The Anti Social Online Marketer

There’s no more denying it.  As much as I’ve attempted to live the Social Media Dream for the last few years I’m hangin’ up the hat. Throwin’ in the towel. Wavin’ the white flag. I surrender, ok? I. Just. Can’t. Anymore.

At the risk of sounding like a grouchy old hag I need to come clean. I don’t care that you just arrived at Applebee’s. Nor do I care that you’re feeling peaceful. Not that I don’t like you; please don’t misunderstand. And I do enjoy photos of your kids. I post photos of mine from time to time too, so I won’t be hypocritical here. But let me vent for just a few.

It’s nothing personal and I admire those out there who have developed a great Twitter following and who have even become close friends with your Tweet Sisters. A colleague told me a few months ago that she’d developed such a close relationship with one of her Twitter followers that they ended up going on a vacation to the Bahamas together last fall. I am in awe of that. But it will never be me. No judgements, it will just never be me! And that’s OK.

Being an online marketing consultant, one cannot divorce oneself from Social Media, and I don’t. Its value in growing relationships and business growth cannot be denied and I write about it all the time. I am just a total failure at keeping up at it on my own, and I’m finally giving myself permission to say “that’s OK, it’s not my specialty.”

Thank God for my trusted pal Onlywire. Without it I’d be in Social Nowhere’s Land. It’s allowed me to keep my stuff in the loop without having to constantly BE THERE. What it doesn’t do, and what I’m not so patiently waiting for, is interact for you. The day an app is created that comments back with an insightful quip, and asks an open-ended question to keep the conversation rolling I am so there. Now THAT would be an app. Someone on that?

What I don’t want to do is teach it, because my model has always been, from the get go, to walk the walk. And then teach. My one exception is Linked In, where I find amazing value for both my clients and me.  

Here’s the thing, and I’ve had to meditate on this one for a few months. One cannot be all things to everyone. Nor should one. It’s just not believable. Rupert Murdoch will not be doing my hair anytime soon. I would not take salsa lessons from Tiger Woods. I would not be linin’ up for table tennis lessons from Michael Phelps. Not that they might not be good salsa dancers or frat house beer pong winners, and it could be cool, come to think of it, to say that you played beer pong with a U.S. Olympic swimming champion, but beer pong is not his specialty, and I wouldn’t pay either one of them money for it. Well, not a lot, anyway. I certainly wouldn’t be paying Rupert Murdoch for destroying my hair, although I did love this morning’s story about his reaction to the break up of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, which involved some Scientology bashing on Twitter. He’s a news guy who’s paid his dues and can say whatever he wants about the news at this point in his life. I've also, just this past weekend discovered that no one should be hiring me to create a Power Point presentation any time soon. 

I’ll give you an example of what I mean. I belong to a powerful Linked In group, which will remain anonymous for the purpose of this story, where someone started a string of events, suggesting that every member of the group post and share their respective business blurb and links to their websites and social media contacts. It was a good idea. This morning I looked at one, which honestly was the push I needed to finally write this blog that has been stirring in me for a while now.

It said, and I’ll paraphrase here so as not to indemnify anyone:

“My business evolved from extensive research into nutrition, pet care, and immunity. We provide reliable, natural and holistic pet care information, news, recipes, studies, tips, products and blog covering a full range of pets & livestock. Animal welfare, the environment and conservation are also covered.”

Wait, there’s more:

“My involvement in the business will be part time as I venture back into the work force to expand my career. There’s very little I can’t do when it comes to business, marketing, management [telephone operating] and writing. Contact me if you’d like to grab a rare virtual employee, with 52 certifications, proven abilities & almost 50 years of experience.“

Oh my. Really? Really? Wait, can I call you to do my windows... because they could use a good washing. Is that one of your certifications?

I’m coming off mean here, so I’m going to stop. There are Renaissance Superstars out there; I’ve met them. And diversity is a good thing. But my real trust — where I’m going to put my hard earned dollar or my body — is going to be with the Ob-Gyn who specializes in Ob-Gyn, not in non-invasive cosmetic procedures (because they can).

No, for me, it is simply where I choose, or don’t choose, to spend my time, energy and specializing, and what I’m realizing more and more is that you must specialize where your passions lie, and that specializing because of that passion breeds trust, and trust breeds hiring.

So, I’ll continue to dabble, be there when I can, and extoll its virtues, but for my clients who want to really gain power and expertise in social media I’m going to continue to refer them put to the experts, like the fabulous De Boone, who specializes in the ins, the outs and the in betweens of social media.

There, I’ve said it. I feel much better.