Sunday 10 November 2013

Socially Speaking - SM4W13

As I write it is Remembrance Sunday. Here in the UK, you'd have to be a hermit not to be fully aware of that. But, I suspect, fewer people will be aware that yesterday (9th November) marked the 75th anniversary of Kristaalnacht, which saw the first major outbreak of mass violence against Jews in Germany and Austria. The pogrom heralded a step change in Nazi policy which culminated in the Death Camps and demonstrated so completely the risk that once again existed to justice and freedom in Europe.
  
If you already knew all about Kristallnacht and are sensitive to the proximity of these two key dates in the calendar, you're probably thinking "and your point is...?". That's great. Like me, you'll have twice the reason to pause for thought in the days before 11th of November each year. But if there's just one person reading this who wasn't aware of it, I like to think that now they are. Simply in putting it down here I have shared with them something (something valuable in my opinion) that they didn't know before.

Who knows...? I may have piqued someone's interest to the extent that they  Google 'kristallnacht' and learn even more. Perhaps they too will think it's important enought to take this new-found knowledge to someone else. And so on.

All of which brings me around (rather obliquely, I'll admit), to the point of this post.

On Tuesday 26th November I will be delivering a workshop on 'getting started with Twitter' at a conference in Preston called Social Media for Women. The aim of the conference is to inspire and support more women to feel confident in using social media - whether that be for work, business, pleasure or in a community role. The conference organisers asked me to write a blog post about why I have chosen to get involved and support this event (yeah, thanks for that guys!). So here it is... demonstrated I think (hope) by my ramblings above.

For me, an inherent value for people in using online 'social media' websites, as well as curation and blogging tools, is to create awareness and interest amongst others by sharing things that matter to you. The social media pros call it 'engagement'.

By this, I'm not saying we should all be saving the world or sharing the deep and meaningful every day of our lives. What matters to you is likely to bounce between matters as wildly diverse as your newest pair of shoes (black patent courts with HUGE heels, since you ask) to a breaking news story. What you choose to share will be affected by who you are sharing with and why. My point is that whether you choose to blog about your business and/or tweet about your weekend, it's all because you think it is interesting. That it can be interesting to or improve the day of others - friends, family, associates or customers. 

If it is or does, then that brings it's own value back to you - better friendships, repeat or new business, a change in attitudes... the list goes on.

In my business, I work with people (men and women but, interestingly, mostly women) who run organisations of all sorts to help them use social channels more effectively and to feel confident doing so. On the 26th November, my workshop will look at getting started on Twitter, the basics of using the system and how build the right following. 

If you haven't already reserved your place, you can book online at www.socialmediaforwomen.co.uk. Bring along your laptops or tablets... there's wifi available and there's no time like the present to get Tweeting!