Getting Mature or Getting a Date. You decide.
I have an open spot on my social media team at work. So I have spent some time hunting through Linkedin profiles, resumes and internal posting boards. I've learned enough to know that I need to continue learning. So is the plight of the social media practitioner.
Simplehired.com has 41,943 jobs listed in social media. Mediabistro.com has 1,226 listings. Careerbuilder has 6,232 calls for social media candidates. And on and on.
Digiday ran an interesting article that outlined how the social media manager has grown up, citing that the days of tweeting to tweet are over. The author called it a maturity model, but I rather think it's a learning curve that never will end. And that's okay. The social media manager is one that does not look to grow predictable. Exactly the opposite. Most social people I know would certainly perish in a world not busting at the seams with every turn. It's the adventure-seeker who seeks social and their love affair with pursuing new ground is what makes us restless and hungry. But the need for restraint and the pressure to produce ROI data may be what the article refers to as having to be mature. It's not fun always being mature, but it's not mature to always be fun.
Take Facebook for instance. I wonder if the general population ever stops to think about the high level of advertising activity that takes place in the background in order for the content of the page to populate? If everyone knew how the ad platform worked, would that change their behavior and lead to more mature daily posts? I think not.
Facebook was born out of the idea to have fun, make connections...get a date.
If one out of four people friend-request before the first date, according to a recent digital dating survey, that says a lot about the integrity of Facebook friends connections and the very idea of community.
It either means that as a people, we are pretty desperate for authentic connections or that we are pathetically trusting for no particular reason...in both Facebook and the dating scene.
Either way, I don't want to pick on Facebook
alone. Let's look honestly at Twitter. People collect followers like Pez, only sometimes in a much less tasty manner. Sure, you can do it the old-fashioned way by paying for Promoted Accounts, Trends or other ad platforms, or you build out content and connections using your wit and intellect. Or you can go the quickest route and visit Tweetmogul and buy them with a swipe of the credit card. In the search for transparency and integrity, the social media journey is always a colorful ride. Just like dating. Just like life.
It's a topic talked about over and over since social becomes more omnipotent; offline vs online dating. CNN published an article back in February that said, "Online dating is like a buffet," Marni Battista, founder and CEO ofDating with Dignity, said. "People are ruling out more than they're ruling in. After a date, they go home, get online and look for someone else. We're in this digital instant gratification age, and there is no patience for the dating process." The article also gave some practical advice to finding your next date that I find interesting when applied to finding your next social media job.
1. Be self-confident and genuine
2. Orient yourself
3. Take your time
That's #sageadvice no matter what learning curve you are trying to accomplish.
Simplehired.com has 41,943 jobs listed in social media. Mediabistro.com has 1,226 listings. Careerbuilder has 6,232 calls for social media candidates. And on and on.
Digiday ran an interesting article that outlined how the social media manager has grown up, citing that the days of tweeting to tweet are over. The author called it a maturity model, but I rather think it's a learning curve that never will end. And that's okay. The social media manager is one that does not look to grow predictable. Exactly the opposite. Most social people I know would certainly perish in a world not busting at the seams with every turn. It's the adventure-seeker who seeks social and their love affair with pursuing new ground is what makes us restless and hungry. But the need for restraint and the pressure to produce ROI data may be what the article refers to as having to be mature. It's not fun always being mature, but it's not mature to always be fun.
Take Facebook for instance. I wonder if the general population ever stops to think about the high level of advertising activity that takes place in the background in order for the content of the page to populate? If everyone knew how the ad platform worked, would that change their behavior and lead to more mature daily posts? I think not.
Facebook was born out of the idea to have fun, make connections...get a date.
If one out of four people friend-request before the first date, according to a recent digital dating survey, that says a lot about the integrity of Facebook friends connections and the very idea of community.
It either means that as a people, we are pretty desperate for authentic connections or that we are pathetically trusting for no particular reason...in both Facebook and the dating scene.
Either way, I don't want to pick on Facebookalone. Let's look honestly at Twitter. People collect followers like Pez, only sometimes in a much less tasty manner. Sure, you can do it the old-fashioned way by paying for Promoted Accounts, Trends or other ad platforms, or you build out content and connections using your wit and intellect. Or you can go the quickest route and visit Tweetmogul and buy them with a swipe of the credit card. In the search for transparency and integrity, the social media journey is always a colorful ride. Just like dating. Just like life.
It's a topic talked about over and over since social becomes more omnipotent; offline vs online dating. CNN published an article back in February that said, "Online dating is like a buffet," Marni Battista, founder and CEO ofDating with Dignity, said. "People are ruling out more than they're ruling in. After a date, they go home, get online and look for someone else. We're in this digital instant gratification age, and there is no patience for the dating process." The article also gave some practical advice to finding your next date that I find interesting when applied to finding your next social media job.
1. Be self-confident and genuine
2. Orient yourself
3. Take your time
That's #sageadvice no matter what learning curve you are trying to accomplish.
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