Social Media Misteps

Fear - fear of sharing information and not getting paid for it.

Not sharing information for fear someone will steal it or benefit from it without having to pay for it is detrimental thinking... especially in the new relationship economy. The value of sharing your knowledge and expertise is what establishes your credibility and influence. This may seem to be work in vain, however, this results in having thousands of fans and customers excited to recommend your product or service to people looking to pay to acquire them. There is one fact you can count on; if you're not sharing valuable information, someone else is - namely your competition. They are building their credibility and loyalty in the hearts of your target market across the Web and securing their financial future. Sharing value, insight and knowledge with the sole purpose of helping others will attract more long term value (money) than any single activity you could do.

Pride - those that think their dung doesn’t stink and have a "better than" attitude will eat humble pie.

Some influential rock stars out there in social media either don't bother, or are too busy to engage in chatter and conversation with online communities they are part of. While they may be busy; to believe they don't have time to participate, or to underestimate the necessity of connecting on a personal level with the market and potential customers they serve is foolish. Tomorrows influential rock stars will arise as a result of their accessibility and interaction with their audience and community. Humble and helpful will prevail over arrogance and ignorance.

Self-Centered - one way broadcasts all about you, you, and you.

OK, stop already! One sure way to turn people off is to constantly talk about you and promote yourself. That activity is best left to the fans. If you don't have any, it will be necessary to earn them.

Greed - participating for the sole purpose of making money.

It's going to get harder and harder for spammers and sly marketers to continue to make money online. Ya sure, knowing how to use the tricks, systems and tools that generate millions of dollars online has been and continues to be a big advantage for many; however, user-friendly technology is leveling the playing field. It is making e-business easier than ever to get started for any and all who desire to, and it is changing how consumers are making their buying decisions. Personality and transparency will dominate e-business over specialized technical skills in the future.

Selfishness - only interested in what you can get, not what you can contribute.

You can smell an individual’s intentions and motivations a mile away. Takers will find it difficult to share in the online gushers of the future and those that have had success will find their oil wells drying up.