When I go skiing with my family we don't go down the black diamond trails. Why? Because we barely ski once a year and don't qualify as "experts." So why is that so many people in my industry portray themselves as an expert in something they've barely begun to do. I'm talking about the writers who have had an iPad for one month versus the Detroit Symphony Orchestra musician with 10,000+ hours of practice. (Malcolm Gladwell "Outliers" reference.) I've grown tired of the social media expert who tweeted three times, the blog expert with a blog that's still a "green banana", the YouTube expert whose video has been viewed 42 times, and the social media repurposers without an original thought. Admit it people you belong on the groomed blue trails of social media. You're learning along with the rest of us and are at best an intermediate. So stop teaching (and preaching to me via email) and start catching more edges in the snow. I'll see you by the fire in the lodge when you've mastered your craft.
Sunshine, Magic and the Value of Optimism
1 year ago
Much as early risers 'sign our name' on a slope with graceful S-turns on new or groomed snow, so can SM users show a distinctive style ... a personal signature ... in posts or tweets.
ReplyDeleteBeyond a few obvious guidelines (be original, honest, respectful), no magic lesson will teach the "right" way to use social media. Learning opportunities are mastered, swiftly or less so, the same way we crawled, waddled and walked -- by trying, tumbling and trying again.
And before long, we're edging through the gates -- on good days -- smoothly, confidently and with a sense of personal achievement. Those who can, do; those who can't . . . we all know the rest.
Echo, six days later:
ReplyDelete"The social Web is rife with self-titled social media 'gurus' and 'experts' with little experience to back up their claims."
-- Crain's Detroit Business, Sept. 27, 2010
'Biz execs weave own ways to learn social media tools'
I'm gladly punching your lift pass for the next season on this blog. I saw that Crain's this morning and concentrated on their coverage of the Parade Company. Will have to "weave" my way over to the story on social media tools.
ReplyDelete