Does Social Media Make You Happier? ? Bring It On

I read this awesome post about the most popular people on Google+. They have a couple of billion follower apiece. I even have most of them circled.

I?m a marketing person, so I?ve been playing around with social media almost as long as there?s been social media. I spent quite a time on Google+,? though that?s dropped off lately. Strangely, I?m thinking, because I just got this cool Android phone with my apps, so you?d think I?d be posting more G+. That was certainly my intention when I bought the thing. Instead, I find myself posting more on Facebook, using Instagram and Foursquare. Why? Why am I not promoting myself as a business more? Why am I just playing with this phone like it?s a new toy?

First of all, it?s a new toy. And second of all, it?s fun.

I don?t know about promoting myself as a brand. Now, that?s a scary thing to say as a marketing person. Shouldn?t I be promoting myself as a business? As an expert? As the amazing consultant and speaker that I am? Yeah, maybe. But it?s not fun. Posting a silly picture of my son dressed up as Ophelia for the Hamlet production in school, that?s fun. I?m not necessarily going to post that to G+, at least not publicly. And between you and me, my actual friends and family don?t use G+ much. If I post it just to those circles, it will get to 2% of my actual friends in the circles. If I post it to Facebook, my whole family will see it and laugh and comment. That?s fun.

Promoting my business, well, that?s not as fun.

Writing this blog, definitely fun. I love writing the blog. In fact, whenever I?m writing, it?s good. I?m swamped with work these days. Mostly writing work. I enjoy that. I enjoy the selling part too. I like meeting new customers, hearing about their marketing challenges, and letting them know it?s all under control when I?m on the job. I enjoy it when they are happy. I like looking at my billing at the end of the month, and saying, wow, I made these people happy.

But when I post to the social networks, in particular to Google+ or Twitter, it feels contrived. According to everything I?ve read on the topic, it is my mission and purpose to create value for my audience. People will follow me and comment on my if I continue to create value.

Here are some choices when I am about to post something to a social network:

• Original content. I write a blog, and it feels right to put that on my personal channel. People won?t read a blog every week and I won?t write one every week, so I can also post original content that isn?t my blog. This would mean I would have to have an original thought or opinion, something of value to my audience, and I would put that out there for people to see. And of course, this something of value needs to speak to my audience. If I take a picture of my kids in the airport, that?s original content, but not of much value to my audience.
• Oh, but I do have to have some personal stuff because you never know what will connect people. Don?t be contrived about it, but if you have a healthy hobby, use that rather than cute baby photos if you are a business person.
• Re-posting other people?s stuff, and of course, adding my original thought or opinion. So I?m supposed to spend some time scouring the web to make sure I curate good stuff for my audience. Spreading this stuff is good for the original author and good for my audience because they?ll see this great stuff.
• Commenting on other people?s stuff either on the social media or on their site/blog. This is good for me because I can maybe get fans among their followers. Or get the author to friend me or ask me to guest blog for them.

I hate to be the one who says this, but doesn?t most of this sound like total BS to you? Spend time thinking of personal thoughts in order to add value to the community is fake. Writing on someone else?s blog post in the hope of being noticed is fake. Reposting something that has already been written, also somewhat fake.

Really.

Too top this off, the social media gurus will emphasize the importance of being authentic as you are sweating an hour or two every day to come up with something original to say.

Why isn?t it enough anymore to just be myself? This is an awesome blog. A bit wordy at times, I admit. But I?m just having fun. I have a couple of hundred people following it, which is a shame, because I?m sure there are more people who could benefit from it .

When I?m just being myself, I do contribute my opinion to other people?s blogs and promote other people?s articles and stuff, when it is of interest. Sometimes I have a slow week and I do this every day, or I have a slow day or an interesting day and I do this every hour.. Some weeks I totally blow it. My Clout score suffers.

Do I really need to make sure I do this at particular times every day and find something that will contribute to my channel?

I guess that depends on my goals.

If I want to make a lot of money and get on the speaking circuit, apparently, I need to do all that stuff. If I want to build a fan base and sell stuff, it would be helpful. If I want to feel loved, well, probably I should just get a boyfriend. Social media is lovely but it doesn?t actually hug me. Being a speaker is great, but I?m not sure it?s going to pay the bills. And selling stuff is good, but I?m not producing anything much these days and I love my day job.

So if you are wishing me to be more consistent in speaking to my community, don?t look forward to that happening any time soon. In my blog 2 weeks from now, I?ll tell you my real opinion about social media marketing. It?s not going to be pretty but it will be pretty honest.

So before I tell you what I think about social media marketing, I want to hear from you. I want to hear the truth. What?s your ROI? What do you get in return for all the time you spend in social media? How much have you been able to make per hour/day/week in sales by investing in social media? What kinds of stuff have you sold?

Source: http://rebeccarachmany.com/2012/07/does-social-media-make-you-happier/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=does-social-media-make-you-happier

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