The Cure for Social Media Pitfalls - 5 Guidelines for Getting Recognized

With the constant barrage of social media status updates and endless marketing ploys that rage around you, how can you ensure you are heard above all the static? How can you use social media to effectively communicate your image and message?

Last week I discussed a few social media personalities that drive me crazy. This week I want to share how you can avoid these pitfalls and use social media to help you get recognized (both personally and professionally). Here are 5 guidelines for creating an engaging, memorable, and marketable online presence:

You Are Uniquely You. There is no one that can be a better you than you. Dr. Seuss says it this way, "Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You." This simple statement has powerful implications. Confidence is attractive (not arrogance but confidence) and nothing will gain you more respect than being true to who you are.  Use social media sites to publish your story as this is part of your "personal brand". You may be surprised how sharing who you are can cultivate engagement and foster advocates who feel like an integral part of your story.

Minimalism Creates Connections. Social media is not the next-generation of the door-to-door salesman or cold call. After decades of being inundated with a constant barrage of advertisements, the average person expects genuine connections on social media sites. Do not use automatic feed generators to have an "online presence" as this is merely the modern rendition of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. When you have something important you truly want to share, you will have no where to turn because your barrage of meaningless posts severed all potential interest. Less is more. Share what is meaningful to you, not because you think you need to post eery 30 minutes to stay relevant.

Loyal Advocates Perpetuate Brand Awareness. You are your own brand. You have a message, a platform, a personality, a perspective that is marketable. You can create "brand advocates" for yourself. These people can start off as family and friends, but as you continue to invest in a positive online reputation, they will eventually become coworkers, bosses, potential bosses and even people you have never met. The power of social media lies in the viral effect of a band of loyal advocates who unite to share your story.

Content Matters. "Blue Light Specials," incessant chatter, grammatical errors, pictures of food, etc. often do nothing more than annoy your connections and cause them to mute your message, even if it is relevant to them. What you have to say is important, and people want to listen. People do not want to be “sold” to, they want something to “buy into.” Genuine, relevant content gets your message out and gets people invested in your brand. Share real, applicable, valuable content and make your message something worth listening to - eventually you will be heard and recognized.

You Get Out What You Put In. Despite common misconceptions, social media does not perpetuate itself. Like Rome, your presence and influence cannot be built in a day. An engaging conversation takes at least two people to dialogue and time to move the conversation forward. I like to think of social media as a very large integrated conversation and I believe the more effort you put into engaging your audience, the more effective your efforts will be.

These are a few basics I use, that if you implemented could help you get recognized and may even revolutionize your social media presence. What are some tips or techniques you use to get noticed?