Social media is the exception to the common phrase of “build it and they will come”. I have seen many newbie social media users either go one of two ways:

• Think that as soon as they start social media sites and blogging they will have large clout and become the next internet star. OR…
• Think that social media is SO time consuming and VERY hard and intrusive.

As a result, along my social media journey I have heard common phrases such as “Social media is hard and time-consuming”. Well, these people are right. And then, “Social media is easy and efficient”. Well, you’re right, too. Let me explain…

Social media is extremely hard to get off the ground and learn. Understanding social media can be extremely difficult, especially because there are so so so so so many different social media sites and such content overload. However, once you get the hang of it and realize that you probably are already doing half the work, it becomes so simple. Let’s start with this simple question: Do you read articles, watch videos or look at infographics or pictures on the internet on your phone or computer?

For all of you that said yes. You are already doing one the most time-consuming tasks of social media. Finding content. Every day you read content that is either pertinent to your career or just something that interests you. I bet, without you even knowing it, the information you read has similar themes. For instance, if you’re in Real Estate you probably read about mortgage rates, properties on the market, etc. etc. For real techies, you probably read about the newest technologies, Google, Apple, Microsoft and any other smaller companies. This content you are reading can help you create you as a personal brand or even can help you push out content for your company. Although this is simplistic, this is the first step towards pushing out social media content. Moving from being a Spectator or Inactive on social media to a Joiner or Critic.

Now, I know what I just wrote is super simplistic. There are many other blogs out there that provide a lot more information about building a personal brand. For all of you that are a little more advanced on social media or not and want to get in good habits, here is a hierarchical content organization strategy that works and is helpful that will be published next week.

In the meantime for the beginner social media users. That’s it. Social media is all about sharing. And maybe you don’t feel comfortable putting on blast the information that you are reading, but that is how you build a community and become social. Let’s see how much information you can share!