An Amateur’s View on Social Media – Part 1: Transparency on a Personal Level
Before I begin lets give a quick background about my Social Media “experience.” I believe my experience started with Xanga when I was in roughly 6th grade (I am now almost 21). This was basically my first blogging experience. I wish I could remember the log in so I could even see what I was writing about. It was probably about some girl who called me a ugly during recess or something. But I distinctly remember all my friends telling me Xanga is for geeks, but hey I guess I am one.
After this, the MySpace craze started and I created one. Again, I was called a geek for having one. Months later, I’d say about 90% of my classmates (grade school) were on MySpace, mainly because of me (What posers!). After this my MySpace account became flooded with spammers, and I created a Facebook.
The question I kept getting was, “Why would you delete your MySpace?” Answer: Easy, I get spammed, pages are too “flashy” and Facebook is so much better.
Plus I always wanted Facebook ever since my older sister got an account. She was at Villanova at the time and at this point it was still exclusive to those with a .edu e-mail account.
Once High School kids could create accounts, I created one. Next thing you knew, all 500+ classmates of mine were on Facebook.
Than about 6 months ago I was introduced to Twitter by Jen Cohen (@jenz036). I signed up and have been hooked ever since. Shortly after I started this blog.
Twitter has increasingly blown up since I joined, with the help of celebrities like Oprah and Ashton Kutcher. Now, I’m noticing many of my “Facebook friends” following me on Twitter.
Now that I’ve given a background of my Social Media experience, I want to share what I think has worked for me and again stress I am no EXPERT. But it is the same word that’s been popping up in blogs all over: transparency.
In about 6 months I have almost 1,100 followers. Now those numbers may not be astonishing, but yeah, I admit I’m pretty proud of them.
But at the same time, I did not do anything to TRY and gain followers, I was just myself. In other words, I was transparent. I did not send specific tweets that I thought would get me followers and I know for a fact I have sent some tweets that lost me many followers (including questioning why everyone was glorifying Michael Jackson’s life). I was in many discussions about this topic and lost many followers due to my view point.
But isn’t that what is great about Twitter. You follow those who you share interests with. I also follow celebrities just to see what they are up to, very well knowing they won’t follow me back or even respond to my @replys. @jeremypiven is one of my favorites to follow and its purely because I care what he has to say and he’s entertaining. He is who, he is.
I also @reply anyone who mentions me, I answer all questions, and in doing so, I’m completely honest. I AM ME.
If you do not like my tweets, or do not like me, simply don’t follow. This is what it all boils down to. Be yourself, don’t be fake, and followers will come.
Stay tuned for a post on my thoughts of being transparent on a business account.
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