Design, Coding, SEO and Social Media Marketing, WordPress & Facebook

Many social media experts have blogs where they share their wisdom, and sometimes even wit, with the world. One in particular that I have found insightful and relevant is Matt Hames and his blog on social media called “People Like to Share”. Hames includes an About Me page where he clearly states that he is employed as a social media strategist by a company that specializes in marketing and web PR. But he is not being paid to have this blog, it’s his own project and in his posts he does not express the views of his employer. He is trying to be transparent, an important new phenomenon being adopted by savvy folks in the social media world. They know that this new arena requires honesty, a concept previously unheard of in the world of advertising. Users of social media sites are not interested in sales pitches and self-promotion, they hate it all. Anyone who wants to use social media to promote and publicize a business has to approach these avenues with caution and transparency. To be transparent is to reveal your true motivation, to be more than just the face of a company or product, to be a real person.

This transparency trend is leading to many more blogs and websites that strive to create a persona for consultants and managers. Knowing that most of the Fortune 500 CEOs are on LinkedIn, and now probably have profiles on Facebook as well, it’s easy to see that the gimmick is really catching on. Another example I have found interesting is the blog of Tara Hunt, “Horse Pig Cow”. Hunt is author of the book The Whuffie Factor and a marketing consultant. She uses the term “whuffie” to describe social capital, or a reputation that one can gain from being an active member of community. She believes in the transparency idea, and in her view, consumers should not be considered “targets” but individuals who will buy and experience, not a brand. That is why she sells her persona, not her services, first and foremost.

Twitter is another perfect example of a medium where a technical expert and their private persona can meet and tweet as one. Countless professionals are out there talking about both business and pleasure as the same person. You can contact me for advice and insight, they encourage, and we can also talk about that raging party last night! Or share links to viral videos, or funny pictures from Digg. I guess it’s possible to use a separate account for personal conversations, but most people are too busy to switch back and forth, so we see another arena where the private self has to share the same face as the business professional.

In social media networks, your transparent reputation matters more than a big brand name and flashy advertising. Users want to see you contributing to the network, sharing information and offering opinions and advice. This explains why the blog movement has really taken off. These platforms for sharing easy for the consumer to access: Just come to my blog and let me tell you all about myself!