency within a reference group.
As a consumer, I use Twitter, Linkedin, and Facebook differently because I have a range of reference groups and friends that identify with each tool. We communicate in our own context-dependent language and have a different calendar of events. For those that have difficulty relating to social media, it may be the friends you invite to dinner from high school, the ladies you meet up with for a book club or Junior League, and the friends you tailgate with on Saturdays. You may feel like you could not entertain them at once, but tend to include them when there is a common thread of interest or persons of interest.
As a public relations practitioner, I communicate differently with unique messages when engaging with Twitter, Linkedin, and Facebook. Linkedin would not be approriate for the use of abbreviations or hashtags. I want to see what kind of testimonials you’re receiving, who you know, and what experience you have under your belt. Facebook would not sync well with Twitter because you may exceed your character limitations, which render your links as broken and thoughts incomplete. This is a failure. Plus, you cannot keep track of the communication coming in using one platform. You should be checking them all periodically.
I see these social media “experts, mavens, enthusiasts, et cetera” leading workshops and, referencing technology in communications, on television and they make me cringe. Cringe because they are telling people how to fail for free. They all sing the praises of syncing your platforms of communication to broadcast simultaneously, but then you would be neglecting the context of your reference groups and failing your stakeholders.
Why would “experts, mavens, enthusiasts, blah blah blah” encourage you to create fallacy on your integrity and make you look bad? And why would you hire them for that?
Here’s some free advice: Don’t ever sync across the board. If you can’t afford the retainer, pay for the consultation, identify your reference groups and honor your patrons. If you’re above the consultation, then please respond to those that take the time to leave you a message.
Charleston has joined the roster of international cities to participate in the worldwide Twestival! We look forward to building our team and reaching out to the Charleston community in global giving. As we count down the weeks, we ask you to save the date on March 25th! This year’s fundraiser will support Concern Worldwide. Their education programs and initiatives target the world’s poorest countries.
All of the local events are organized 100% by volunteers and 100% of all ticket sales and donations go direct to projects. In a 24 hour period, hundreds of international cities will unite under one cause and impact education at once! Join us as we begin to plan an event for the Charleston community to attend. Support us as we begin seeking sponsorships and put education at the top of your priorities in 2010.
CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) – Whether you have an account or just hear the little bird chirps in line at the store or in a nearby cubicle, chances are you’ve heard of Twitter.
Twitter is a social networking site that allows people all over the world to share updates about themselves and see updates from others.
Since its introduction at the South by Southwest festival in 2007, Twitter has been swelling in popularity. And social media has caught on globally. Now 19 percent of internet users are flocking to sites like Twitter compared to just 11 percent last year.
Live 5 News caught up with some of the Holy City’s top Tweeters and has the scoop on the social media movement to which Charlestonians are flocking.
I’m looking forward to #chstweetup tonight at Bambu in Mt. Pleasant. Christina Lor of Ergonomix PR, who recently relocated to Charleston, is working to launch a new series of Twitter-based networking events here designed to connect a wide variety of professionals and other interested parties.
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Ever wanted to but a human face behind the virtual one on Twitter?
Yeah, me neither. But that doesn’t mean meeting Charleston’s Twitter aficionados in physical form can’t be fun (and a good networking chance.) @CHStweetup will be holding its first gathering on Monday, October 19, at Mount Pleasant’s Bambu at 6 p.m. No word on if conversations will be limited to 140 characters.
Bambu is at 604 Coleman Boulevard. (843) 284-8229.
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