I am not a guru!
At least I don’t think of myself as a guru, but some people seem to think I have this social media thing wired. I’m not sure I do 100%, but I know there are some who are baffled by it. I was once in their shoes, totally in over my head, I even gave up on everything for awhile; no Twitter, no Myspace, no blog, nothing. I just figured it was all a waste of time.
After several months, I started back on my blog, kicked the dust off my Twitter account and started interacting a little. I went to my first Tweet-up with a few locals and suddenly the dark ages were behind me.
I’m not a specialist, I’m not a guru, I don’t consider myself an expert, but some folks think I know what I’m talking about and occasionally hit me up with questions. If not for the help of a few friends, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today with social media, so when another friend and local asked me for some of my time to explain things, I was happy to oblige.
Really, she just needed a little demystifying to get through the clutter. She had people pulling her in all different directions with what she “should” be doing online, and it was a bit overwhelming. She’s very active in Facebook, but she didn’t understand Twitter. Being a very gregarious business owner, I told her the most important thing about social media is being social. Interaction is far more important than any of the technology. We talked about different technology options and I tried to help her understand my process and what works for me, but really, it comes down to having a little interaction with people.
At the end of the conversation, she asked me if she could do something for me; a gift certificate maybe. I told her that wasn’t necessary, but if she really wanted to do something, pay it forward to someone else. Do something to use her unique experience to help someone else.
If I’ve learned anything from social media, its that I thrive when I help others thrive. The more I help push others, the more attention it brings me. Maybe that is a bit self-serving, but I do like it when my friends succeed, and if I was able to help, then that is its own reward.
If you appreciated this post at all, show some love by giving back to someone else. The American Red Cross is a good start.
Just want to say what a really nice piece of blog here.
Thanks!
Thanks, I appreciate that.
Well, you must be doing something right to have someone ask you for advice. It’s funny that we often feel like we’re stumbling along while someone else thinks that we’ve ‘got it down’. Its all in the perspective I guess.
It’s a wacky feeling to be asked for advice on something I’m not even sure I 100% understand, but if I can help someone out with my limited knowledge, so be it.
Finally got a chance to sit down and read your blog post from beginning to end without interruption, and I am so glad I did. It is truly an inspiring post. Thank you so much for sharing
Glad I could inspired you even just a little. Thanks.