What To Post On Your Social Network
Few days back, I had posted an update on Facebook, which had
criticism for a particular state government and more so, a popular
leader of the country. Though, I keep a different outlook about that
leader than how he is being perceived outside the state. Coming back to
the status update, I got very stinging response from my audience; some
flatly disagreeing, some trying to make fun of my other updates, but
the hardest one was not on my facebook wall but over telephone from an
elder, from whom I seek personal and professional advise. He went on to
tell me that my updates are showing that I am being unjust and negative
without reason, may be because something negative might have happened in
my life. I was told that the personal updates I am posting on Facebook
are trivializing me as a person and I should refrain from doing so.
I am in the field of digital media marketing from last few years and advise people on content as well; as expected. These kind of remarks made me think again about what should actually be the content strategy on digital media platforms.
After much deliberation and taking almost a week from the day of this event, I came to the conclusion that, I was right, not because I had written the update, but because of following reasons:
1) Digital Media is more humane than the traditional media. It is not about one way communication, but interaction, where both the party share their thought. And they share their thought through internet, which is information super store and super highway. So, any pretension of being an expert can be ripped apart in a moment.
2) There exists lots of different community in every social network and one directional content and positioning approach will not work. A professor of mathematics may have the network of people whom he interacts during college hours, so he may be discussing mathematics with them. But again, he may be having a separate set of network, with whom he may be playing tennis in the evening and here discussing mathematics will make him look completely like a fish out of water.
3) Different Platform for Different Content : LinkedIn is your professional network, where you share your professional expertise and updates. It is open to your 1st level, 2nd level and 3rd level network. Facebook is close user group network, which is for personal updates to inform about your activities, your thoughts etc. to your friends. It allows a person to control his privacy. Based on the privacy settings, updates can be seen even to only first level contacts and not to anybody else. It is more personal. If you want to use Facebook for professional use, it allows you create a page and use it. Twitter is 140 character broadcasting tool, where you are as a person in personal as well as professional life. Then there is google+, pinterest, youtube, instagram etc. Most importantly, there are many blogging tools.
So, in the content strategy, one has to make a calculated move to use different platform for different purpose, without losing the basic persona. If Facebook allows you be you, then it does not been you can update toilet content on it. It will only demean you in your society. It is a society you live in.
Concluding, in my opinion, a good content strategy should be using different social media platform for different purpose, making it more humane and realistic ( can’t fake). One shoe does not fit all. You don’t create a community; it already exists. You only add value to it and subsequently become a part of it. So, don’t try to create a community; you won’t be able to do it ever.
I am in the field of digital media marketing from last few years and advise people on content as well; as expected. These kind of remarks made me think again about what should actually be the content strategy on digital media platforms.
After much deliberation and taking almost a week from the day of this event, I came to the conclusion that, I was right, not because I had written the update, but because of following reasons:
1) Digital Media is more humane than the traditional media. It is not about one way communication, but interaction, where both the party share their thought. And they share their thought through internet, which is information super store and super highway. So, any pretension of being an expert can be ripped apart in a moment.
2) There exists lots of different community in every social network and one directional content and positioning approach will not work. A professor of mathematics may have the network of people whom he interacts during college hours, so he may be discussing mathematics with them. But again, he may be having a separate set of network, with whom he may be playing tennis in the evening and here discussing mathematics will make him look completely like a fish out of water.
3) Different Platform for Different Content : LinkedIn is your professional network, where you share your professional expertise and updates. It is open to your 1st level, 2nd level and 3rd level network. Facebook is close user group network, which is for personal updates to inform about your activities, your thoughts etc. to your friends. It allows a person to control his privacy. Based on the privacy settings, updates can be seen even to only first level contacts and not to anybody else. It is more personal. If you want to use Facebook for professional use, it allows you create a page and use it. Twitter is 140 character broadcasting tool, where you are as a person in personal as well as professional life. Then there is google+, pinterest, youtube, instagram etc. Most importantly, there are many blogging tools.
So, in the content strategy, one has to make a calculated move to use different platform for different purpose, without losing the basic persona. If Facebook allows you be you, then it does not been you can update toilet content on it. It will only demean you in your society. It is a society you live in.
Concluding, in my opinion, a good content strategy should be using different social media platform for different purpose, making it more humane and realistic ( can’t fake). One shoe does not fit all. You don’t create a community; it already exists. You only add value to it and subsequently become a part of it. So, don’t try to create a community; you won’t be able to do it ever.
Comments
Post a Comment