a policy of digital isolationism...

So, the last time I counted, I had 6 email addresses, 4 social networking profiles, 2 phones, 2 Youtube channels and 1 website. Needless to say, I find myself struggling to stay on top of the constant flow of likes, dislikes, posts, messages, tweets and email with reasonable frequency. So what is the solution - should I adopt a policy of digital isolationism and check out? Do I stop responding? Well, this did not work very well with junkmail or telemarketers as they still found me. I should probably come up with a plan.

I will begin by having more to say - less often. Isn't it better to say nothing and leave'em guessing than it is to comment for the sake of keeping content updated? When we think of the way we used to communicate, people would wait for days to receive a letter to be delivered by a courier. Countries waited to find out if they were going to war, women didn't know if they were being married off....I think my friends and followers can wait a little longer to hear my latest rant.

Life in the digital age has created a sense of urgency to know what is happening at all times and to communicate what we are doing at all times, but has our quality of life improved as a result? In some instances, yes. I want to know immediately if a water main has ruptured in my neighborhood, but I don't need to know what my neighbor bought on sale as she was purchasing it, nor do I need to stumble upon the finale of LOST, before I have a chance to watch the episode and find out for myself.

I guess there are advantages and disadvantages to being constantly bombarded with messages. A little vacation or a temporary policy of digital isolationism could serve as a welcome reprieve.

"I manage social media" she says...

"I manage social media," she says. The question is, does she manage social media? Does she know what that means? Do I really know what that means? This is a taste of a recent conversation I had with a prospective intern.

With my growing responsibilities and shrinking schedule, I have been looking for someone, perhaps an ambitious, energetic Gen Y'er to help execute our digital strategy. Those of you who share this responsibility know how time-consuming this can be. I sense that we are all in agreement that social media is a must in the nonprofit and social marketing world. Before we were posting on facebook and tweeting - we had very few ways of garnering some immediate feedback. Social networking allows us to reach new audiences and build armies of brand ambassadors. With that said, if you don't have the right person supporting these efforts you could be tweeting yourself into a dark, quiet corner where no one is talking about your brand or worse, your cause. Simply - you aren't recruiting anyone.

Trust. It all starts with trust. Perhaps a college co-ed may have wonderful ideas to grow your online presence, but maturity and discretion are not attributes that are boldly stated on one's resume. You must know that you are able to trust a new team member before imparting such responsibility, right? So the question is - what does it mean to manage social media? What do you think? Is it more about know-how or discretion?

Perhaps it's a fine blend of both.

Stay mindful....

It's the morning rush hour and along with hundreds of other commuters, you are sitting on the metro. Everyone around you is busy ...or trying to look busy. They are focused on the most recent headlines or checking their email, maybe texting to catch up before they get to the office. Imagine that you stood up and announced to this group of people that your company has awarded a grant for a community program. If anyone bothers to look up at you, you are met with blank stares that imply - why are you interrupting me with this? Why would I care? Well, all too often communicators do the same thing and social media has just created a new place for us to do it to more people, more often. 

In a sea of clutter, Chris Brogan, social marketing strategist, has made sense again. He is telling us to stay mindful about the quality of what we push out and to keep it relevant. Check this out and stay mindful.

Stay Mindful 

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