I apologize for the profane headline. Pretty shitty move by me, I won’t let it happen again. But, there is simply no way around it, the “social media shit test” is the perfectly titled way to determine if your social media presence is awesome or awful.
Finding success in the social web is fairly simple, really. Be yourself, be honest, and be respectful. Constantly add value to your network, and build relationships – not meaningless numbers.
Sometimes though, in a sea of tweets, blog posts and status updates, it is easy to lose sight of the principles above. Here to keep you on track is the social media shit test – pose these 4 questions before taking any social media action.
1. Will this get me into deep shit?
Correct answer: NO
Ask yourself this question before every step you take across the social web. Sure, 99.9% of the time the answer will be no anyway, but it is worth the millisecond it takes to pose the question. The most obvious example of failure here is this young woman, who ranted on Facebook about her creep of a boss…whom she forgot was one of her FB friends.
Keep in mind it is perfectly reasonable to rile up a little controversy via a well-stated and unique opinion. But for your own sake, avoid anything egregious that will ruin relationships or your reputation.
2. Does this make me look like a selfish piece of shit?
Correct Answer: NO
In person, we generally keep a pretty close eye on how our activities are perceived by those around us. But online, our judgment is often clouded by the heat of the moment, or the irrational quest for web stardom.
The Honda product manager referenced here decided it wise to provide a Honda Accord review on Facebook without mentioning his employment. Careless, short-term thinking – and the social web made him pay the price.
What about you? Is your Twitter presence an endless stream of links to your web page or blog? Are you spamming your followers with automated direct messages, like these? Constantly ask yourself “Am I adding value, or am I acting like a selfish piece of shit?”
3. Is anyone really going to give a shit?
Correct Answer: YES
If you send repetitive updates to your network regarding your herd of sheep and crop of corn on Farmville, do you really think they care? I’m sorry, but nobody cares that you reached Level 17 of Mafia Wars. By bombarding your network with such updates, you are signaling loud and clear that you care about you, and not them.
If your network begins to lose interest in some of your updates, ignoring or blocking you completely is not far around the corner.
Take a look at Chris Brogan’s Twitter stream at any given moment. I’m certain it will be packed with information and interaction, not with a barrage of self-serving updates that don’t benefit his network. Emulate Chris, not the farmers and mafioso.
4. Are my methods complete bullshit?
Correct answer: NO
Today’s social web is dominated by tools that make social interaction easier and far more efficient than ever before. But, always remember that social media is still meant to be just that, “social”. Ignore the fact that you can run scripts to send tweets every ten seconds. Resist implementing automated tools that steal content and publish it without consent or attribution.
I hate to point negative attention towards just one person, but I feel I must give an example. This user is heralded as a social media expert (by himself, mainly). At the time of this writing, he has sent over 356,000 tweets, almost all via automation. Also, he accidentally published an e-book produced by someone else (although later apologized).
In my eyes, these methods are complete bullshit, and the antithesis of what social media should be. Instead, aim to mirror the social media activities of Glen Gilmore (@trendtracker). His tweet stream is filled with three things:
- Added value to his followers, by way of informative links and opinions.
- #Hashtags to signify relevant categories.
- Citation to the original Tweeter(s).
What about you? Do you see yourself making any of these mistakes, even on a smaller scale? I’m certain I’ve missed a few other ways to administer a self-diagnosed social media reality check. I would love your feedback in the comments section, or for you to say hello on Twitter (@RyanRancatore).
Dog sign by funtik.cat, ironically.
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