One of my favorite lines from the movie Spider Man is “With great power, comes great responsibility”. How true that is.
Social Media has allowed all of us to embrace our “Inner Spider Man”. We’re mothers, fathers, business owners, employees and just regular people with needs, wants, hopes and dreams using these platforms daily. But in Social Media, like Peter Parker in Spider Man, we become transformed. Many of us have developed relationships and faithful followings. People trust us. Some have become Social Media Super-Heroes, to whom people look daily for inspiration, information and sometimes, even hope.
It’s a wonderful thing to be a trusted resource, but it’s not a mantle to be taken lightly. Not only are others affected by what we say and share, our own reputations can be tarnished by those very same things.
With great influence, comes great responsibility.
There are a few simple things you can do to maintain and increase your level of influence, manage your online reputation, and be a valuable resource to the community.
RESEARCH WHOM AND WHAT YOU PROMOTE.
Reputation is everything and it’s fragile. Before you “endorse” someone or something, do a little research. What is this person or organization about? What do they do? Do they fit into what you want to be known for? What do they value? Do they operate with integrity? Promote others by all means, but get to know them a little bit first. Talk only about what you know for sure. Spending time listening, watching and building a relationship first, helps to avoid promoting a cause or individual that can damage your reputation.
READ OTHERS’ POSTS AND GET TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE REALLY ABOUT.
There are tons of great personalities in Social Media. Let’s face it. You can be whatever you want to be there. It’s a great place to invent or re-invent yourself. But ultimately, we can only be who and what we are. It does not take long to find out who a person is. Read their blogs, postings and communications. Is who they are compatible with who you are and what you want to be known for? If not, then you may like them and continue to engage, but just not endorse them. Big difference. Who and what we endorse says a lot about who we are.
RETWEET AND SHARE WISELY.
Don’t just pass along a post without reading it. Headlines are not always the best indicator of a post’s content. Often a post will get passed on because of who is sharing it, instead of what is shared. Be sure you know what you are saying is “great” and be willing to stand behind that. Be sure that what you share supports your brand and values. Unless you’ve read it for yourself, you can’t really be sure.
Everything we post, say and share speaks volumes about we are, like it or not. Branding is about everything we say and do consistently, and it includes what we endorse, promote and share. Enjoy the influence and trust you’re gaining, but use it responsibly!
I enjoyed reading this post. I believe that most people don’t consider their short term or long term goals and motivations. We live in a world of instant gratification and the lightning speed of a mouse click in cyberspace.
There are so many rules and contradictory information on personal and professional engagement. It can be confusing.
Most people don’t ask: What’s at stake by creating a connection, however temporary, to another person or business.
What does responsibility mean? It’s not self-centered. A mother is responsible for her children until they reach the legal age of consent. A father is responsible to his wife and children, and must provide for their financial, emotional, spiritual, and physical well being.
How, then, shall we apply the above to social media and online communities? Am I my online brother or sister’s keeper?
Influence can be a tricky understanding. No one sets out to be a trendsetter, it just happens. We need equal numbers of leaders and followers.
Staci,
Excellent topic and blog. You hit it on what creates influence, for as we know influence comes in both good and bad modes. Either way it is developed from a relationship which often does not need to be two-way. When the relationship involves two-way communication the influence is amplified and creates action and as you said, sometimes transformation.
Thanks for sharing great insight. Your influence is strong and mighty. The best to my friend – you.
Great post Staci! I fully agree with what you’ve covered here – and I promote you happily!
Staci,
This post is well thought out and full of insight. Social media allows new thought leaders to emerge. There is no shortage of opinions, and social media creates a platform for people to express them. It’s really no different than spending time with people in our life – we gain a reputation just by hanging around certain people. Social media drives personal relationships faster, and it would be easy to speed through normal relationship builder steps. I agree that there is responsibility – as we gain influence, we become role models.
Thanks for making me think. Your influence with SM is powerful and positive, and you make a positive difference in so many lives. Rock ON, friend!
Charrise
I agree with what you say Staci
If people trust us we have a responsibility to tread carefully in what we promote and endorse.
Wonderful article thankyou!
Thanks for this great post Staci. My reputation is everything and it takes so long to build trust that it would be crazy to lose it over a few dollars or because of not doing a little bit of due diligence/research.
Love the Spidee pic too!
Timely Article Staci! I have to confess that I caught myself earlier today making a choice based on a feeling of obligation and didn’t invest enough in my due. It bugged me afterwords… Then came your article as a final stamp – to pay more attention and be more responsible. We Live, We Learn…
We do live and learn! It’s a beautiful gift!!