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Stop writing about social media to be a successful blogger

Stop writing about social media. Talking about how Twitter is or isn’t an effective networking tool is boring. Really, freaking boring.

I read a lot of posts on social media hoping someone will say something new, but that never happens. We need to stop masturbating to what the tool is and start using it to see how it works.

Some of my favorite bloggers have said recently that they want to stop their current blog and start writing a blog about social media. How unoriginal. You aren’t an expert because you write about social media. You’re an expert because you use it.

It’s like saying social media isn’t as individual as the style of clothes that we choose to wear, or the neighborhood we live in, or the brand of toilet paper we buy. Different things work in different ways for different people.

Social media is as expansive as every kind of book out there, and while there will be bestsellers and cult classics, there’s no one style or clear path to follow.

Innovators aren’t people that join the conversation, but interrupt it. Innovators ignore the should and should nots, and just act.

I get why people write about it – it’s a fixation — an obsession for many of us — that we all have in common. But you can’t define social media. You can’t package it up neatly in a box.

Here’s how I know this is true. I don’t like Scott Monty, social media guru for Ford, at all. I mean, he’s a nice guy (nice enough to email me personally when I ranted about him), but I don’t like the way he represents Ford, and I think his approach is slightly ridiculous. But it is working for him, and tons and tons of people do like him.

Also, Chris Brogan isn’t all that original, Guy Kawasaki can be annoying, and ProBlogger writes about the same thing every day. There. I said it.

Celebrities are not more interesting than you. They’re not smarter. They have skills. In social media, they have mad skills. Mad, crazy, enviable marketing skills. You can have respect for individuals and their game – and don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for the Scott Montys and Chris Brogans of the world. They are succeeding and deserve props.

But it doesn’t mean you have to follow what they say, or emulate their game or even read them. That makes you an observer. An observer that sits in a wagon pulled around by “the influencers.” What chance do you have if you’re not even thinking on your own two feet?

Here’s how to escape the social media wagon:

1) Unsubscribe from one of the talking heads. How do you expect to be original and innovative when you read what everyone else reads? Lightning will not strike down upon you, I promise.

2) Subscribe to one of the thousands of other bloggers out there that are putting out real and original content. Content about politics, design & art, relationships, news, fashion, careers and issues. Content about things that matter. (Yes, fashion matters too).

3) Write about something else besides social media.

4) Repeat.

Novel idea.

By Rebecca Healy

My goal is to help you find meaningful work, enjoy the heck out of it, and earn more money.

76 replies on “Stop writing about social media to be a successful blogger”

1) I like your new re-design
2) Thanks for the link. Ever since I moved to the new domain I’ve lost, like, ALL links so I appreciate it :)
3) I totally love this post, and it reminded me of our convo last weekend! Actually, after I left cafe paradiso that afternoon I promptly unfollowed chris brogan and guy kawasaki and a few others for good measure. Really, I don’t care what Scoble has to say: it’s so boring.

I also unfollowed almost everyone who has social media expert, strategist, guru, etc in their bio. And stopped reading blogs about blogging. And who cares about them! I think everyone followed those guys because they were the ones who first populated Twitter. Twitter is filled with people talking about social media because they got to Twitter first. But once you stop following them all the time just because you’re “supposed” to, and start finding people who actually share your interests and are using social media to pursue their interests rather than talking about social media all the time, you find a lot more interesting conversation and meet way more interesting people. So, I totally agree. If I did an “Agree and Disagree links” series this post would be in it! :)

ps. also, there’s a typo in point #1 — lightning has no E.

Nisha

Rebecca, you say it so clearly and it’s so right on. I think that the guru’s and experts in social media all drone together, lacking originality. However, I do think that they got there for a reason and everyone has SOMETHING to say.

I think of the Non-Profit I used to work for and how much they can leverage and use what the ‘Chris Brogans’ are saying about social media, twitter, blogging, etc. for their own business use. They don’t know where to start, so they look to the industry ‘expert.’ Does it depend on where you are in your social media personal index?

Alas, the observers are being pulled in the wagon not leading it or even creating their own form of transportation–innovating a new path. I like this call-to-action and agree with you 100% here. There are a lot of hidden voices out there speaking on relevant and pertinent issues. And for me, at the end of the day, those are the ones that I want to be right next to at the front of the wagon.

Interesting…If you change the words “social media” and insert any other topic, is this article still true? I’d say yes…though I’d also say that some folks NEED experts to look to for advice. Sure, if you already think this stuff is second nature, then no, you don’t need it. But some do need the help.

If you’re looking to lead the pack, then heck yeah, get off the leaders’ bandwagon and march to your own music. If you’re just looking to keep pace, then you have to follow someone, and you might as well follow someone everyone knows is good.

It is nice to read an article like this and to get out of the echo chamber for a while. Nicely done! Please keep it up!

PS I own one of these “expert coach” URLs, but because of exactly what you say, I can’t bring myself to build it out. :)

Rebecca, I definitely hear you. It is totally unoriginal to blog about social media, but lots of these blogs (including and not limited to the ones you mentioned above) are actually really helpful, probably because there is such a robust conversation about social media! Not everyone wants to be an innovator.
But for those who do want to innovate, your advice is relevant.

1.) Thanks for the link love, I certainly appreciate it!
2.) I’m not one of those people that comments just to comment, yet I always find myself having something to say after reading your posts. That’s cool.
3.) It really depends on what stage you’re at in your learning, your goals, etc.

I have watched as my reader has evolved from featuring only all these ‘expert’ blogs to retaining some of the ones I find most useful and branching into other areas (and people) that pique my interest.

Per my Plah-Doh blog, we do all come from different circumstances, and you’re a bit of an edge walker. As far as I can tell, you always have been.

As I transitioned into this space I had no clue what I was doing and I needed the Problogger’s and the Chris Brogan’s of the world to show me how to understand the basics. I still subscribe to both of them, because in my opinion Chris does social media better than most, and Darren does Blogging better than most. The same way Brian Clark owns writing copy for me.

Now I’m ready to take the training wheels off and start becoming more innovative. I still find comfort in those blogs, but just the best ones. And I do believe that you can take the things they’re writing and build on the the basics to cultivate your own conversations.

I completely agree with you though, that I want to see more people start writing about how they use the shiny new objects to grow bottom lines. The same 3 case studies are getting old.

Thanks for challenging me to think, per usual Rebecca!

I basically did this post about Gen Y as a topic two months ago (and you disagreed: http://www.yourhrguy.com/2009/01/30/are-great-gen-y-writers-abandoning-generational-issues/#comment-9868 ). You said later “There are so many great things to write about, I’m not sure why so many people are all of sudden denouncing one of those topics as sub par. It just seems a little silly.”

Change of heart or something else? How is social media a worse topic to write about than Gen Y?

You’re saying to just live social media instead of writing about it? I say just live your generation instead of writing about it.

I agree with this post 100% but I am curious about how you came to decide that denouncing this topic was okay?

things that matter:

1. fashion (yes)

2. your face (don’t be super ugly)

3. content (sorta)

mostly it’s just your face. don’t be ugly. i’m talking to you, unnamed social media expert. you know who you are.

Rebecca, I absolutely *love* this post! Because it is so true and pinpoints something I’ve been thinking about for a while too. Everyone talks about social media ALL the time. All I see is those lists everywhere: top 5 ways to publicize your blog or use twitter for personal branding or use social media to get a job, and so on. I’m not saying these posts aren’t useful or helpful but it’s all I see everywhere now and it really IS tiring. Especially because much of the content I see everywhere really isn’t novel. It’s the same tips and topics over and over again. If you are going to write about social media, you should do it innovatively. Add something different to the conversation.

Honestly, I don’t subscribe to any of those bloggers you’ve written about. Because, I have different interests – I’d rather learn about politics and human rights rather than read the same things about social media. This is a little harsh I suppose, since I love social media. But it’s more productive to me to get involved on twitter and find people with similar interests.

Great post!!

While I agree with you about the ‘subscribe to other blogs’ idea, I disagree with unsubscribing to the A list – the comments there often provide interesting URLS on which you can follow up. If those blogs are interesting, you can add them to your feedreader as well.

Don’t throw out the mooses with the moosewater.

This is a great post. It gives a lot of bloggers a lot to think about, including myself. But seriously, I don’t think it’s fair to just tell people to stop blogging about social media.

The fact that it’s so expansive is what’s so intriguing to me. I think the current experts have just lost touch. It’s so easy for them to blog about the same crap everyday that they forgot to be innovative and write about it in a new and interesting way.

The point is, any topic can suck if you’re not telling a good story. I don’t like politics, but the right political blogger can rev me up about it. Career advice can get pretty redundant, but sometimes I read something so mind blowing that it changes my whole perspective on things.

I totally get while you’re yawning right now. But what I would suggest to social media bloggers is to stop looking to Brogan, or Kawasaki or ProBlogger, and start looking to yourselves.

Tell the story in an interesting way and I doubt you’ll have any trouble building a community around what you’re writing about.

@ Nisha – Our conversation with Kristen definitely inspired this post, so thank you! I love your analysis on Twitter. Also, thanks for pointing out the typo – I’m a bit obsessive about grammer/spelling , and can’t believe I missed that. Thanks for the comment!

@ Grace – I think that the “influencers” definitely have something to say, but it’s the difference between reading about sky diving and jumping out of the plane yourself. I don’t believe there’s that much to learn about reading about SM over and over again. Thank you for the kind words.

@ Phil – Yes, definitely all about taking action – in all areas of your life. Great thoughts, but I don’t necessarily agree with that you should follow someone already knows is good. I think that’s part of the point of my post – some of those people aren’t all that good. Sometimes people have fabulous marketing skills, but don’t have the content to match.

@ Jaclyn – It makes me sad that not everyone wants to be an innovator. I mean I get it, but I don’t like it. Thanks for sharing your great perspective.

@ Ryan S – Great points about it depends on what stage you’re in. I agree with that, which is all the more reason that the influencers, whether they like it or not, have a responsibility , and we too have a responsibility to realize when we need to push ourselves.

@ Lance – GREAT points, haha. I actually do think it’s different. If I want to write a book, the best way to learn great writing is to read other books as much as I can and write as much as I can. It’s not to pick up a book that tells me how to write. Writing about a tool instead of using the tool to write about neat stuff gets old real quickly. Of course, you need books that tell you how to write and posts about social media, but not when they fill the blogosphere so nauseatingly.

@ Laurie – You crack me up. Thanks for sharing : )

@ Matt – Thanks! I appreciate the support.

@ Akhila – Thanks for the comment and great thoughts. I agree that’s exhausting to see social media posts over and over again when they are all a regurgitation of the last post on social media.

@ Barbara – I love that you find other bloggers through the influencers. That’s an awesome way to use social media to it’s best advantage. Thanks for the comment.

@ Ryan P – Ah, but therein lies the problem. I don’t think that the small bloggers are writing about social media in a way that’s interesting either. It’s a great point to look to yourself, but don’t just copy the others. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

I do think there’s some value to following the Guy Kawasakis and Chris Brogans. I find great links by following those guys. These guys attract a broad range of readers, so the comments often have links to blogs that I wouldn’t have found easily.

But there does come a point of critical mass. I don’t follow people on Twitter who only post links and retweets. I don’t want my Twitter to be an RSS feed. I don’t read most blog posts that deal with social media, unless there’s a new spin. But even so, there are few new spins to make at this point.

Ok – no writing about social media.

But, I guess that goes for the hackneyed blog topics plaguing the web. I think the problem is that the same ideas are being recycled and people are having difficulty connecting to them in new ways.

And that’s probably the heart of becoming a better blogger – it’s about the (new) connections. Not the results. Because, in the end,you are still trying to build a community, spread (and create) ideas and have conversation. That doesn’t change.
Also, unsubscribing to the talking heads might not matter as much if you aren’t listening to them in the first place. They may be on my Twitter stream, but the influence is a 2 way street.

The new design looks great!

I have been wondering the same thing about all the social media talk… when is someone going to actually USE it for more than spreading the love of all things social media? At the same time I agree with Ryan Stephens that there is a purpose, especially for people new to the whole thing. Like me. Because I don’t even know who Chris Brogan is. Blasphemy, I’m sure.

Great post!

Rebecca–great post. I’ve been doing a lot of cleaning up in the “social media section” of my reader lately (by “cleaning up” I mean deleting many feeds that I’ve subscribed to for some time), but I wonder if that’s just something that happens naturally once comfortable in the space. I can’t recall for certain, but I’m sure that “rules” made me feel comfortable when I started Twitter (and made the step into Twitter easier). Now I can’t stand them.

I do think there are some blogs with audiences that want to know more about social media and it makes sense to share with them. People have to start somewhere.

And while I am sick of the “instructional” social media posts, I do think there are a lot of discussions about how social media fits into the bigger picture (and by “bigger picture” I don’t mean enterprise) that are worth exploring more. I find it intriguing to read and think about what this new sort of “radical openness” means for culture and society. But maybe that’s just me.

Absolutely on point!

I recently cleared out my reader and stopped following the “guru’s” too. Not that I don’t think their content isn’t valuable, but most of their big points get retweed by half the people I follow on Twitter, so I’m certain I’m not going to miss anything “groundbreaking” by not following them directly.

These superstars are normal people! They go to the bathroom just like you and I and their pee is not liquid gold. :)

I still haven’t fallen into my blogging niche because I don’t want to write about social media and essentially regurgitated what every one else has already said. Social media is noisy enough.

It’s a process, as we all know, and I really appreciate your honesty in this post, it’s refreshed my perspective on what it means to be a genuine blogger.

Oh and fashion? YES. Very important.

Tavi is one of my favorite fashion bloggers.
Zany, creative, and she’s 12.
http://tavi-thenewgirlintown.blogspot.com/

Thanks again for your honesty!

@ Anna – I love that you use influencer blogs to find other blogs. That’s where blog networks come in quite useful as well. It’s the idea of critical mass that has me bothered – I feel like it’s just too much. Thanks for the comment!

@ Raven – Great points. I love that blogging for you is about making new connections. That’s the catch-22 I think though. When you become an “influencer” it’s much harder to have those genuine connections and relationships – not for lack of trying for many though.

@ Marie – That’s why I love you. Because you don’t know who Chris Brogan is. Please don’t go find out.

@ AlliG – Absolutely agree about your last paragraph – there are discussions on social media that are incredibly useful and thought-provoking. The majority of posts aren’t though. Thanks for the comment!

@ Meghan – Ahaha, “their pee is not liquid gold.” Ew, but right on. Really appreciate your comment and perspective and especially that you shared a blog that you love – I think that makes yours the best comment yet ; )

I couldn’t agree more. I am very bored of reading and writing about social media, even though this is my practice area. That’s why my blog for my own company is so small and clearly under-invested with content, as I am too busy writing blog posts for clients about vastly different topics.

However I don’t think you are going to see any slowdown whatsoever in this trend … how else would we all market our services?

The golden rule will always apply: if you’re not having fun writing it, no one will have fun reading it.

Rebecca, good job of pointing out that the emperor wears no clothes!

I, too, am sick of reading blogs about blogging. Ick. We get it, blogging rocks, twitter rocks, social media rocks. Now tell me something useful, funny or interesting that I don’t already know.

Nice post.

I halfway agree and halfway disagree with this. Yes, of course, you should be living what you write about social media. I mean, everyone should be taking their own advice, no matter what their topic is.

On the other hand – who, in your mind, is starting a blog about social media and not actively using social media? People want to share their experiences in the hope that other people will find a sense of empowerment (usually, that’s the goal).

I’m starting a blog about social media. Today I want to write a post about how I brought Twitter alive by going to a tweetup and how important doing something like that is. And how I was frightened the entire time driving there, but I went anyway.

When we blog, we dissect experiences. You can write this post about anything – why talk about careers? Just live it and people will notice. Why talk about fashion? Just wear it.

However – in this post, what is the point or points you are making? Don’t start a blog about social media or write about it? Or, don’t focus only on the talking heads or celebrity social media bloggers? Or, write about something original pertaining to social media?

Because, I agree – celebrities are tiring, when pertaining to any subject. Regurgitating their words for your blog is silly. And, writing something original or at least interesting should always be the goal, for any subject.

I don’t agree that we should stop writing about social media all together.

THANK YOU for saying this! All of it!

The most important message you’ve communicated, from my perspective, is that social media is expansive—there are as many ways to use it as there are different types of people. I don’t mind people sharing what works for them when it comes to Twitter and blogging, but I REALLY mind people who act like they’re the experts who have defined what it’s all about and how to do it “right.”

When it comes to following/reading/commenting on these big social media guys, we all need to ask ourselves why we bother. If we follow and read them because we really think we’re getting something out of it that we need, great. But if we just feel like it’s “the thing to do”—everyone who wants to get anywhere in social media is doing it—then screw that. Messed up motivations and not following our hearts will surely kill us in the end.

I like your straight forward approach! Social media is just the buzz right now so everyone will write about it.

Innovators aren’t people that join the conversation, but interrupt it.

Don’t fall into the middle of the pack, no one will notice. Get on the edge people will love and hate you but they will remember you either way!

@ James – Great points, but I think social media people market their services by writing great content just like you said you do. I have a social media marketing job and I didn’t get it by writing about social media, but by excelling by using social media and clearly explaning the value of my experience.

@ Monica – Haha, way to say exactly what I wanted in an extremely succint manner. We do get it. What’s next? Thanks for the comment.

@ Jamie – I’m going to tell you my honest opinion, because we’re friends. Writing about how you brought Twitter alive by going to a tweet-up is boring. Do you know how many posts like that I’ve read? You’re a good writer so maybe you will make it interesting, but maybe not. There are tons of bloggers that only write about social media as their sole topic and if you start another blog, I’ll read it because I like you, but I have to say I’m missing what your blog was when I first found you more and more.

@ Kristin – I like that you brought up that you shouldn’t do something just because “it’s the thing to do.” That is so high school ; ) And thanks for being half the inspiration for this post. You and Nisha rock.

@ Jared – Thanks for the kind comment. I agree that it’s just the buzz right now and maybe it’s now time to make the bee into some honey. ; )

This is why you’re my favorite blogger. There, I said it.

However, there’s one exception to this exceptional post: if it’s your job and you make enough money to live the life you want with it. Then, you should talk/write/vlog/whatever about social media. Like all day long. Because then you can go live the life you want.

So, don’t blog about social media. Unless you really want to.

This was my first time reading your blog but I really liked your clear and concise-yet entertaining -writing style.

Your point is well-made and well-taken! The logic is very circular: the current trend is to use social media to connect with others about social media. The point of these new SM outlets is to use them to connect WITH other people and not to connect with others ABOUT them. The challenge is to continually find new ways of using them effectively, and it seems that, in focusing on SM-based topics, many have shied away from facing this challenge directly.

At the same time, I have learned a lot from reading others’ articles and blogs about how to better use social media, so I’d hate to see social media dropped as a topic entirely. What I would like to see, though, is articles that go in-depth and show me something new about a feature I may not currently be aware of, as opposed to the popular superficial articles about how “great” social media is.

This is a great post! I’ll just add a couple of things to the comments above:

I have an aversion to the word “expert” since I don’t really think there is such a person. It’s just someone that knows more than me who is willing to share. Maybe the problem is because we can share with more people, the echo chamber’s gotten bigger than it’s ever been before.

That may be one of the reasons why I haven’t done much work on my “social media” blog, even though it’s focusing on a particular group using social media (community revitalization groups), the echo chamber I’m connected to keeps me from writing a lot, even though I know that the folks who will find the blog most useful haven’t had those chances to use most of the tools yet. I also see myself posting infrequently because of EmilyW’s comment – I like to actually have something to say after doing it.

Folks that are open to learning appreciate seeing what some of these folks have to say. Maybe if we remember that we need to unplug from time to time and use the tools instead of always writing about them, it will stay fun and not become a nuisance.

I know that I found this post (and this blog) by seeing it mentioned by someone who influences me. It’s going in my reader right now! :-)

Rebecca,
You hit the nail on the head with this one! All the talk about the social media fishbowl is happening in the fishbowl by all the same people. I love the quote, “An observer that sits in a wagon pulled around by “the influencers.”” Groundswell author Josh Bernoff once told me that he sees two kinds of people in social media, those that comment on social media and practitioners who are actually doing the work and innovating. Some time ago I quit commenting on the topic du jour. The web doesn’t need yet another me too post. Maybe I need to take the next step and quit reading The Fishbowl Journal and totally unplug from the babbling heads.

Not much to add but well done! Expert is such a loose term and you hit the nail on the head when you said that just because you write about it doesn’t make you an expert. Experience is the true test for credibility.

Have a great week!

Rebecca,

Nice new layout! Don’t forget to have your beautiful pictures included in here as well; you are a fabulous photographer.

I’ve stopped reading all the stuff on social media, including dropping feeds from some really good bloggers. I don’t know if it is because I have all I need from them or there is nothing new under the sun.

What I do know is that most of the social media out there was “social media is great — look at all these cool things you can do with it.” Nothing on the benefits of the features, nothing on what practical use it has for people in their lives, nothing that compels me to go to the sites to try stuff out, nothing on why this would make my life better or easier.

As well, the posts don’t address how one could craft social media sites together into a plan for you as an individual. And having to learn yet another cool tool at another cool site that has another cool thing linked to another cool feature is like having 40-decibels of noise walking around with me all the time. Not.

I’ve made my social media decisions. Time to move on. Next?

I joined Twitter in January. I just thought I’d take it for a spin, kick the tires, find out of it worked for me. I immediately liked it but was shocked by how many people tweeted about the same exact thing: how/why/where to use Twitter, how to get more followers, blah blah blah. I feared Twitter would become one of those closed-circle circle-jerks I have no interest in being part of.

I agree that the best way to use social media is to take what works for you and leave the rest.

Rebecca, blogging is about what content you can provide for your network. If you are in the business of connecting people and educating entrepreneurs you’ve got to write about techniques and tools you use to connect people…

I do agree however that there is too much boring stuff out there and people are just talking about the tools and not using them…

Aside from the fact that this is a blog post (a form of social media, in my opinion) about how we shouldn’t write about social media.

I agree with you that no one should reiterate others, especially the gurus. For any subject.

Yet, social media posts still have their place in the world. There will always be room for how-to writing for beginners. It makes sense to read the main social media bloggers when you don’t know much about Twitter or blogging or social media. And I think it’s worth starting a social media blog to brand yourself if that’s what you want to be an expert in – just as worthy as life, advice, career advice, women advice, or Gen Y (Lance’s point on this is great, actually).

I use social media much more than the average person, but still learn a lot from reading all of the blogs you’ve mentioned. And I learn a lot about social media by observing the guys who own those blogs, because what they are doing works. Until you outgrow a blogger and his/her message, you shouldn’t boycott them, in my opinion.

Also, you don’t need to unsubscribe from someone in order to subscribe to other people. Better advice is to subscribe to the people who resonate with you, not just the people who are the experts. If that includes all the social media people, by all means, subscribe away.

@Rebecca – Most topics are boring in of themselves. Generational differences when applied to career? Boring. But, great writers and passionate people MAKE them interesting. Sure, not everyone is going to want to read about it, but if you are writing something compelling about something that is typically stale, then you are an amazing blogger. That’s why people love your blog – career and life advice is boring, but you make it interesting.

Maybe that’s what’s missing for you in terms of social media blogging – no one is writing anything compelling and it’s not that social media, as a whole, shouldn’t be talked about – it’s that we need better conversations. I agree.

Writing about how you brought Twitter alive by going to a tweet-up is boring.

That’s something that happened to me yesterday. I went, I was scared, I was proud of myself for walking into a restaurant full of strangers and introducing myself. You say you miss my old writing, which was the more introspective stuff – but that post IS going to be introspective. Writing about how networking is amazing and OMG! you should do it, yeah, that’s done. And done. And done. And then done again. But someone sharing their experience about going to a networking event by themselves and what it was like: hasn’t been done, because the person (me) hasn’t written it yet.

I have to say – this blog post, superimpose “social media” with “generational differences” or “parenting” or “career advice” and it holds true. I’m surprised that you, who seems really open to people pursuing their interests and passions, would blanket people who want to write about social media as unoriginal, therefore they shouldn’t do it.

You write about social media, networking, blogging, etc. I feel like you’re refuting your own topics. Maybe I’m missing your point?

Here’s an example of someone who I think does a great job at social media blogging. Maybe it’s just me …

http://shama.tv/

I know I could find more if I had the energy. The point I have is that there are people out there in every genre that stand out. And just because one person, or group of people, says that it’s not worth doing, doesn’t mean that it’s not worth doing.

Do you what you want with your blog. If you’re passionate about social media, blog about social media. As long as you do it in a unique and fresh way I’m sure you’re going to be successful and make the connections that you sought to make.

@ Sam – Thanks Sam : ) My job is social media, but I don’t feel the need to write about it, just to experience it… at least so far ; )

@ EmilyW – Thanks for the great analysis and I agree that while it may be too much, if you can find an interesting voice in the chatter, no reason not to run with it.

@ Sara – Thanks for the kind words : )

@ Andre – I appreciate you bringing up the point about the echo chamber. I think that’s why annoys me the most. You can be original that way. And if we’re all reading the same stuff, it’s difficult to escape that. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

@ Scott – Love the quote, “The world doesn’t need another ‘me too’ post”- right on. Appreciate the comment.

@ Angie – I love the blogosphere, but I think that’s the thing I dislike the most – people who don’t have experience dolling out advice. It’s not my cup of tea.

@ Scot – Always enjoy your comments. Cool on top of cool on top of cool is almost disingenuous by now in the social media world. Thanks for sharing your perspective! (Also, don’t worry, the photos are just on their own page – glad you like them : )

@ Parsing Nonsense – I like that your name is so similar to the comment you made. ; ) It’s hard not to conform when everyone else is doing it, but invention is copying someone else’s idea and improving it 10 fold. Not regurgitation.

@ MattWilsontv – Agreed, but I don’t but that there are all THAT many people that have the types of positions you describe, nor that the topic is complicated enough to warrant such an echo chamber. Thanks for sharing your comment!

@ Monica – It’s great that you still learn from the people writing about social media. You’re taking my advice – have your own thoughts and do what works for you. It wouldn’t be as much fun if everyone agreed with what I wrote.

@ Jamie – Right on. I said you could probably make it interesting and I’m looking forward to what you have to say. I don’t believe no one should write about social media, but I’m doubtful that most people can make it interesting at this point for anyone but a newbie – and the content out there is already plentiful enough for newbies.

You, yourself, are a newbie to the social media world – an amazing entrant into the sphere that is making waves, hard to do, so quite impressive. But I’m interested to see you three months from now and then six months from now and see if you still feel like you have a lot of original things to say about social media. If you do, then I’ll be truly impressed.

I rarely write about social media and blogging in and of itself. When I do, it’s a rant like this one about how people are taking social media too darn seriously. I’m aware of the catch-22 however in all this. Thanks for sharing your point of view!

@ Ryan P – There are ALWAYS exceptions to every thought and every truism. Shama’s cool because she’s doing a video blog, I’m not sure she’s saying anything all that different, but she’s doing it in a new format which is pretty neat. There are great bloggers on there on social media (I like Todd Defren at SHIFT), and we should celebrate those (I’m all about celebrating great bloggers!), but my point was more to make sure we don’t get sucked into the tornado that social media is right now.

@Rebecca – Just so you know, I wrote a new post at my new blog (which, in no way, means I’m not going to write at intersected) and this post made me want to at least say something that hasn’t been said or add a new twist. And I totally realize I’m a newbie, and that’s why I want the blog – to learn, share, and grow, instead of sounding like some “expert.” =) Check out the new blog – I hope I can say something fresh that you’ll like. http://www.shatterboxx.com =)

The problem is, as this post demonstrates, that people want to talk and write and comment on posts about social media :)

Also, this t-shirt does a good job saying the same thing: http://experiencecurve.com/archives/viral-marketing-doesnt-work.

As for what we should all be writing about? My vote is for whatever we want to be learning. I always find that I learn most when I’m teaching. Blogging is just an extension of that for me.

For me, I think the bigger issue is an overarching battle with the niche concept of blogging. It just doesn’t work that well. Because inherently, blogging is not a box.

So we end up defining ourselves by our own expectations and then the expectations of our perceived community…. and we forget that we can, and should, write about what is empowering and enlightening – to ourselves and to others.

You know what I’m sick and tired of? People constantly agreeing with posts. I just read all of the comments and almost threw up on myself.

I have a new rule of disagreeing with each post. I hope you will join me in making the blogosphere a more interesting place.

Therefore, I say keep writing about social media! It’ll make my blog look better if you do :P

Jun Loayza

Just tweeted this post, Rebecca, making sure that all my Social media Guru buddies saw it. ;)

This line inspired me (thank you):

“Innovators aren’t people that join the conversation, but interrupt it.”

Thanks for the kind words above, too, by the way. I’m taking that as permission to continue blogging about Social Media, and confirmation that (so far) I’m not being a douchenozzle about it.

Wow. I agree with some of the things that you said. But at this time, I’m too afraid to blog about them, so I’ll just keep reading yours :)

~Andy from Mpls A.K.A. The guy who showed up and hung around all day with Brazen Careerist startup.

[…] Rebecca’s blog moves up two spots from our Feb. edition. Could her ascension have anything to do with the fact that she’s added vlogging to her arsenal? Apparently starting a new job and tolerating Ryan Healy haven’t slowed her down. I love that she’s not afraid to experiment, and I like her new agree/disagree approach of filtering interesting posts for her readers. She’s definitely an edge-walker, and that’s illustrated in this post, “Stop Writing About Social Media to be a Successful Blogger.” […]

Hi Rebecca,

I can’t say that I agree with all your opinions but have enjoyed pondering them. I also like your photography.

I find no fault in blogging about social media. In education, the term used is “Web 2.0.” It refers to Twitter, Facebook, texting, and the different forms of communication available to students in grades K-12 today. Reading others posts/articles/opinions about social media helps me construct a more informed picture of the technology. True, some times the posts are redundant but most have their own nuance to add.

I should add that I am from the generation of UHF and VHF, the generation pre-cable and pre-VHS, the Pong generation. So the idea of being able to access so much information so easily or to have a variety of means to communicate with you and others is still something awe inspiring to me.

As far as “newness” or “originality,” I think every generation thinks its ideas are new and fresh. I think ideas evolve just like people and their technology. I mean (and I am dating myself) New Wave music was new and original, wasn’t it? Have you heard the new Depeche Mode? ;-)

Thought you might enjoy a clip from what was new when I was “original”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eonsm2WrZHs

Finally a post about social media that I want to read!

I’m sick of all the “social media experts” in Twitter, I run away from them as fast as I can. Who elected them as experts? Why do they all seem to think that because I use Twitter I can’t wait to hear what they have to say about it???

Thank you Rebecca, your post made my day!

Great post! @Tiffany Monhollon Great note about how blogging is good because it’s an extension of your teaching; and as a product of that comes learning (obviously a great goal).

People such as @guykawasaki and Chris B. are great and are not to be forgotten, just not the only resource. I feel as if social media often times is like DJing, people are all producing what they may refer to as “music” but most people just hear noise. The best DJ’s are those that dig through the mess, the noise, filter it down, find samples that are not always used, create new and innovative methods and attract a good and loyal audience.

Same with social media, you should not (if you want to stand out at least); let alone for any number of other reasons just contribute to the same noise and same message as everyone else. You must be remarkable and create and innovate with the tools you have, that’s how you’ll become an expert.

Cheers!

[…] Sometimes, I think about this world I’m a part of. Not the great, blue planet we inhabit, though I think about that too, but this world. This one, right here, where I’m running like so many threads through so many others, a big, important tapestry of energy, ideas, passion. This vibrant, insightful community of thinkers and doers and learners and mentors and peers. Sometimes, because it’s easier to explain it this way, I call this “social media.” […]

This is the best post I have read in a long time. Thank you for writing it.

As a marketer with experience in traditional and a more recent focus on digital, I tend to take a big picture look at marketing, versus the relatively tactical approach of social media. i have been struggling for blog topics a bit lately, as the social conversation is so dominant (and getting boring), but, to your point, I am trying to further widen my scope of interests and bring something new to the table with each post.

I appreciate this post so much because I’m so sick of all these social media bloggers who are SO transparent and whose primary goal is becoming the next Chris Brogan. They pretend to care about other bloggers, even those in niche categories, but they don’t. They only care about promoting themselves and those that they’ve helped directly.

However, I disagree that bloggers aren’t writers. I do think I am a good writer, though I don’t have any aspirations of being a professional writer, and have received many comments from my readers that confirm that. I read some amazing blogs by people that really could be writers. The point is, the social media buffs should stop thinking their god’s gift to web 2.0 and realize that their act gets tired. Enough with the shameless self promotion all the time.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All.

People are in various stages of their journey into social media. There are a lot of folks in my industry who are just now waking up and recognizing the value of using blogging and other tools to grow their business and expand their digital footprint. These folks do need the benefit of tutorials and ‘How-To’ posts. The early adopters are always the ones who blaze the trail, push for innovation, and interrupt the conversation. Everyone else needs some degree of hand-holding and instruction.

Um, Rebecca… I just fell a little bit in love with you.

Seriously, thanks for this post. I know I’m a little late in reading this, but you’ve just said everything that’s been in my head, making me feel like I must be doing something wrong. I have a mad crush on Chris Brogan, but so many people now are emulating him that nothing’s that original any more. If you’re just getting tuned in now, well, you’re a little slow on the uptake. And a little late, might I add.

Anyway, rant over. Thanks for the awesome post. Again.

Love your blog and point of view. Not sure how I’ve missed it up until now, but I am having a great time reading back posts. Your honesty is quite refreshing. I will certainly visit often.
Angela

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