Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook are tools, plain and simple. What you use these tools for on the other hand can make a large difference, and sometimes it is difficult to figure out what the first step is. Twitter in particular seems like an incredibly easy to use tool. Type 140 characters, hit Tweet and you're done. Right? Wrong. Rather than telling you what the first step is, I would like to put forth a challenge for you.
By doing the following not only will you have successfully discovered what the first step is to not only socializing your social media tools, but how a brand should communicate with the world. Once you have completed this challenge, report back your findings.
Don't be surprised if there is a common theme found. Even if you have been on Twitter since its inception, this is a great exercise to reach out and meet new people on Twitter.
The Challenge
- Decide on one particular hobby that you enjoy.
- Search for a few keywords that relate to the hobby.
- If you can't find someone to talk about your hobby with, just tweet @thejournalizer
- Look for someone who seems genuinely happy tweeting about it.
- Introduce yourself to them and begin a discussion.
- Do this with a different person each day, for at least seven days.
Results
Allow me to play the professor here, and ask what you found. Did you find that people were willing to discuss with you, a total stranger, something that you had in common? Although not everyone will respond (finding the social Twitter users is a learning experience in itself), what you have just found is the proper way to socialize your social media tool.
Learning social media tactics shouldn't require books or videos, just what comes naturally. According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, we thrive when we achieve a sense of belonging.
Conversing with like minded people is one of the easiest things to do. Finding them is the challenge. Once you get into the habit of engaging others, the first step of successfully socializing your social media tools will be complete.
[This article was originally posted on Play This Magazine]