Does anyone ask you what you do? If you’re an accountant, doctor, or lawyer the answer’s pretty straightforward. You may get a few replies like “what type of
(fill in the blank with job here) are you?” Or “what kind of (blank) do you practice? However, you tend not to respond with “I help people with their business,” “I help people get well,” or “I help people when they need legal advice or help in the courtroom.” All of which would be accurate. And maybe even a better way of explaining exactly what you do.
When you tell people you work in social media does the conversation end? Is there a follow-up? Do you feel compelled to explain what you mean by social media? Do you witness the deer-in-the-headlights-look? You know, the one that reads “I don’t have the foggiest idea what social media is nor do I want to ask.” Would it be better to say, “I help people tell their stories to other people online.” It’s accurate, right.
Or better yet, I love how Hugh McGuire put it in one of his slide show presentations I recently saw in one of Mitch Joel’s posts on his popular Six Pixels of Separation blog:
“Social media works when you give value to others.”
Okay, so if you say you work in social media then you better be able to show how you provide value to those your engaging in conversation. That’s pretty powerful stuff when you think about it. We can easily see how an accountant provides value to a business, a doctor provides value to your physical body, and a lawyer provides value by being knowledgeable on the legal system. So the next time you’re asked “what type of work do you do?” Think about the value you add to the conversation online and go from there. Would love to get your thoughts? Find me here on facebook, twitter, or linkedin.
Here’s Hugh’s entire presentation:
