Work, Life, Social Media Balance

As a relative newbie to using social media as one of the tools to marketing to customers and potential customers, I have a concern that my efforts will be seen as "Why is Brendan Coyne doing this when he should be doing X. Why is he spending so much time on facebook, or always tweeting on Twitter? He is on the computer all the time. Doesn't he have a life?"

Well, in answer to all that, it does not take a lot of time and there are people who with maybe a half hour or an hour a day devoted to networking have proven that even with obscure subject matter they can use these media's as a tool to further their cause.

My cause is three-fold: 1) Branding myself to my friends, customers, employer and future employer(s). I want people to know how to contact me both within and outside the confines of work and home. This doesn't mean I want to talk about work at 8pm on a Friday night, but if it is that important, here is a way to get in front of me.
2) It is pretty cool to see how far I can take it and it is fun. Last year at this time, I just did not get it. Now I am a believer and I do not think these kinds of things are ever going to go away. Why not be an early user of a new technology?
3) I want to become a resource for professionals who are into environmental remediation systems. This will translate directly to sales, because I am going to give customers what they want AND allow them to get to know who they are dealing with at the same time.

People resist the social medias for a variety of reasons. I say to them: Are you afraid of being a lemming? Afraid of being labeled geeky? Don't have time? Too cool for that? Too old to learn a new trick? Afraid of your privacy going bye-bye?

Who among us did not think the internet was complicated at one point? Who did not take the time to learn how to set your home page on your internet browser, or learn how to copy and paste?

It does take time, it is a little geeky, it is becoming more and more popular and there are new things springing up all the time. So you have valid concerns. So what?

Privacy? To paraphrase a popular author, "Rumors of it's demise have been greatly exaggerated." Hey, just be careful what you put out there. If you don't want someone to know where you work or where you live, don't write about it.

Do you really think you have any privacy anyway? I guarantee there are people tracking you right now! It has not changed the fact that you are reading this. This little bit of privacy you gave up really does not make a bit of difference to you does it?

Thanks for reading...

Interesting article: Work, Life, Social Media Balance