I am so tired of listening and reading about the number of Twitter followers that Ashton Kutcher has.
How can I put this so that I am absolutely clear? Sometimes, it’s not about popularity, it’s about credibility. And having thousands of people follow your twitter updates does not actually mean that they believe everything you say or that none of your opinions will be challenged.
Here is a short story for you (which is true). I once got a gig with a start-up. They were following my blog (the Greek one) for quite some time, we had exchanged some pleasantries. Now, my Greek blog is popular but not one of the most popular. These people told me that they contacted me because they thought that I was more credible in the blogging community than some of the more popular bloggers. In other words – when I wrote, people listened, asked, spread the word. (This might sound pretentious but hey, what the hell, it’s what actually happened).
Think about it. People don’t ask the most popular person in the room. Even if the most popular person is credible and trusted they are probably too busy and inundated to answer to every single request.
Don’t be popular. Be approachable.
You will build more meaningful relationships by being willing to help and by engaging in actual discussions. People remember when you have helped and they will help you in future. What goes around comes around.
Don’t be popular. Be valuable.
When you speak up make sure that what you say adds value to the discussions going on around you. Add something meaningful to the barrage of social media information.
Don’t be popular. Be credible.
Check your facts again and again. If you are wrong apologise. If people have a different opinion engage in the discussion. If you are writing about something make sure you stay up to date with developments. You don’t have to be the first to break the news. You just need to add value to the discussion when you speak up (in other words: press releases are fine but where is your analysis?)
Don’t be popular. Be trusted.
Be the person that people actually believe. Be responsible, visible and actually engage with people. If they don’t trust you they won’t come back. Why do you think Amazon allows users to vote and actually rank reviews? Think about it.
So. Will you be asking Ashton Kutcher anything any time soon?
Read On:
It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You by Pat Kitano on Media Transparent
HOW TO: Build Your Thought Capital on Twitter by Josh Sternberg on Mashable
Do You Trust Your Twitter News Sources? By Mona Nomura of Pixel Bits on louisgray
ehm… who's Ashton Kutcher, anyway? (seriously)
I really laughed with this.
<a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashton_Kutcher” target=”_blank”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashton_Kutcher
Hey Sofia,
I hoped on your blog via a tweet from @Glezos. I read your post and immidiately subscribed you to my Google Reader. Just wrote that I really liked your blog+content+posts. Keep up! Great work here!
apas
Hey apas thanks for your kind words (and thanks to @Glezos for the twit by the way). Glad to have you around and hoping to see more of your comments.
Nice read. I like short blog posts with proper use of headers and emphasized text so it's easier to skim through. I agree with the premise, though fame and popularity has always been #1 priority for most people.
Sofia, although I don't disagree with what you write I have a question:
You say Don't be Popular Be [something else].
I don't get that.
Is it in your hands to choose whether to be popular or not?
A step further, does Ashton Kutcher really cares if anyone going to ask him something or not?
and another question if I am approachable/valuable/credible/trusted on Twitter (!!!!!!), I actually gain what?
I think we are confused, Twitter can be a promotional tool for our work, we can be all the things you mention BUT if our really work is not A.V.C.T then the whole idea will collapse.
And a last thing, nowadays everyone speaks for value! Add value to this and that, they forget probably 2 fundamental rules for values though :
1. Add value to your work.
2. You don;t get to decide what value is.
Identify the second and you will have success.
But let's be honest, as marketeers, we know we have to add value, we don't know what value, we speculate, investigate, practice..but we don't really know until the people decide.
You make some valid points here. However – perhaps I wasn't very clear – I'm not talking just about twitter but about social media in general. But even in twitter I don't have to be followed by thousands of people – only the ones that matter. Let the others be popular, if my tweets are valuable they will be re-tweeted and the value will spread around the network.
So basically what I am saying is if you are popular, fine. But popularity cannot be put over and above the value and usefulness of what you say.
I agree with you that you don't get to decide what value is. However a good communicator can identify trends.
You also mention that Ashton Kutcher does not care. But that's exactly why his engagement is not genuine and he does not add anything to the network. Fundamental network theory (and experience) shows us that for network effects to be realised (value, learning, sharing, knowledge spillover) there needs to be trust and cross-dependence. If parts of the network operate in a selfish manner pretty soon the network will cancel them out.
Ok let's break it in pieces. (any grammar/ spelling mistakes plz excuse moi i've learned en from tapes)
1. Some times credibility is more important than popularity.
Credibility has nothing to do with popularity. However let's see it in matters of sales.
A credible work and a popular work, what does it sell more?
Dawn Brown's book sell millions are they credible? more or less we will agree that they are not, however they are popular.
Does Brown sells more than Hawking? I will say yes for now, or yes in the short term.
His popular work as it is not based on credible evidence rather more in fiction it will fade out as the years pass. However Hawking work it will always a refer book for "black holes" so it will sell more in the long term.
What is popular now, it is not based on credibility but in advertising.
Advertising as we all know, has a primary goal, to create a need. When you have a need, you have to fulfill it. However if the need it's not real eventually it will also fade out.
Now the other important issue, the network.
When you become popular, you already have a network, you don't become 1st popular then you have the network.
So in matters of social media, I ll say this:
Huge names like Hollywood Artists and US/UK singers DOES NOT NEED to create a network, THEY ALREADY HAVE THAT NETWORK.
What they do in social media is to COMPLIMENT the audience (aka network), and how they do that?
The simplest way their marketers could think about, let the audience, network to follow their activities… not participate, just observe.
Well, that's exactly where we disagree. Hollywood artists don't have a network. They have an audience.
There is a huge difference between people watching you and people engaging with you.
So what? What you need the network for?
Come on, let;s be honest, is it or not all about the money?
Do I develop a network in order to do what?
I build credibility, popularity, networks, audiences, all of these aim to something simple….money!
If this blog develops 30.000 reader / day, and you know how much work you need to do in order to achieve that, you will do that only cause of your internal need for networking?
OK I just disagree with the view that it's always about the money. It's the type of attitude that brought old media down.