Enjoy the Silence…
Words like violence
Break the silence
Come crashing in
Into my little world
Painful to me
Pierce right through me
Can’t you understand
Oh my little girl
All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm
~Depeche Mode | Enjoy the Silence
Just about every blog post Marc Davison of 1000Watt Consulting writes gets stuck inside my head.
And “I’m not contrary, I’m just thinking” was no exception.
In the comments that follow that post, Marc wrote the following (emphasis added):
Signal to noise. Like advertising, social media, in its current “public” construct is a form of personal advertising. In that regard, I have come to believe that there should not be any noise at all. Others might disagree but that’s more about their right to defend their noise due to not having any signal at all. (That’s bound to stir up some controversy). Noise belongs in a private space. Instant messaging. Texting. Where it’s one on one.
We’ve been seduced into believing that sharing our noise publicly is a fast track to friendship. I’m a hold out. I don’t buy it. I know the RE.Net is in complete disagreement over this citing the friendships made there from their cacophony. I can’t dispute that. I do however, wonder how much more influential this group would be collectively if they reduced the static with some real content.
Over time, I sense a mass migration away from noise when it becomes clear that the payoff for all the time spent is minimal and a turn toward better, more valuable, useful content. Perhaps this is already beginning.
I think the balance between “signal” (your professional branding, differentiation and message) and “noise” (the personal, fun, social stuff) is arguably the biggest issue in Social Media today. What’s too much “noise?” What’s not enough “social”?
And it feels as if everyone has an opinion on this.
What’s yours?
Comments feed
The problem is what defines noise. If I am trying to build a brand around me, and have people learn to trust me, I need to share a bit about myself. Social media is a fairly good lubricant on developing the relationships between Twitter Tom Royce and those I want to interact with as well as those who I want to do business with.
If my Twitter account is Tom’s Widget Shop” than the noise to business relationship should be much different. I want people focused on my widgets and learning about them and my company.
For real estate agents they have to sell both their skills as an agent and their personality. Now I would not put in a constant diatribe of diaper changing or dry cleaner runs, but I would show some personality. If I am selling in Detroit it is not bad to let it slip I am a Red Wings fan. That could generate business and give some common ground.
.-= Tom Royce´s last blog ..Chamillionaire – Foreclosure Better Than Paying =-.