Charles Lee

2009 has been an amazing year!

In reflecting back, I’m humbled by the great experiences and people I’ve had the privilege of meeting during this past year. The reason I’m saying that social media (aka networking) changed my life is because without it, many of these experiences would not have been possible.

Here’s an abbreviated list of things that were made possible (in part) because of social media in 2009:

• Creating and Facilitating 3 Idea Camp Conferences in 3 Different Cities (Irvine, Washington DC, and Portland) with $0 for advertisement. (Thank You Sponsors!)
• Lodging, Traveling, and Registration to Conferences
• Speaking Opportunities at Conferences
• Web-designers, Programmers, and Graphic Designers Offering Services (You guys are amazing!)
• New Clients for Consultancy
• Practical Wisdom and Help for Many of My Questions (both personal and professional)
• Fundraising for Worthy Non-Profits
• Experiencing U2 Concert in the Red Zone
• Discounts on Products and Free Tickets to Amusement Parks
• Several New Friendships!

Although this list may seem over the top to some, I just want you to know that all of these things didn’t just happen because I signed onto things like Twitter and Facebook. Notice above that I said social media helped “in part”. In other words, there’s more to social media than just social media. Here are a few of many insights into social media that I’ve gained or refined during 2009:

• It’s Relational
  • When you come down to it, social media is a tool to strengthen new or existing relationships, whether personal, professional, or casual. Regardless of the kind of relationship, the focus is relationship. In other words, people, organizations, or companies who do well on social media focus on relationship first and then product. Unfortunately, for some, social media is used like old-time marketing (i.e., one-way communication about a product). That’s like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Just because both have shape doesn’t mean it’s a fit.
  • Work on building relationship online with your friends, family, colleagues, clients, etc. The bigger questions include…”Do you value relationships enough? Would you work on building these relationships even if social media were not around?” The reality is that people want to connect. Relationships may not be at the same level for each person. But nevertheless, how available are you to connect with people?
• It’s Intentional
  • It’s always good to figure out why one joins the social media revolution. Some join it for fun while others are intentional about how to use it as a tool. If you’re the latter, determine why your organization or company uses social media. Is it for marketing? Customer Service? Client Building? Communications? Product Development? Fundraising? Collaboration? Field Based Learning? All of the above?
  • You can use social media well for all of those uses and more. Just keep in mind that the root of social media is relational connection. In other words, don’t just use social media to send out your latest announcements or advertisement. Most people will see that and conclude that you really don’t want relationship or care about them.
• It’s Hard Work
  • Sorry to break the news to some, but using social media takes work (in fact, hard work) like any other good tool in life. Is it worth the investment? I think so. In the long run, if done wisely, it can help you live out your dreams and passions.
  • I would recommend that you read books, blogs, and articles on social media (future post coming on good resources…in the meantime, just google it). Take some concentrated time to learn from those who are further ahead in this new and growing field. If you have an organization or business that is needing help in this area, invest in a consultant. I know several consultants [including myself ] in this area that can help. It’s definitely worth the investment.
• It’s Addictive (So Learn How to Breathe and Disconnect)
  • I believe that Aristotle was right in saying that virtue is found in between two extremes. On one hand, don’t be the person on an anti-social media kick. You’ll quickly become outdated and more importantly, will end up losing some great opportunities to pursue and live out what you were created to be. One more thing, don’t be that “I’m better than you because I’m not on social media” dude. You’re self-righteous posture is irritating and your ignorance shines through.
  • On the other hand, don’t be the person who can’t disconnect with social media. Go digitally black (or without social media) from time to time. Unplug virtually and literally. Here’s why:
    • Social media can trick you into thinking that you’re doing more than you actually are. Blogging, retweeting, tagging, facebooking, etc. all feed like productivity, but may not be. Social media can become an escape from the real world of work. Work can be done through social media, but it most cases, you still have to execute ideas (and I don’t mean kill them).
    • Social media can take you away from the ones you really need to stay connected with. For example, your kids, spouse, and friends (I mean, actual friends; not just the labeled “friends” of Facebook). Put down your smart phone or iPhone when you’re with your loved ones. It’s okay. Things are going to okay. You don’t have to check email every 2 minutes. You don’t have to be on twitter while you drive, eat, and sleep. Don’t allow social media to be the builder of your insecurity. (All speaking from experience here.)
    • Social media can give you a big head. For me, this is a double whammy because I already have a big head (literally) . Seriously, I don’t care if you have a million followers on Twitter. Would I want that many followers? I definitely wouldn’t mind. But even with this being said, the number of followers does not equate to personal worth. No matter how much technology advances, people will eventually see your character and soul. You can’t fake that. Check out this post I did earlier this year about staying humble online.

I love social media but social media is not my life. I hope to use social media to its fullest extent (or at least close to it), but I hope that my relationship and integrity with people will be the greatest indicator of the kind of person I am.

I wish I could name all of you whom I’ve had the privilege of meeting because of social media. Some of you become some of my closest friends. I’m deeply thankful that social media has allowed us to connect.

Here’s to an even better 2010!

Cheers,

Charles

This post is tagged 2009 Social Media, Idea Camp, online, Relationships, Social media, Social Media Changed My Life, web