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To be Young and Naive vs. Old and Cynical

A repeat of an older blog post. This was from back in the day that I thought I could save everyone from the dangers of social media. How silly was that? I have learned my lesson. There are just some who cannot be saved.

I don't think much as changed since this was originally published. Have you ever tried to "save" someone from a social media mistake? What happened?
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A recent exchange from Facebook:

MY FACEBOOK FRIEND: Why does everyone at work feel the need to pick on me & be on my case today? For some reason when everyone in this office is having a bad day, I'm there punching bag! I can't stand that! I want to say something back, and I do, just not exactly what I'd LIKE to say! Oh well...I think this office would be better if it d...idn't have SO MANY bosses LOL!

MY FACEBOOK FRIEND: Just have to pray for them and me to LOL! "Lord Keep Your Arm Around My Shoulder & Your Hand Over My MOUTH!"

HER FRIEND: Just put some Super Colon Blow powder in the office coffee creamer container and I bet noone will pick on you for the rest of the day unless they need a couple...hundred....imodium.

MY FACEBOOK FRIEND: LOL!!! : ) Or I could be nice and make them some Special " Ex-Lax" Brownies! Nah I couldn't do it.....

ME: You do realize that your co-workers can read Facebook don't you?

MY FACEBOOK FRIEND: NOPE they none of them are my friends! And I have my FB security set to were not just any body can read my status unless you are my friends so no worries!


MY FACEBOOK FRIEND: *ok leave out the they*


HER FRIEND: Meh, even if they did- what you say online are your own opinions and its within your own personal space/your life. If they do somehow read it, maybe they will take it as constructive criticism and leave you alone.

ME: I am assuming that (my Facebook friend) is using her work computer to access FB. I'm just saying.....

MY FACEBOOK FRIEND: Actually right now I'm using (husband)'s lap top, but reguardless if they want to get that technical at work then 95% of the people who work at (employer) is in trouble LOL! I've had lots of fun reading there crap that they don't know that I can read! Older people @ work don't know how to use there security settings LOL!!!
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Ahhh...to be young and naive again. Just call me old and cynical.
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Young and naive view:
It's Facebook and I have my security settings pretty tight where, unless you are my "friend," you cannot see what I write.


Old and cynical view:
It's Facebook and even though I have my security settings pretty tight, I don't trust them so I assume that anything I write can be seen by anyone. I also know of the existence of keyloggers and savvy IT departments.


Young and naive view:
They are my opinions and I cannot be held accountable for them as it is my right to have an opinion.


Old and cynical view:
Opinions and civil rights are a privilege. However, what you say in the workplace utilizing your employer's computer might limit your civil rights. Please check your employee handbook.


As an old and cynical person, I don't even know how to respond to the friend's idea that the employer would take it as constructive criticism.


As a side note, I found the code of ethics for this company on their website. Excerpt below:


Employees shall not use the Company’s ... property for purposes other than those related to Company business. Employees are prohibited from the unauthorized use ... of the Company’s equipment, supplies, software, data, intellectual property, materials or products. Prior to engaging in any activity on the Company’s time which will result in ... the use of Company equipment, supplies, materials or services for personal or non-work related purposes, employees must obtain the approval of their supervisor.


Young and naive view:
While I used the company's computer to make the original post, I am now using my husband's laptop so everything is null and void. Whatever. Everybody does it so I can too, regardless of the company policy. What are they going to do? Fire 95% of the company at one time?

Old and cynical view:
I am going to channel my mom now. Please note that she is older than me. "So what if everyone jumped off the bridge, it doesn't mean you have to."


Of course they are not going to fire 95% of the company at once. What they will do is pick a few employees who will be fired to make examples out of. There will be a myriad of other "charges" against them that will get them fired. Following the firing(s), the company will announce their new social media policy. Both large and small businesses are being urged by their legal council to develop these policies.

Young and naive view:
Old people are stupid. They don't know how computers work. I'm so smart that I am in their business and they don't even know it.


Old and cynical view:
I am not as dumb as you think I am. LOL!! LOL!! LOL!!

Preparing for a Social Media Speaking Gig

I was asked to speak at the May meeting of the Senior Services Network on the topic of social media. I had a great time and enjoyed meeting everyone.

When preparing for a presentation such as this one, it is extremely hard to decide what to include as the experience level of each attendee is as varied as the number of attendees. This event had a full house!

How do you keep the audience engaged knowing you are going to see the follow three categories of learners?

1. The already-know-it attendee. I spoke with a gentlemen after the meeting who introduced himself as my twin. A fellow geek who was as proud of that moniker as I am.


2. The I-am-so-ready-to-get-this-stuff. I love talking to these people. They are not afraid to ask questions. Sometimes these questions and people make me go somewhere I had not planned to go with my presentation but I love their curiosity and willingness to learn.

3. The how-many-more-of-these-social-media-presentations-can-I-listen to? This classification has heard presentations about social media over and over (I mean, who hasn't in this day and age) and still don't get it. The don't plan to get it. That's okay. I like these individuals too. I try to convert them. Heck, it doesn't hurt to try.

Where do you fit in? What kind of learner are you when it comes to social media?

New Twitter App: Bufferapp.com - UPDATED

I recently blogged about my new BFF and now that we have been together for a month, I thought I would update you on how things are going.

I'm still in love. I was at a conference on Thursday where the topic was social media. I was singing bufferapp's praises up and down the hallway -- even in the restroom during a break -- where I had a fairly large crowd. My apologies to all of the women who were trying to get to the sink but we had SERIOUS business to discuss. :-)

My presence on Twitter has increased just over 30% in my first month and I cannot wait to see what the second month brings. Oh, I've lost a few here and there but the number of new followers has offset that easily.

I have used HootSuite for a long time and will continue to do so to reach my Facebook, LinkedIn and other accounts. The ease of bufferapp to schedule tweets is what sucked me in. In the words of Ron Popeil, "Set it and forget it."

Do you have a favorite app that makes your social media efforts effortless?

Thinking of Jumping Into Social Media? Five Things You Need to Think About

Everyone is jumping on the social media bandwagon and then finding out there is a lot to digest. Before you go biting off more than you can chew, here are some things to consider:

1. What do you want to accomplish? Determine why you want to utilize social media and whether it is just conversational or marketing a service or product.

2. Define your goals and determine how you will measure success. One of the most debated topics with regard to social media is how to measure ROI. One company might wish to raise their Google search ranking while another might measure their success by the number of fans/friends/followers they have.

3. Who is in charge? Is it the executive? Staffer? Marketing Department? Intern? Someone needs to head the project and be responsible for the success (or failure). You must have a commitment to make it a priority and become as much a part of your company’s culture as checking email.

4. Meet criticisms head-on. You should deal with any non-positive comments in an open and friendly manner. If you want to maintain your integrity within the community you are building, do not delete these less-than-flattering comments or pretend they do not exist. Simply ask the person who posted the negative comment how you can help them and make sure they are helped.

5. Does your company have trade secrets? Pharmaceutical reps can be fired if they discuss products or any aspect of their jobs on social media sites. Develop a social media policy to deal with these issues.

Once these items have been discussed, you can begin to formulate a more comprehensive plan of action and you will be one step ahead of the competition.

Outsourcing Your Social Media

I recently read an article on the Mashable website: Should You Outsource Your Social Media Efforts?

This article really hit home as these are the questions I have been asking during the first meeting with my potential clients. I am amazed at the number of companies that still think they should be actively engaging in social media because everyone else is doing it. Social media is more about strategy and time.

Here's the sales pitch -- if you need help, call us. We are more than happy to consult with you to increase your social media visibility, as well as develop a strategy that best fits your market.

Is There Such a Thing as a Social Media Expert?

I attended a seminar last week about social media. I've attended what seems like 1,000's of these over the past year and usually take away one or two juicy tidbits of information.

Let's talk about the word 'EXPERT.'

Early in my social media education, I read an article in the Wall Street Journal which stated that there was no such thing as a social media expert. The logic was that social media is changing so rapidly that not one person could claim to be an expert and know EVERYTHING there is to know about social media.

I have called myself a social media STRATEGIST as I felt that better defined my skill set.

The speaker in last week's session made a point of stating that you should use the keywords that your potential customers and competitors would be looking for. A quick search on Google results in 2x the number of listings for social media expert as there is for social media strategist.

The definition of expert:

1. A person with a high degree of skill in or knowledge of a certain subject.
2. A person who has extensive skill or knowledge in a particular field.

I guess that applies. I am a social media expert.

Are you an expert at something that has come as a complete surprise?