dare to say what you don't do

It goes against the grain, if you are a creative communications and marketing professional as I am, to tell people that you don’t use some of the social media tools out there, even the ones widely used. It’s simply not a good use of my time and resources, I tell them, to use every tool out there, nor is it strategically advantageous.

I don’t tweet even though I have an account. I’d be delighted to tweet for other people but it doesn’t work for me personally and professionally. I have a business Facebook page but I prefer to post to my personal Facebook page. I use it as a “magazine” for my family and friends and am a “fly” on my niece’s wall to read the things she ordinarily wouldn’t say in my company. In truth, I’ve played with almost every social media tool available these past two years and have nothing to show for most of them. At best, I’ve learned what not to do and can blog about what I’ve learned.

It takes some thought to figure out what matters, when to do it, and how to have the discipline to do it today, tomorrow and every day. As Seth Godin tells us, “Persist, ship something tomorrow.” Figure out the end result of whatever you are doing. Start small. See if it works for you and where it will naturally fit in your schedule.