Next, clarify what topics You are Passionate about. Notice: I didn’t mention expertise. Why You ask? Anyone can become an Expert at something through studying and then applying what they have learned, with a lot of dedication and hard work. However… Living, Teaching and Earning from topics You are PASSIONATE about is another thing altogether. Go to YouTube and watch a bunch of how-to videos on the EXACT same subject, then see if You can tell who is PASSIONATE about their subject or who isn’t. Which ones are You drawn to: the Passionate people or the indifferent people? Passion is magnetic – add to that deep knowledge and experience and You have one amazing formula for attracting people towards You.
Now go back to the YouTube how-to’s. Are the presenters talking WITH YOU or are they talking AT You? In other words, do the presenters leave openings between their words and sentences as if they were talking with YOU? Or do they adopt the tone of a GURU or EXPERT? I, for one, stay CLEAR of people calling themselves a GURU or EXPERT.
Why? Trust me there is always SOMEONE out there that knows more than You do; to be so arrogant, to think You are the ONLY expert in this or that is naive to say the least. I subscribe to the philosophy that we are all constantly Learning, Playing and Growing… and, although I may know a lot about a subject, I prefer the term Consultant or Mentor, appellations which connote service to Others. While terms like Guru or Expert imply more of a Singular “I” – Listen to Me, Follow Me, etc. – terms like Consultant or Mentor WE suggest “You and I.”
Once You have discovered Why You are in Social Media, What Your Passions are, you need to get honest with Yourself on what You are willing and not willing to do to get there. Get clear on Your values and boundaries. And start to write out a Model or Blueprint for Yourself.
Here are Two of my Models I use which are Specific to Social Media and Business. I’ve abbreviated the descriptions here rather than detail the Entire Blueprint.
Social WE Media LOVE
Social – Engaging and communicating with others
We – Teamwork
Media – Using various media modalities. For those that are more Visual, use video or images. Podcasts appeal to those who are more auditory. Reach the more analytical among us thru blog posts such as this.
Love – Loving others and being passionate about what I do
And…
Conscious Business Collaboration
Conscious – Being aware of our Ripple Effect in what we say, post, write, do, etc…
Business – Treating Social Media like a business. Those who don’t tend to do more things without prior thought to the results or outcomes of their actions.
Collaboration – It is thru collaborating with others that we Learn, Play, and Grow, which ultimately leads to being better able to serve others.
I hope this has served to bring up some aha moments or questions. Please feel free to leave your feedback and to ask questions.