Why am I an avoider?

This past spring, I attended a social media course put on by the Canadian Marketing Association.  I'm obviously smart enough to realize the incredible impact of social media and recognize that my avoidance isn't likely going to work out in my professional favour.  After a day of discussion, I came home with some interesting insights and a book called "Six Pixels of Separation" by Mitch Joel.  I finally cracked open the book a little over a month ago but I'll admit it's going slow.  I get about a few pages done before I fall asleep at night.

Somewhere in this book (I just recently started to dog ear my book and write notes in it, now that I have this new exciting project on the go), it says that you should be part of the online community.  And it also says that you should be decisive in terms of both your expectations, and the reader's expectations.  In other words, don't start a blog and write in it twice a day only to not show up again after a few weeks hiatus.  So.....for ALL my readers (tee hee) who eagerly await my next entry......I am creating a manageable, and seemingly acceptable expectation of once a week.  Sound good?  (On a completely hilarious note, my equally social media avoiding friend thinks she signed up for my blog, but doesn't know for sure...too funny.)

Why am I an avoider?  I resent the amount of time it takes to be connected that in depth.  Sure I know a lot more about stuff, but does it all really enrich my life at the end of the day? I can barely keep up with the family and friends that I really truly love to see!  It also makes me feel a little like life is passing me by.  The next best new thing is already come and gone and replaced before I even catch wind of it!  Plus, when it comes to technology I am NOT an early adopter.  If I want to know how something techy works, I ask my husband. He loves the latest greatest gadgets.  I could care less if what I have still works.  And to partake in a large portion of social media, you need to be able to roam around freely in the tech world - at least that is my perception as an avoider.  I suppose I don't want to read the '500 page instructional manual.' I'd rather avoid it.

All that said, I am committed to using the Gap in my resume to learn about this new channel.  I can accept it for work, and am starting to enjoy a teeny bit for fun too.

Why the Gap? Learning opportunity.

CS

And I have a follower!!

A few days in and I already have my first follower!  I knew I could count on you Michelle.  You're my social media hero - not in a marketing sort of way no offence, but as a professional and a consumer sort of way.  Luckily you have known me long enough to know how big of a leap this is for me.  And on BBM tonight when I asked the question "how often does one blog?", you responded "whenever one is inspired." 

I can't tell you how giddy it felt to see my blog (I am shoulder chuckling when I write this as it sounds so absurd) posted on somebody else's with REAL people following him (not that you aren't a REAL person following me Michelle, but I have deep dark secrets hanging over your head).  And while I have recently felt that being an avid BBM user gives me some connection to the social media world, it really doesn't (does it?).  That's essential as our good old home ec classes when we were in grade eight.  After all, I'm too cheap to pay for browsing on my BB.  I can't check my LinkedIn or Facebook pages while I am at the arena or swimming lessons.  I have to wait until I get home and fight the kids for use of the desktop.  We do have a Playbook.....but I don't know how to use it yet other than to put a movie on so my kids don't drive me insane on long trips (never thought I would give in to that either).

Come to think of it, maybe social media is a lot like parenting.  My husband and I were fantastic parents before we had kids.  Then we had kids.  And things I thought I would never give into, I do if the end result is silence or mutual agreement.  So maybe as I learn to give in to social media, I will be rewarded in new and exciting ways too...like maybe an awesome next job because someone read my post and thinks I'm super cool, or free backstage tickets to a Maroon5 concert because I included them in my profile on Facebook.  I think I may be extending my arms to social media soon.  Now if I can just figure out what sort of a label I should attach to this blog now that I googled this term and know what it means.

(Hmm....I don't know if you are supposed to use trademark and copyright symbols in a blog.  I'll have to find that out!)

Step 1 - Become a Participant

I'm the type of employee that always likes to be challenged.  I go to work to learn, grow, share, and achieve.  I recently finished a 15 month contract as a Marketing Manager and eagerly looked forward to my next career jump.  With new experiences and qualifications to add to my resume, I felt that companies would be fighting over me!   In comes social media to kick the crap out of me.  I am a self confessed social media avoider, and in the world of marketing,  the two go hand in hand like coffee and a donut.

So as I contemplate my next move, I have a large task ahead of me in order to prepare for that question that will come up in an interview - "Why the gap?"

Instead of taking a $3000 course on social media, I'm taking baby steps and becoming a participant.  I wouldn't say I have jumped in yet, it still scares the heck out of me.  I'm just nibbling a little.

I've debated how best to track my newfound self guided education (remember I'll need it when a potential employer sees the gap in my resume), but since I didn't know how to blog, twitter, or....I'm sure there are more names I don't know yet, I wrote down some captured statements in my journal.  You know, with a pen, and pretty paper, and lovely poetical sayings in the corner of every page.  Some went in my regular journal, others in my 'dream' journal, and I think a few even made it into the journal I keep for my son.  All in ink. 

Then I debated whether or not I should start a word document of all my statements so that when I finally learned to blog, I could just cut and paste.  Of course several weeks went by and I just kept trying to remember this 'good stuff' for a blog.  I probably lost a few good lines just from memory loss (it is Oktoberfest after all).

So I think I can successfully say I have allowed myself to become a participant - Facebook, LinkedIn, my new found blog.... I'm on a roll.  Now I have to send this to at least 3 friends who I know will read it.  Of course it will be the most boring to look at it save for the awesome templates Google offers.  I can't figure EVERYTHING out in just one night (pictures, labels, profiles.....so much to do).

Participant.  Never thought I would get here.

CS