Are You Successfully Surfing the Social Media Wave?
If Stuart’s right, and I believe he is, then what makes some people able to surf the social media wave better than others?
You don’t have to have an advanced degree. It’s not engineering. It’s not brain surgery. And it’s certainly not rocket science.
It’s actually pretty simple. In fact most people that are good at social media would be good at virtually any path they choose to take.
Why? Because they rely on qualities and skills that would lead to success in a lot of different fields, and they’re in this space because it is what interests them; what they’re passionate about.
Here are a few qualities that breed success in the social media space, yet would translate across any number of verticals:
1.) Reading and researching A LOT.
2.) The fortitude to try new things and the diligence to glean insight from those experiences.
3.) Extracting and applying valuable information from the content acquired.
4.) Talking to “influencers” (often because social media enables people to break those walls down.)
5.) Thinking critically and formulating strategy to solve compelling problems.
Nobody in their right mind tries to surf monster waves in Fiji their first time on a board, but I believe some of these actions can lay the foundation for your success.
And remember, it’s called social media. Let’s interact and learn from each other. Most days we probably don’t want to surf alone. What additional qualities would you add to this list? What qualities do your favorite surfers possess?
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The first point has probably been the most important to my professional development. I don’t really sleep anymore (well unless I collapse…like I did last night)and make a concerted effort to be on every blog that adds value for me.
The other great thing that this pursuit has done for me? Connect with a ton of great people who “get it”. Can’t say how much I value that kind of interaction (because of how much I learn from the exchange).
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admin Reply:
June 27th, 2009 at 1:24 am
@Stuart – It’s dumb how much we read isn’t it? There are days when I’m like, “Man, I really need to go to the grocery store. Eh, it’ll have to wait, there’s still 40 unread in my reader.” I’ve learned as much or more from reading and interacting with other influencers via social media than I did in graduate school.
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I agree with Stuart. I dont know how I will be able to keep up. It takes so much time to sift through the information and stay connected. But I am still trying new things. Next on the agenda add 10 hours to the day! Nice job as always Ryan!
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admin Reply:
June 27th, 2009 at 1:24 am
@Tim – I think the key is turning to the people you trust most to filter the content that is most relevant for you. I read a lot in certain niches, but only Brian Clark for Copyrighting, and only only Darren Rowse for actual blogging techniques (though others over lap.)
When I get burned out of someone, or their ideas aren’t fresh to me for whatever reason I remove them, from the reader and find someone else that resonates with me. I’ll revisit that other blogger again at a later time.
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Personally I think the most important part to succeeding in social media is the point you made prior to the list…
“and they’re in this space because it is what interests them; what they’re passionate about.”
Generally people working in social media are working a lot on their own and if you don’t want to do the work then you won’t do it. So the want and desire to work in social media is the most important tip to success.
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admin Reply:
June 27th, 2009 at 1:24 am
@Greg – I actually disagree. There’s a BIG difference between being passionate about something and being successful at it. That’s a loaded question though, because we all measure success differently. If a high school athlete’s goal is to become a professional athlete though, then no matter how passionate they are, the likelihood that actually happens is very slim.
I do see what you’re saying though, many people have used social media as a medium to take an entrepreneurial approach to work outside the office. Even then though, an incredible amount of time (and probably some of the points within the list) are needed to truly ’succeed.’
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Ryan – I agree that social media can be exhausting — you’re constantly connecting and researching and as TimNATC says above, sifting through so much information that sometimes it’s hard to keep your head above water.
But that’s also the exciting part, and I think you’re right that those who are successful (at whatever level) are those who have that passion for it and those who learn to navigate it best. Your analogy is also spot-on — you can’t jump on a board and expect to ride the wave…and even if you do just that, you’re bound to hit the water, go under, sooner or later.
I think those who really take the time to learn, who connect with and learn from others, and who experiment for themselves will be the ones who are able to stay on the board the longest. So to speak.
Great post, thanks!
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May 7th, 2009 at 8:46 amYou get what you give when it comes to social media – the more your invest into it, the more engaging and interactive you become, the greater value you will be provided with. As you said, no one is an expert when it comes to social media – there is no clear answer for how it should be used. Social networking can and does mean different things to different people – but the more open you are to interacting and trying new things, the higher ROI you’ll be witness to. Great post Ryan!
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May 7th, 2009 at 10:11 amTotally rad and gnarly post, dude. My favorite surfers are both eager to learn from others as well as share information with others. Too many people are either one or the other, just learning from other blogs and soaking up as much information as they can, or using social media as a pedestal to show off their knowledge.
Social media surfing is great because it allows you to learn from the experiences of others (next best thing to learning from your own experiences), and this isn’t possible unless people are sharing these.
Surf’s up!
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May 8th, 2009 at 12:37 pmFirst, the picture of the surfer you used is rockin! It’s actually me…jk
But seriously, I think you’re dead on here. The reason some people are successful is because they put in the time and effort, while other people who say “I don’t understand this” or “this stuff is dumb” don’t.
I think a key trait a lot of us “social media surfers” share is curiosity. Getting past the buzz, how can this stuff help, hurt, create opportunities, etc? Curiosity is a great thing.
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May 11th, 2009 at 10:04 amJust seeing this and I agree 100%. My experience is that people that are good at connecting with others will do it no matter the context. Though, I feel like I lost my surf board last week.
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May 18th, 2009 at 9:34 am