It’s been said before, but it bears repeating: Social media (networking, building connections, sharing information) is not about you. In fact, no one cares about you. Social internet and the media is about me. It’s about what I want. In the 1960′s people watched Gilligan’s Island and The Andy Griffith Show. Why? Because that’s what was on. It’s not that they were bad shows, but when you don’t have other alternatives on TV, you watch what’s there. Today, you have your choice. There are hundreds of millions of videos on YouTube that you can watch now. You no longer have to listen to the radio to hear good music, you can find new artists on RCRD LBL, OurStage or Last.fm. In fact, now there are more YouTube-type video PORTALS than there were TV CHANNELS in the 1960′s. So the problem is no longer lack of content. If you’re online and you’re looking for entertainment, you can find it.

So what’s the problem now? It’s choice. If I can read anything I want, what makes me want to add your blog to my RSS reader? What makes me want to watch your YouTube videos? If I have unlimited choice, your social media and marketing goals cannot be about you. You have to engage me and show me something that I want to see. So impress me. Make a video that I want to see, that entertains me. If you’re a blogger, write content that will help me and actually add value to my daily life. Make me laugh, make me think, but please oh please, don’t make me yawn. There is not enough time for me to waste 5 minutes of my life that I won’t ever get back. So rather than putting out 50 blog posts a month that don’t interest me, or 10 videos that bore me to tears, come up with one truly interesting idea and execute it well.

Social media is wonderful because it has such great potential to add value. Value to your business and your brand, yes. But more importantly, value to me. Value that I’m outwardly asking for and hoping to receive. If you bring me that value, I will give you that sale. I promise.

Tonight I met a great group of people at the Gelato Tweetup in Seattle. People like Heidi, Deeckla, Derrick and Travis that I hope to hear from in the future. I appreciated what they did because they cared to ENGAGE with me and have a conversation. If they need help from me in the future, they’ve already made the connection. If you’re a brand, that’s what you aim for. Don’t interrupt my enjoyment of something else with an advertisement. Spend a little more time and deliver something useful to me. Now I can change the channel. I can browse another website. I can turn off the radio entirely. If you want to reach me, find a way to connect to me rather than telling me all about you. I’m dying to engage with you, and I’d be happy to blog about you. But you have to give ME a reason.