This was originally posted on the WE Studio D, Thinkers and Doers blog and is an adaptation of a previous post on this blog.
I know there are still some social media hold outs among you. Of course if you are then you probably aren’t reading this. Let’s try this again.
We all know some social media holdouts. I’m not talking about your grandma. I’m talking about in the field of Marketing/PR. Forward this blog to them. I’d like to talk to them for a minute.
Hi. Your friend who cares about your future as a Marketing/PR professional is worried about you. Unless you’re retiring in a few years you need to wake up. (And seriously does anyone really think they’re ever going to retire?)
You’re asking yourself: What is the big deal about Social Media? Why do people think that anyone cares enough about what they have to say that they start blogging or twittering? If you don’t know, you are obviously not involved.
I often refer to myself as a Phenomenologist. Phenomenology is a type of research, that comes from the field of Anthropology. It requires the researcher to experience that which they are studying as a complete participant, not as an outside observer.
If you really want to understand what all the hype is, get involved. At least try it out. Start reading blogs. Start your own blog, you can even keep it private until you get comfortable. At least start an account on Twitter (come on you know you’re curious).
There is a whole new level of collaboration and innovation that is happening on the web and if you’re not involved you are missing it. Even if you’re reading blogs and watching what’s happening, you won’t be getting the full advantage the social web has to offer.
And I promise you that if want to even have a chance at any type of job security coming out of this economy, you had better at least understand the tools. Would you hire someone who couldn’t use word processing software really well? Personally I wouldn’t hire someone who couldn’t use Social Media really well.
Yes, Social Media is overhyped. No Facebook is not all it’s cracked up to be. Twitter is cool, but not THAT cool (ok, maybe it is). But collectively the power of all of these new mediums and platforms combined is revolutionizing the way that people communicate and collaborate.
The businesses that get it will have a significant advantage. This is was a case of first mover advantage. Now it’s a case of self preservation. If you play the wait and sea game any longer , it will be too late. And just for the record, no you do not have to be an expert, just proficient.
How can you figure out if this is the right thing for you and your company or what is the best way to implement it? Become a Phenomenologist.
Image by HubSpot via Flickr
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