Can a Social Media Manager Quit Social Media?

I've had it with social media and I'm thinking about quitting. Well, kind of. Let me explain. As a public relations professional, I naturally started managing social media for my company in 2008. My role in social grew, while my role in public relations became less as the focus shifted. The past few years have seen so many changes. I love the excitement and learning new things. But the negative side can make anyone lose focus, especially if you're online 24-7 like most social media managers. Here are some of my biggest social media gripes and how to fix them:

Brands posting for a negative response. 
This is probably comparable to the any PR is good PR tactic. I *was* a Facebook fan of one of my favorite Websites. But, they consistently post images of one celebrity they know will get a response, a negative response. They'll post "Doesn't *celebrity name* look cute," or something similar. And, after watching their feed for days, you know that they know their post will bring out the keyboard courage internet trolls slamming her/him. Social media managers, at least in my experience, are under the gun to get more likes, more comments and more eyes on posts. But at what cost. Content is key...don't lose your audience or forfeit your company values for more likes. Figure out how to get there positively!

Private people putting private people in the public eye. 
It's one thing to post your own dorky selfies-that's you posting about yourself. I'm okay with that. But, when did it become okay to take random photos of people, post them on your social media site and make fun of them. Yesterday in my Instagram feed, a grown man posted a photo of an older woman and a young girl...making fun of their clothes. When did this become okay. Granted, this has been going on a while, just look at the People of Wal-Mart Website. But before, I could just ignore the Website. Now, it's everywhere, on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. We are a bullying society, yet we say we say we take a stand against bullying! Uh, I don't think so. We all have the power to make this simple change-just put the camera/iPhone/Android down.

Brands not responding at all. 
And, okay this one doesn't really make me want to quit social media. BUT, it does make me want to help these brands! If you're going to be on social media, BE on social media. I recently found out about a new product through a promotion they did with a tech site. I had a question about that product that I couldn't find through Google, so I reached out to that company first through it's Website support with no response, then to Twitter with no response, then to Facebook private messaging with no response, then to the Facebook wall with no response. In the past couple of months, this has happened to me twice. If you can't keep up with social media, don't be on those sites. Now, I know it's hard...but if you have to scale down, do one thing and do it well.

Ultimately, the truth is that I just can't quit social media. It has helped me through the pain of losing my beloved dog, reconnected me with my 5th grade best friend, given me insight into the lives of people in a different way and given me an outlet for creativity in a new way. Although I don't know how my role in public relations or social media will change in the next five years, I'm hopeful.

Social Media by the Numbers

I am a huge fan of statistics and numbers for social media-it really puts into perspective the amazing growth we have seen over the past couple of years in the digital arena. Here are a few from Socialnomics that amaze:

• Over 50% of the world’s population is under 30-years-old
• In 10 years over 40 percent of the Fortune 500 will no longer be here
• Facebook tops Google for weekly traffic in the U.S.
• If Facebook were a country it would be the world's third largest and two times the size of the U.S. population
• 1 in 5 divorces are blamed on Facebook

See the rest of the list and the video here.

Foodspotting Across Austin! (Repost)

Originally posted on the Keller Williams Realty Blog when I was their PR & Social Media Manager

Coming to Austin for Mega Camp, another event or just to visit KW…and just not sure where or what to eat? Well, we are here to help! Austin is full of amazing restaurants and there are so many choices. To make it a little easier on our guests, we created a Food Guide on Foodspotting. So, first things first, what is Foodspotting?

Foodspotting is a unique local guide where you can find and visually see what people have "Spotted" at restaurants-to see what looks good to you or discover something new. Maybe you would never try the Pasta with Clams, but it looks so good that you can't pass it up (that's me)! It is a great way to visually see what looks tasty, instead of reading through reviews. Basically it is social media heaven for foodies! There are three ways to participate: as a food seeker or as a foodspotter, or in my case, as both.  

The Social Media Gold Rush of 2009 (Repost)

Originally posted on the KW Blog when I was their PR & Social Media Manager

Where were you on June 13 at 11:00 pm? Me? I was glued to my MacBook with a Red Bull in hand scared to death. Facebook was about to open up vanity URLs to the public and I wanted Keller Williams Realty-bad.  This was serious. As the seconds ticked away, I got more and more anxious, then as the clock turned to 11:01 central time, I went for it, and at that moment I completely forgot how to spell Keller. I think it was the fear of actually spelling it wrong and having to explain to someone why I forgot how to spell my company’s name. I mean, what if I had to tell Gary!? Well, luckily I got it right. In the first hour, I was one of one million people that reserved a vanity URL. With 550 vanity URLs registered per second, I am thankful that I was able to secure one for KW, as well as my own.

Cut to a little over a week later at 5:30 a.m. and I was sitting in line outside of Apple. Yep, it was time for the newest iPhone. Faster! Video! 3GS! How could I miss out on this opportunity? The store didn’t open until 7 a.m. but there were a lot of people in front of me. What if I didn’t get one I thought? Last year, I hadn’t planned as far in advance and got the last one. It was a close call then, so I prayed that the same wouldn’t happen again. As Apple store employees brought out coffee, water and doughnuts, I knew that this would be something I would face until they stop coming out with new iPhones. But, it is Apple, of course they will come out with a new one every year. As each person walked out with theirs and they cheered it brought a smile to my face. Although ridiculous, part of me was envious. I got the new iPhone and it didn’t disappoint, but no, I didn’t cheer.

Then came Google Wave rumors. Twitter verified accounts. Changes to Facebook feeds. Google Wave launch. Twitter lists. Twitter Retweet Beta. Google social search. My invite to Google Wave-finally! The list goes on and on. Each time something new releases, I feel the joy and excitement equal to opening a present. Will I like it, what will it be and will I put it aside to play with my other toys? Whether you are new to social media or an old pro, we all had these moments this year. Maybe you just set up your brand new Twitter account, or maybe you maxed out on friends on Facebook and started a fan page, 2009 was our year to get connected. And, as the 2010 rolls in this week, I look forward to exploring the potential of my next new gadget or the next blog.

What was your big social media moment this year? What do think will be big in social media in 2010?