My Big Aha Moment

I remember when i was in elementary school (mid-1990s) and my dad pulled me over to the computer. He’d just connected to the old Internet protocol Telnet through the Michigan State University (MSU) Library System. Within seconds, we could explore the card catalog and corresponding applications from not just MSU but most major libraries in the world.

I know what you’re thinking. “Big whoop you connected to card catalog from a library.” But that was the mid-1990s. No one was online at that point. I was maybe 12 and my computer was bouncing around the world.

In that experience, I had some kind of aha moment that affected the rest of my life. I realized that the Internet was going to connect people in ways that’ve never happened before. From that point on, it’s been a non-stop fascination… and possibly even an obsession.

And I’ve seen it work. I’ve seen people connect via technology to build communities that have since gone on to change the world in a way that they wouldn’t be able to do on their own. I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of some of those movements. Excited to hopefully be a part of A LOT more.

But it all started with a moment. Do you have a moment that was an infection point in your life?

How I Use the Different Social Media Platforms

With the addition of Snapchat to the mainstream social media landscape, I think people (especially those over 30) are feeling collective social media fatigue.

Recently, I’ve been having more convos about how each of the different platforms are distinctly useful.  So, I thought I’d break down how I use the platforms…

Facebook – This is the best of what’s happening with the people and brands that I care about. It’s about truly understanding your audience, posting the best photos and the best links. Because it’s the “best of” and more so limited to your closer connections, there’s a better opportunity for deeper threaded discussions.  But, it’s a fundamentally closed ecosystem. It’s harder to make newer spontaneous connections.

Twitter – This is a real-time stream of what’s happening in the world right now. It’s an open ecosystem. So, your connections could and will be everyone. You could and should post often. With Twitter, you have the opportunity to interact with anyone and have anyone reach out to you.

Instagram – These are photos that are the best of your life. It’s the highlight reel. It’s photos of beautiful lives, beautiful food, and beautiful travel. I’m increasingly seeing beautiful product photos or beautiful flim clips.

Snapchat – This is the opposite of Instagram. It’s raw and messy. The videos are quick. They’re not thought out. They show you the real life of who ever’s taking the pictures or video.  It’s a great platform for turning and talking directly into the camera.

LinkedIn – This is for your professional life. What are you reading for work? What are you working on? Is there a new issue or topic relevant to those in your field. Your connections are the new rolodex.

Hopefully this makes sense. Each platform is different and serves a different audience.

Rule #1 is understand your audience. Where do they spend their time? Go there. But don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty and go multiple places, including Snapchat.


Watch The World Around You

I’ve noticed something about myself. When I’m in public arenas, I’m fascinated by what people are doing on their phones. Last night I flew to DC for a few days at the office. I was totally curious by what the sub 30 somethings were doing on their phones.

Especially as you get older, it’s easy to get stuck. But you gotta go where the puck is going, otherwise you’ll get left behind. Best way to know where things are going is by watching those that are younger than you.

For example, the market is clearly moving towards Snapchat as a predominant media platform. I know a lot of my peers cringe at the idea of Snapchat. But get over it. It’s the present reality. It’s what people use.

In general though, I think there’s a lot you can learn from just paying attention. When you’re in line for your morning latte or on your commute home, pay attention to the people around you. What are they doing? How can that inform how you go about trying to command their attention.