RE-TWEET IT!
Tweet
Today, I posted my 10,000th tweet on Twitter. And of these thousands, one has been very widely re-tweeted… it says:
“Transparency is the new risk – Authenticity is the new currency – Trust is the new reward.”
Maybe because it encapsulates the essence of social media networking. Or maybe because it sounds nice and snappy. Or maybe because it is suitably ambiguous.
I’m taking the chance that this post will remove the last reason – but anyway, here goes…
Transparency is the new risk
Why? Because it is scary to invite the world at large to peer into your life, peek inside your mind – which is what social networking does. It’s like living inside the ‘Big Brother’ glass house – but virtually.
Yes, you can – and should – draw strict boundaries as to how many facets of it you allow to be transparent online.
But within those limits, there’s pretty little you can effectively hide – least of all, those most sacrosanct ones like attitude and bias, prejudice and ethics, neuroses and genius.
Everything’s on show. And that’s a part of being active on social media. Accept it. Embrace it. Because it’s part of being…
Authentic.
Authenticity is the new currency
When you’re authentic, you can trade on it. On social media.
That’s what makes being transparent worthwhile – and the benefit you balance against the risk.
In a nutshell, this involves being true to yourself – about yourself. In every way that you choose to expose on social networks. All the time. Under all circumstances.
Being congruent and consistent in what you say, do and are. Making sure all parts are moving in harmony. Just being YOU.
Sure, it may not be your (or someone else’s) “idealized conception” of a super-hero or celebrity – but that’s exactly what makes you appealing (or not) to your audience… and your strongest, most unassailable USP (unique selling proposition).
Yes, you need to stand out from the crowd, stop blending in with the sameness, in one way or another. Authenticity is one of your most powerful tools.
Because when everyone else knows who you really are, something magical happens.
Trust.
Trust is the new reward
If you show me who you are, and that display is honest and fairly representative of the persona behind the social media avatar, I can choose to begin to trust you.
And trust is the grease that smoothens and speeds up other transactions, makes them frictionless, fast and free.
That’s your social media reward – for taking the risk to share yourself online, and do it in an authentic and genuine way.
What do you think?
{ 2 comments }
Fantastic post Dr. Mani. So simple and concise, yet it encapsulates the world in which marketing happens today.
Excellent post Doc! Sometimes, you just amaze me with your wisdom and this is one of those times.
Comments on this entry are closed.