Embrace Fear, Accept Failure, Be Patient

If you are contemplating a place on the social stage then you will have to embrace fear, accept failure, and be very, very patient.

Embracing Fear: What keeps most people from engaging online? Fear. Plain and simple. Fear that the words won’t come out right; Fear of being judged on every post; Fear that what you have to say isn’t as important or as smart as you think it is. It’s fear that keeps us from moving forward and it’s fear that will keep you from engaging if you let it.  My advice – embrace fear by letting it drive your curiosity. Use it to first motivate thought and then action. Fear is a powerful emotion and when channeled appropriately can be a great motivator. And the good news is it eventually  goes away.

Image: iStock

 

Accepting Failure: Just past fear lies failure, and it will happen.  The hard part is accepting it and learning from it. In most cases we’ve been told that failure isn’t good but when it comes to social engagement it’s necessary. Once you’ve accepted failure as a part of the process then I recommend reading How to Teach Yourself to Trust Yourself, by Peter Bregman. It’s a quick read and one that I recommend revisiting every month or two. It will change the way you feel about your online presence and your “voice.”

Be Patient: Building an online presence (beyond Facebook) will take time so it’s important to be patient and not get frustrated. It simply takes time to get into the rhythm of online engagement. However, you will get better with practice, learn some really important stuff along the way, and create a community that you will come to appreciate.

Wrap Up
A few weeks ago I was part of a team that reviewed Open Community, a new book by Maddie Grant and Lindy Dreyer that examines how associations build community online. These three concepts (Fear, Failure and Patience) were interwoven throughout the book and was the inspiration for this post. It’s a terrific book and a worthwhile read whether you’re involved in a professional society or an association, or simply have an interest in online engagement. Click here to see our video review of Open Community.

Three Reasons to Keep it Simple

Tonight I returned from ASAE’s 2010 Tech Conference in Washington, D.C.  with a brain filled with all sorts of  ideas and agenda items. Among other things the conference offered valuable sessions on social media and content  strategy, the importance of curating content and the convergence of marketing  and IT departments and philosophies.

It was well worth the two days spent away from the office and for the most part left me inspired. However, a funny thing happened to me as I stepped off the train at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia and it was, perhaps, the most enlightening moment of my trip. As I ascended up the stairway and made my way through a back hallway I stumbled across this chalkboard which  stopped me dead in my tracks.

Train Schedule on Wheels

There’s no way of knowing exactly what this particular schedule is used for but it’s not the schedule that appears in the main lobby (pictured below),  or the small digital screens hanging in other areas of the depot. However, in its simplicity lie lessons that can be applied to anyone involved in content, technologies, social media and marketing.

Lesson #1 –  Just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it isn’t useful. It serves the same purpose as the other schedules, even without the flashing lights and sounds.

Lesson #2 – It  accomplishes the same goal as the other schedules – it communicates specific and relevant information to those that need it.

Lesson #3 – It’s accessible.  It doesn’t over complicate the message.

These three rules can be applied to just about any form of communication including those used in social spaces. Too often we get lost in the “noise” around us or distracted by the flashy tools available at our fingertips.  Because of this  we tend to forget all about the value in simplicity and how, if applied properly, can actually advance our goals easier and faster.

Flashy Schedule Image Credit - http://www.trainweb.org