Social media offers multi-dimensional personas

Photo by Liz Cezat, taken at the Heidelberg Project.

Will the real Jim McDonald please stand up? Jim might be a wise guy on Facebook; a thoughtful father on Twitter and a rock and roll fanatic on Pinterest. Of course, the advertisers are soaking up this multi-dimensional man for all the ads they can show him wherever he goes online.

In real life, Jim is a shy guy. Yet, the Internet and social media allow him to amplify his voice, and thus, his personality. This is the new age of social interaction. Don’t be surprised if the person you are following online appears totally different and even subdued in person. There’s the buffer of the screen (whether it’s on a computer, smart phone, iPad or the next electronic invention) and commentators don’t have to face the person they are talking to – unless they’re on Skype.

Reading comments to news articles written by the “average Joe” is like walking on a landmine field. You never know when it’s going to get explosive and you might be hurt (psychologically) by a commentator. Reviewers to New York Times posts tend to be articulate, intelligent and kind. Those responding to Yahoo news tend to be the Wild West types, where anything goes and the meaner and nastier you can be, the better (in their minds anyway).

With all the traces of comments you can leave online, it’s a bonus when you can stay true to your personality and values. Being a fake online can have repercussions offline too. What if you do meet the person that you bullied in an online comment string? Are you going to apologize or punch him out?

Sharing your thoughts online is a good thing because it opens up the conversation to multitudes of others. It draws in people who are attracted to your comments, your values, and your vision. Just be careful what you write. Think to yourself, “Would I say this if I was looking directly into the eyes of my online recipient?”

When to take an online connection to the next level

The advent of social media will transform our world by bringing people and ideas closer than ever. With social media blending into our everyday lives, there are more opportunities to engage with others to help you achieve your goals.

The Internet allows us to connect with hundreds – even thousands – of people with shared interests. When you connect with people on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, YouTube, Pinterest and other social media, why not take the next step and bring them into your world to do business?

Common reasons to do business with people you meet online:

1.     You like their style or share their interests and want to sit down and talk with them face to face.

2.     You are working on something that could benefit from their input.

3.     You want to buy their product or service but have some questions and want to find out if they are honest.

4.     You want an introduction to someone they know.

Keep in mind that digital tools are conduits for human connection. If you only exchange e-mails, you really don’t know who you are talking to. It’s not until you meet them that you see if they are as genuine in person as they are online. Once you’ve made some good connections online and one of the top four scenarios exist or you have another compelling reason to advance the relationship, plan to talk by phone or Skype.

Photo by Liz Cezat

There’s about 900 million people with a Facebook account. You’re bound to find some people who can become your customers or vendors. If you don’t yet have a business page, get one pronto. Build social media into your routine. Post daily or several times a week on Facebook – keep the info. fresh. I find it tacky to ask for “likes” – shouldn’t it come naturally and genuinely?

As a micro blogging system, Twitter works well for finding like-minded people. Use the search tool to find subjects of interest that relate to your business interests. Search for people to follow based on contents they post or what their bio says. See what they have to say and share your thoughts.

One of the highest compliments on Twitter is to retweet a message that someone else has posted. You are endorsing their post – whether it’s a comment, a link to an article or a blog. That often fortifies the online relationship and can lead to an in-person meeting or discussion by phone.

Try some of these ideas and report back. You don’t have to “like” my Facebook page, but I would love to hear from you in the comments below.