Decoding the social media scene for lasting results

There seems to be hundreds, even thousands of blog articles on the topic of how to “get” social media, how to decode the secret keys to understand and benefit from the increasing number of tools available and last, but not at least, how to learn the tricks on how to master the tools.

So what is it that is new? I belong to the group of people who would claim that everything has changed, yet nothing has changed.

Everything has changed because more businesses and individuals than ever have access to technology and new communication channels only reserved for the few in the past. Everything has changed because in theory, a single individual or a small business owner can reach out and attract opportunities anywhere as long as there is an internet connection available. Along with the access and opportunities come the risks of becoming more visible and accessible to others, often not monitored and managed on this level before.

Yet nothing has changed. We are still humans with a variety of values, limiting beliefs and preferences in the way we communicate, collaborate and act with confidence when using the technology and the new communication channels.

This is why it’s never enough to learn the “HOW TOs” of social media, it needs to be combined with the authentic version of the communicator, listening, sharing and responding in a trustworthy way. It takes courage to share your own story, let your view become public and set the digital footprints representing the authentic version of yourself.

The catalyst to me personally was when I understood how I was perceived by others professionally. It wasn’t what I believed to be true. It was the essence of my professional reputation as seen by colleagues, managers and clients which gave me the confidence to continue setting digital footprints and take more risk than in the past.

So, in order to create lasting results on the social media scene, we should focus first on answering the key questions about ourselves, our professional reputation and what we are looking to accomplish when entering the scene. Then the “HOW TO’s” can be addressed more effortlessly.