By Bob Skalstad, CEO, Skalstad Consulting Inc.
Crowdsourcing. Tweet. Wiki Wart. These are just a few social media buzzwords and I, as well as most of my colleagues, have a vague notion of what they mean. For a seasoned “road warrior” like me, asking me to use social media is akin to asking a Viking to give up his battle ax for a pistol. Yes, it may be more powerful, but I really didn’t understand how to use it.
Then our SVP of Marketing explained social media without the buzzwords, and the light bulb went on. Social media is no different than what we do every day and have done for the last 40 years—it’s just on a computer or mobile phone. It’s old-fashioned, Dale Carnegie-style networking in the digital age.
Here’s how she explained it:
- Twitter, a website that provides 140 character status updates, is like a conversation around the water cooler. Short but powerful snippets of information.
- LinkedIn, with detailed profiles and the tracking of contacts, is similar to a trade show exhibit hall where you meet and greet all your trade industry colleagues and swap business cards.
- Facebook can be compared to the friendly, sometimes raucous, bar conversation that happened after official convention hours.
Will social media replace in-person networking? No. Never. But I will now supplement my networking with social media tools. No matter the stage of our career, we must adapt to reach our audiences and grow our business.
Today, you’ll find SCI on Twitter, Facebookand LinkedIn. Drop by our website www.skalstadconsulting.com and connectwith us. Become an SCI “Tweep” – that is a mutual follower of SCI on Twitter. You’ll also find a helpful list of definitions that will explain those social media buzzwords.
