I've seriously just about had enough... You can tell this hasn't been the greatest of weeks. Hey, I'm loving my job. I love my family. I have some great friends (real friends...not Facebook friends). There's little to complain about in the world, right? Heh...Obviously, you've never met me.
In all seriousness, I tend to be overly sarcastic sometimes but I'm not doing it to complain. It takes a lot to get me to complain. Actually, what normally happens is that something eats at me, and eats at me and then I explode. That's about the stage I've reached with some people in social media...
Let me offer up a few disclosures before I go off on this bender:
- I'm sure I've exhibited some of the qualities I'm about to outline. Who doesn't on occasion? It's nice to receive attention, and sometimes that attention goes to our heads.
- In no way am I calling anyone out by name. These are general trends. And, if I were to call you out by name, be damn sure I'd say it to your face. That's not arrogance, it's what I'd expect from you if I were exhibiting the same qualities.
- If you infer that any of these apply to you, you're wrong, but take it as constructive feedback. We all can get better at something.
Ok, so here we go...
- Writing a blog makes you relevant, but that relevancy has limits. It helps you get in the door, but if your work product is terrible, that blog gets you nowhere in the end.
- You aren't relevant because you get a lot of retweets. Tell me, how much did those 100 retweets on your latest blog post make you? Right, thought so... $0!
- Social media has helped amplify your career in some way, so shut up and stop trashing it every five seconds. Jesus... Constructive commentary? Sure. Particular platforms are "dying" because the dynamics have changed since you first joined? Stop it! Please! I'm begging you!
- Writing a book doesn't make you relevant either. Listen, I'm writing a book with Wiley on social media metrics. Does that make me relevant? I don't know. I know that if I stop doing a good job for my employer my relevancy means diddily poo.
- Getting invited to a party doesn't make you relevant. It makes you relevant to your social media inner circle. It doesn't make you relevant to companies who sign your checks.
- Your social media reputation isn't enough to keep your job, and nobody gives a damn about it internally. Again, I take some ribbing from folks for my social media activities. However, the difference is they've discovered it on their own. I never told them. It might've helped you land the job, but stop talking about it once you've landed it.
- Saying you've spoken at hundreds of conferences doesn't make you relevant. Again, see point #1. All of the speaking gigs mean CRAPOLA if you do shit work on the backend.
I'm sure I could go on here, but I'm done. Rant over. Moral of the story? Do good work. Shut up. Be appreciative for all social media has done for your career, and don't think those tweets, subscribers, commenters, etc... mean a heckuva lot in the long-term. You're one false step away from losing it all.
